Julia Moreno Moreno
I'm Julia Moreno and I was born and raised in Madrid. I decided to study the comparative law degree at IE because I was looking for an international experience and was lucky enough to be located in Madrid. I finished my degree and decided to do a double master's degree in access and legal advice for companies, also at IE. This last experience was purely national, but it was perfect to complement my studies of comparative law that I already had.
After finishing the master's degree, I started an internship at Ferrovial Airports where I stayed for seven great months. After Ferrovial, I joined EY in the Legal and Regulatory department of Financial Services. During my two years at EY, in which I had a great time, I learned about discipline and sacrifice at work. I feel that this stage in my life made me learn quickly and prepared me very well for the future, while giving me the opportunity to meet great people and have a great time. Today, I am starting a new professional career as a lawyer in the Financial Regulatory Department at CMS Albiñana & Suárez de Lezo.
“To be competitive is to be hardworking and humble.”
Q&A WITH JULIA
Why did you choose your program(s) at IE University?
I decided to study comparative law because I wanted an international experience, and also, I did not want to close myself off from opportunities; the comparative law program offered me both. Additionally, I knew that if I wanted to practice in Spain, I would need to take the LLM to become a lawyer and I thought that the combination of international law would give me a global perspective and the LLM would also give me the Spanish law training I would need in the future.
Please share a favorite memory from your time at IE University.
I cannot choose just one favorite memory to highlight at IE, but I could summarize it as my four years of a thousand opportunities. Meeting people from all over the world, traveling, seeing and living with different cultures, and learning from my friends.
Do you have any advice for IE students and alumni who are looking to pursue a career in law?
I would tell them to trust the process. I believe is not the easiest professional career, however, it is a very satisfying career when you achieve the goals you set yourself in the different stages of your life. Work hard, don’t let any opportunity pass you by, and never miss out on a plan or a chance to enjoy and have fun.
Now for the advice. Is there anything you wish you had known when starting at IE University? What advice would you give to incoming students?
No one knows anything once they finish university. Even the smartest person doesn’t know anything. And also, even if you are not the best student, you can be a brilliant professional.
Describe your current role and how you got there. What was the hiring process like?
I’m a a lawyer at CMS Albiñana & Suárez de Lezo. I basically advise financial companies such as banks, funds, etc. I was fortunate to have this opportunity because they called me to do the interview. My process in this law firm was really fast, and it consisted of only two interviews: one with the HR department and the last one with the director of HR and the financial regulation partner.
Tell us about your proudest career accomplishment to date.
Being able to manage stressful situations and deliver a good job.
Let’s talk about skills. What skills should job seekers develop to be competitive in today’s workforce and what skills are necessary to succeed in your field?
I think to be competitive is to be hardworking and humble. It is true that there are a lot of law firms that seek the best students at universities, and they base their decisions on grades. However, you realize with time that if you take advantage of the situations you are in every moment you will learn and improve. To be successful in my field, you need to be updated all the time, like the financial part of law and giving advice to financial entities, from mere normative solutions to transactional solutions and reading and keeping up with legislative changes.
What advice would you give to IE University students and alumni who are looking to pursue a career in your field?
I believe law is a complicated field, that is not taught in class, so you must learn it on the go which is exciting but also hard. Until you start working in the field you don’t learn anything. So, if you are really interested in this field be patient, read, study and don’t lose your motivation if at the beginning nothing makes sense.
What motivates you in life?
For me what motivates me in life is spending time with my friends and family. Traveling fills my heart and gives me the motivation to continue pursuing my professional path.
Name one thing you can’t live without and explain why.
My friends and family. They give me the joy and happiness to live to the fullest.
Share something most people don’t know about you.
I hated law since the day I decided to study it. But today, I couldn’t be happier that I made this decision.