The 2023 Legal Challenge in Spain ends with a high-flying finale in Madrid

IE Law School hosted its Legal Challenge event for yet another year. The nationwide competition attracts law students from across the country, with this year’s semi-finals being held in Valencia, Seville, Bilbao and Madrid, before the grand finale took place in the Spanish capital. Participants were given two hours and tasked with working as a team to find legal solutions to a case, before presenting to the panel. In many cases, they were assisted by a junior lawyer from one of the event’s collaborating firms.

The winning teams from their respective cities then made their way to Madrid to compete in the final round. Preparing the case files for the final stages this year was Luis Leis, Financial and Tax Law professor at IE Law School, who was also available to guide and support the participants in their attempts to resolve the case.

The winning team was made up of Ángel Castrillo Puente (Universidad Europea), Lucía Soria Navallas (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid), Marta Renedo Brú de Aragón (ICADE, Comillas Pontifical University), Florenzo Cudde (Universidad Carlos III de Madrid) and Sergio Sanchez Arenas (Universidad Complutense de Madrid). The students were crowned champions after successfully convincing a panel of partners from different firms collaborating in this year’s competition: Montero Aramburu, PWC, Pérez-Llorca, Uría Menéndez and Herbert Smith Freehills.

Besides the personal satisfaction and professional opportunities that come with the victory, the challenge presents another significant prize: a 25% scholarship to undertake one of our Dobles Másters de Acceso a la Abogacía.

Iraima Díez, HR executive at Pérez-Llorca, underlines that the IE Legal Challenge is a unique opportunity for students to enjoy a real-life glimpse into the practice of law. “It represents a two-fold challenge: on the one hand, participants have to combine different areas of legal knowledge acquired during their degree and stay up-to-date with the latest legal news, while on the other, they must be able to coordinate well as a team and manage their time effectively, both key attributes when it comes to working in the profession,” she explains.

Meanwhile, Montero Aramburu’s head of human resources, Consuelo Rodríguez, highlighted that the event is, “An opportunity for the human resources department to enjoy face-to-face contact with future leaders of the 21st century legal profession,” given the Legal Challenge ultimately represents a fine chance to gain internships at these prestigious firms.