Kalia Tsimaratos
I'm Greek in origin, but I was born and raised in Switzerland and lived in Dubai for a while. Later, I moved back to Geneva for my law degree and spent the next three years there. I always wanted to do law because I love helping people. Trying to find solutions to complex problems is my ultimate passion. I also love football, so much so that I used to play for my school. Similarly, my interest in volunteering has taken me to several countries abroad, including Kenya, Senegal and Sri Lanka.
“It's important to show that what you're doing is really what you like and that you're open to learning.”
Finding global context through diversity
Kalia Tsimaratos’ roots extend all the way from the sunny isles of Greece to Switzerland, Dubai and now Spain. Given her unique start to life, it’s only natural that she developed a deep interest in all things international. This, coupled with her desire to help people around the world, led Kalia to explore her possibilities in the field of law.
Soon after completing her bachelor’s degree, Kalia was already searching for the next challenge. She credits her time on the high school football team for her competitive spirit, and it’s served her well while she’s been building her global profile. Of those years, she says, “I met a lot of people from various areas, which increased my desire to go international.” So when she started the hunt for a suitable master’s degree program, Kalia was sure of only one thing—it had to be diverse.
She scoured her networks asking for firsthand experience and quickly narrowed down her list; some options, however, couldn’t but stick out. “I had heard many amazing things about IE Law School: that’s what made me want to go there,” Kalia explains. And when she delved more into its unique approach to learning and comparative teaching methodology, her decision was halfway made.
What finally persuaded her, however, was the school’s focus on the future. “I liked that because I think that law is changing in a fundamental way with AI and other advancements,” she explains. With technology and globalization increasingly taking center stage in the field, Kalia was happy to learn that the Master of Laws (LL.M.) placed special emphasis on preparing legal practitioners for these elements.
Kalia has enjoyed the program so far, finding it the best fit for her academic and professional goals. She always thought she’d wind up on the humanitarian side of legal practice, but she’s found she feels more at home in corporate law on a global scale. The first semester now under her belt, she says the classes were the best part of her experience: they’ve taught her to think strategically, broadened her global perspective and gave her a chance to explore legal frameworks in various jurisdictions.
Most recently, this materialized as a trip to the UK in the Legal Immersion Experience. Kalia and fellow students specializing in International Business Law traveled to London for networking and hands-on experience. “We went to very big law firms and learned a lot,” she states. One of the most memorable moments was visiting renowned multinational Allen & Overy at their Fuse lab, the first innovation hub of its kind by any international law firm. For Kalia, discovering the potential of legaltech to the future of legal practice was groundbreaking—and further proof of the program’s long-term value.
That isn’t to say she’s done championing human rights. Through the Legal Clinic, she has the opportunity to help others by offering pro bono legal advice. More than the humanitarian motive, she sees this as a great way to apply classroom theory in real life. “You can really help people and see the impact.”
Kalia recommends the IE Experience highly to other students: outside the classroom, she particularly appreciates the lively atmosphere of Madrid. The only caveat? “You have to be open to diversity and different ways of thinking,” she explains. Group projects, a mainstay of the Master of Laws (LL.M.), are an excellent way to put yourself out there while building valuable social skills. And if you want to succeed in class, you’ll have to do your research, engage with the professors—they are highly experienced and always willing to help students, both in and outside the classroom—and always show your drive to learn.
