Testimony by Lucas Pestana Macedo, Graduate of LLM in Transnational Arbitration & Dispute Settlement, 2020

To everyone considering applying for the SciencesPo TADS Program, I say: you will be in the driver's seat – and quite frankly, in a privileged pole position!

Professor Diego Fernández Arroyo assembled this LL.M. to offer a full-kit on international arbitration and dispute settlement mechanisms. You may want to focus on human rights issues in investment disputes, learn more about energy arbitration, or perhaps study how arbitration develops in South America - it really only depends on how much you want to commit to.

Every class is taught by the best professors in the field, which frequently means meeting the "legends" who have penned the textbooks. Likewise, leading practitioners will host you and your colleagues for 8-hour practical workshops on varied subjects, from the cross-examination of witnesses to the selection of arbitrators. The fact that SciencesPo is based in Paris, such a hub for international arbitration, only enriched my experience.

In my opinion, another great feature of TADS is the limited number of students, around 20-25 candidates per year. This permits you to have an exclusive experience with professors and grow strong ties with your cohort. More than an incredible network already placed in the global arbitration environment, I made wonderful friends that I will carry on for life.

The lessons learnt at TADS come handy in my current position at a leading litigation finance provider, whose partner I met, of course, … at SciencesPo! In sum, I could not recommend more this LL.M. to anyone willing to study and develop their career in international arbitration.