Alba Carreño Guardia

Tell us about your academic and professional experience prior to the program. Why did you decide to study at IE Law School?What made you realize you wanted to pursue a career in law?

Before deciding to enroll in the Doble Máster en Acceso a la Abogacía, Emprendimiento y Tecnología at IE Law School, I graduated from the law program at the University of Granada and spent almost three years studying to become a judge. After that stage, which I spent thoroughly studying different branches of the law such as civil, criminal and procedural law, I decided to turn my life around, step out of my comfort zone and explore the world of law and the legal profession from another point of view. That’s what led me to choose IE University. I was looking for a program that offered training that was different from what any other institution could provide and the Doble Máster en Abogacía, Emprendimiento y Tecnología had what I was looking for.

Specializing in entrepreneurship and technology has given me the chance to develop a thorough knowledge of subjects such as intellectual and industrial property, data protection, privacy and artificial intelligence, which have become my main professional interests. 

Tell us something that surprised you about the Dual Master’s Program.

What surprised me the most was the fact that the strict standards and work required for the master’s program fully prepare you for professional life after it. Through case studies, we have learned to work with real circumstances involving a certain degree of complexity. This has made it possible to bring us as close to reality as possible.

Tell us about your participation in the IBM Watson Challenge. What was the experience like for you and your team?

Participating in the IBM Watson Challenge was very difficult because we had to combine both the technical skills and the legal skills that we learned during the master’s program. My team’s main goal was to choose a subject which would allow us to create and develop a chatbot on the IBM platform with a legal purpose. Moreover, we were also looking for something that could be a future business opportunity.

In our case, we developed a free legal assistance chatbot that allows people who meet certain criteria to access the legal system without having to pay. A lack of knowledge, fear of lodging expensive legal proceedings or excessive bureaucracy mean that many people are unaware that they have access to this right. Because of that, we thought it would be useful to develop a chatbot to inform people about when, how and where they can access the legal system for free.

This experience gave us the chance to put our technical and legal skills to the test, to learn the process of developing a chatbot from start to finish and to familiarize ourselves with the technology used. In addition, we were able to count on the support of a sector leader like IBM during the entire process. This project was also made possible thanks to the professors who taught us how to use the platform development tool.

Without a doubt, this project is one of the great opportunities offered by this master’s program and makes it even more special.

What advice would you give to someone thinking about enrolling in this program?

I would tell them that if they have an entrepreneurial spirit or are passionate about technology, they should go for it. The master’s program offers a unique opportunity to take classes taught by leading professional experts and to work on real case studies; however, most importantly, it gives you the possibility to specialize in the technological sector from a legal viewpoint, which makes you stand out from traditional legal practitioners.

Where do you see yourself in five or ten years?

I would like to be working in the new technologies area at a large legal firm. Through the networking opportunities available in the program, the support of the Talent and Careers Department and the resources and skills that I have acquired during the program, I would like to go as far as possible in the legal world, doing my part in the development of law and technology.

How would you sum up your experience at IE University?

The IE University experience is unique. I have met incredible people, allowing me to expand my network of contacts, and many of them have become my friends. I have learned to work as a member of a team and to focus on my professional goals, which I am definitely going to achieve with the help of IE University.

Visit her LinkedIn Profile.