Jalalle Essalhi, recipient of the Marion Bruley Scholarship

I passed my baccalaureate in Blanc-Mesnil, Seine-Saint-Denis, where I grew up. Then, I entered Sciences Po part of the Undergraduate College on the Paris campus where I studied for the Bachelor of Arts. These years spent studying social sciences and humanities have been particularly fulfilling. If I had to sum them up, I would say they have taught me work methods, know-how, and social skills, as well as having sharpened both my critical mind and my activism.

Then I went to law school, a bit by accident. It was actually during an internship as part of the French National Assembly’s Cultural Affairs and Education Committee that I really got interested in law, especially by the cultural policy issues involved in intellectual property. This was a discipline I didn’t know much about, but which I knew was central to the creative industries I was already enthusiastic about. Over there, I worked on the report “The author and the act of creation”, also known as the Racine report, on the precarious situation of artists; I also worked on the reform bill on the public audiovisual sector; or else on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdowns on entertainment workers.

The overlapping of politics and law interests me most, and that’s why I’ve chosen innovation and creation as the focus of my studies. I hope to bridge the gap between these fields and the general interest. So, I joined the Master’s degree in Economic Law (specialization Innovation Law) to study IP law, under the scientific direction of Professor Séverine Dussolier, where I’ve found the teachers, professional lecturers, and administrative staff to be highly competent and caring.

To further my studies, I also enrolled in the Master’s degree Droit, économie et gestion de l’audiovisuel at the Sorbonne Law School, under Professor Édouard Treppoz. It’s a top-quality course that takes an in-depth look at the legal, economic, and managerial dynamics of creative industries. Once again, I was lucky enough to benefit from the teaching of a wonderful team.

I am sincerely grateful to all of them for the intellectual stimulation they make possible.

I am fortunate and honored to have been awarded the Marion Bruley grant for my final year internship at Villa Albertine, the Cultural Services of the French Embassy in the United States.

The grant is dedicated to assisting Sciences Po’s students interning in the U.S. with the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs or any other international institution of general interest, in tribute and remembrance of Marion’s life.

Candidates are chosen among students who applied for international mobility aid for opportunities outside of the European Union. The Sciences Po American Foundation, together with Marion’s family, then select the recipient based on academic merit, application materials, and financial need.

I am working in the Film, TV & New Media department which aims to implement cultural cooperation initiatives between France and the U.S. in the fields of cinema, video games, and digital creation. To do so, the Embassy has set up several levers, including artists’ residencies: every year, 70+ creators from all fields are welcomed all over the U.S. to research, of which tens for audiovisual. In addition, there are professional programs to support the creation and the dissemination of works.

My job is to support the Audiovisual Attaché and the Program Officers on their tasks. In concrete terms, this means monitoring regulations, writing articles and notes, communicating on events and news, and contributing to artist residencies and professional programs.

Overall, the assignments are varied and give me a full grasp of what audiovisual cultural action is all about, making the “exception culturelle française” palpable.

By “accident” I meant that I entered law school not knowing for sure if I wanted to become a lawyer. But it would be more accurate to speak of curiosity. When it came to choosing a graduate specialization, it was really the pedagogical and intellectual project of the Sciences Po Law School that appealed to me. Beyond the ambition to train skilled law professionals, it also aims to provide its students with a toolbox for understanding the world, a grammar for collective action, which is always in relation to social sciences. To be convinced, you just need to take an interest in teaching and research, which are open to very varied opinions on capitalism.

Precisely, this toolbox is valuable to assess, for instance, the rise of artificial intelligence in creative work and the resulting committed stances. Regarding this, my internship has been marked by the strikes in Hollywood, between the WGA and the AMPTP and between the SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP. When I’m preparing a memo or a press review, my training will inevitably make me look at the issues with a critical look and decipher the underlying interests and challenges.

On a more prosaic note, my internship also involves a fair amount of contractual drafting, so it’s useful to have reflexes in contract law.

International mobility is highly encouraged at school and in the professional world and rightly so, because it's such an enriching and life-changing experience. You never learn as much about life, yourself, and the contribution you want to bring to the world as when you’re on your own, far from home and having to tame a new environment that can be hostile.

That said, such journeys are more a matter of privilege than choice. How exactly can you expect to leave and see the world if your material conditions of existence don’t allow it?

From this point of view, the Marion Bruley grant makes the prospect of a long stay abroad possible, tangible. I therefore advise any eligible student to apply. The cost of living in the U.S. is incomparably higher to that in France, even with Paris in mind. Moreover, the salary of an intern in the public sector being what it is, I would also advise to plan your budget accordingly.

In making use of available resources and planning ahead, you will be able to meet your needs and make the most of the many opportunities the country has to offer, allowing you to enjoy a fulfilling experience in the U.S. Good luck!