Enrique Arnaldos Orts
Nowadays I'm a lawyer specialized in arbitration, public law and procedural law at the Spanish law firm, Uría Menéndez, and an Associate professor at IE Law School. After completing my degree in Law and Political Science, I decided wanted to pursue law and realized I needed to expand my knowledge to do so. The Doble Máster en Abogacía y Asesoría Jurídica de Empresas Bilingüe not only helped boost my career—it also taught me to face the challenges of the profession with humility and hard work. In this interview, you'll see my professional path, goals and view on the challenges involved in practicing law.
"It’s essential to keep in mind that effort is always rewarded."
What role do you play at Uría Menéndez? Tell us a little about your career
I’m a lawyer in the area of public law, procedural law and arbitration at the firm. I focus mainly on civil and commercial litigation in both court and arbitration proceedings. I also manage issues related to EU law.
I studied Law and Political Science at Carlos III University of Madrid. While I was studying there, I also had the opportunity to spend a few months at the Toulouse Institute of Political Studies, one of the best schools in France.
Why did you decide to pursue a master at IE Law School?
After I decided to become a lawyer, I was fortunate enough to continue my education at IE Law School. In addition to helping me meet the necessary requirements to take the bar exam, IE Law School gave me the chance to delve deeper into trade law. I wanted to learn from the best in that field, and I didn’t really begin to understand it truly until I met the incredible professor, Pilar Galeote.
In short, I wanted to do everything necessary to get a strong start to my professional career as soon as I finished studying. The Doble Máster en Abogacía and Asesoría Jurídica de Empresa Bilingüe ended up being the best option for me.
What stands out from your experience at IE Law School? Are there any stories you’d like to share?
It was a year filled with lots of work and plenty of challenges. Nevertheless, I made the most of the experience and enjoyed the learning process a lot. I remember it very fondly. Of course, I also made lots of mistakes.
Law is a very self-sacrificing profession, no matter where you practice. At IE Law School, they prepare you for the challenges you’ll have to face throughout your professional life. On the other hand, I was very lucky in terms of my classmates, and I made some friends that I hope to have for life. Also, the professors I had at IE Law School not only became role models for me during the master’s program; even now, they’re still a part of my life, helping me to grow as a professional.
Do you believe that IE delivers a global and comparative vision of law?
Definitely, especially global. In my opinion, a good lawyer needs to be versatile in their discipline and aware of what they don’t know enough about. The diversity of courses offered in the master, and the use of the case method, teaches you to understand your clients’ reality from a multidisciplinary perspective. At IE Law School, not only do you learn to do legal analysis, you also develop a sort of intuition about the financial, strategic, and business aspects of law.
What’s the most valuable thing you learned in the master, both professionally and personally? How has the master helped you to develop your legal career?
The most valuable thing I learned in the master, and something that’s applicable both personally and professionally, is that there are no shortcuts for getting good at something. I see it every day with the lawyers at the firm I work at. To be a good friend, child, parent or lawyer, you need to put in time and effort. If you put in your best efforts, nothing can go wrong. You may make mistakes, but you’ll always end up learning something new. That’s why it’s so important to do something you enjoy and you’re passionate about.
What are your professional goals?
My goal is to keep learning, growing and improving every single day. Also, in addition to being a good lawyer, I’d like to become a good teacher. One of the things I appreciate most about my work is how useful it is to share your knowledge with the people who will have your job in the future. I think Uría Menéndez is one of the best firms in Spain for doing both these things.
What advice would you give to future lawyers?
I would tell them to be intellectually honest and to not to be fooled by anyone, especially themselves. Also, it’s essential to keep in mind that effort is always rewarded.
What are the main challenges and opportunities in law and legal practice today?
I think the greatest challenge is achieving social recognition for the profession. In Spain, the legal profession has hardly any of the same prestige that it holds in other places. That’s something lawyers need to work on themselves.
The best opportunity we have in that regard is to strengthen our skills through technology in order to offer our clients better service. Although some might consider that a challenge.
