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Dr Iris H Chiu, Professor of Corporate Law and Financial Regulation at UCL Faculty of Laws shares information on the LLM in International Banking and Finance Law for prospective students:
- What are the backgrounds or interests of students who normally select this specialism?
We see many students who wish to practice in corporate and financial law taking this specialism. However there has also been a marked increase in students interested in the regulation and policy aspects of banking and financial law. This is due to the rise in compliance hiring in the financial sector, a trend that is on the rise, especially after the global financial crisis.
Some students are also interested in working for regulatory agencies and international policy bodies, as well as consultancies whose regulatory and compliance work have increased.
- What do you think are the top highlights of this specialism?
The main highlight for students is that they are engaging at the forefront of topics that appear in today's news, whether in relation to practitioners' concerns regarding Brexit, or regulatory and policy reforms that are being consulted upon. Teachers often include students in consultation response groups that draft responses to open consultations issued by regulators, giving students a feel of being engaged in critically thinking about and being involved in shaping the law.
- What do students who have studied this specialism usually go on to do?
Many are in legal practice or advisory or consultancy work in financial regulatory risk management and compliance. A number are in agencies such as securities regulators and Central Banks in their home country.
- Which books, podcasts, blogs or newspapers do you recommend to students interested in taking this specialism?
Students should read the financial press, such as the Financial Times and Economist on a regular basis as topics under study are often engaged with topical developments. Further a useful resource for perspectives can be found in the Oxford Business Law Blog that provides current discussion of many corporate, commercial and financial law perspectives.
- What would you say to a student who is considering taking this specialism but hasn’t made up their mind yet?
Ask yourself if you are interested in laws and regulations relating to financing green energy projects or redressing financial mis-selling scandals. This specialism engages with finance in a way that touches many aspects of social and economic life, and if you are interested in how finance is practised and govern, this specialism can be for you!