Sofia Daras

Now nearly two years into the Law program, Sofia has had the opportunity to engage with multiple legal environments through IE’s comparative approach to legal education. She highlights how early exposure to international law, combined with a rigorous academic structure, has strengthened her critical thinking, time management, and analytical skills.

Her involvement with ELSA IE has played a central role in deepening her engagement with legal studies. In her first year, she participated in both the Fall and Spring editions of the Mitchell McLean Trials. Despite being completely new to trials, her team reached the final round at Pérez-Llorca Law Firm in Madrid, where she acted as a prosecuting attorney and drafted legal arguments. The following semester, she continued developing her courtroom strategy, ultimately winning the international competition and receiving an Honorable Mention from the ELSA board.

Sofia’s experience at IE extends well beyond lectures. She was selected to participate in the IE Legal Clinic during her first year, where she provided pro bono legal advice to an IE startup regarding the transportation of lithium batteries within Spain. She also contributed to a legal report on EU funding of NGOs in Latin America and worked alongside Professor Marco de Benito in collaboration with the Center for Fundamental Rights in Hungary.

She continues to expand her academic experience through initiatives such as the ELSA x Cambridge University Law Exchange, a two-week program that combines institutional visits, negotiations, and academic exchange between Madrid and Cambridge. Looking ahead, she will also take part in IE’s Policy Lab, working on projects that connect real-world needs with adaptive policy frameworks, sustainability, and AI-powered design.

Alongside her academic work, Sofia has taken on significant leadership roles within the IE community. Last year, she started serving as Director of Student Experience in the Student Government and organized nine events in just the first two weeks of the academic year, engaging more than 500 students. She describes this experience as both challenging and rewarding, strengthening her organizational, collaboration, and public speaking skills.

Her commitment to community impact is also evident through initiatives such as organizing a Massive Segovia Cleanup, which brought together students, professors, and staff and was featured in El Norte de Castilla. Sofia is also involved in planning the International Student Congress at IE, a student-led global forum connecting institutions and academic representatives.

Additionally, Sofia serves as Student Coordinator for the IE Mentorship Society and as a Jury Panel Member of the Sustainability Centre, where she collaborates with faculty and external stakeholders to evaluate sustainability project proposals. Her volunteering experiences include teaching English to immigrants in Segovia and supporting the Hay Festival, a cultural event that brings together diverse voices to address global challenges.

Reflecting on her journey, Sofia encourages future Law students to embrace opportunities without fear. She believes that saying yes, whether to academic or extracurricular experiences, is essential to growth. As she shares, "the worst thing that could happen is it doesn’t work out, but at least you tried and put yourself out there."

Currently a Fellow Foundation Scholarship recipient for Academic Excellence, Sofia continues to build a profile that reflects IE University’s values of global perspective, academic rigor, and meaningful impact.