María Borrás Martín

Where are you from?

Whenever people ask me where I’m from, I always feel that I’m from lots of places, and also from nowhere. I was born in Ceuta, my beloved city, but I spent a large part of my childhood in various Andalusian cities.

I went to live in Madrid fairly early. I’ve lived there for five years and the city received me with open arms.

Why did you decide to study law?

I discovered my passion for law when I was very young. I’m a decisive person and I like to help others. I have always thought that man’s best friend is his lawyer, because a lawyer is far more than a justice-administration professional—that’s something that they teach us at IE from the very beginning. We’re the ones people put their faith in.

What stands out from your experience, both professionally and personally, at IE Law School?  Any stories you’d like to share?

My experience as an IE Law School student has been unbeatable. I knew about IE Law School’s prestige and its good results, but I never imagined it could offer me so much.

In a professional environment, the learning method they teach us at IE emphasizes detecting problems quickly and finding efficient and appropriate solutions. They teach us how to do the impeccable work of a good lawyer.

On the personal side, IE puts us together with marvelous people. It’s a hard and intense program, but it also fosters solid, long-lasting relationships with people who help us grow.

What areas of law interest you and why?

Private law has always interested me more, especially the part that deals with businesses and their relationships. That’s why I transferred to the Double Master in Asesoría Jurídica de Empresas at IE Law School.

Businesses are the engine of our economy, and lawyers are uniquely prepared to help keep that engine running and overcome great difficulties.

Do you think that IE gives you a more global and comparative view of law?

Definitely. The courses we take at IE are all related and interconnected. Also, our professors teach us how to structure our minds and connect all kinds of subject matter to a single case.

What are your hobbies or interests? What do you like to do in your free time?

That’s an easy one; whenever I have free time I get on a plane and go wherever I can. I love to travel—it’s the best way to learn.

However, my greatest passions are art and art history. I think it’s extraordinarily beautiful to understand a civilization through its art. Bernini and Michelangelo are two of my favorite artists. However, Philibert de I’Orme and Jules Hardouin-Mansart fascinated me when I was in France.

At IE Law School, I had the opportunity to take a course in art law and cultural heritage, topics that are unavailable at other schools.

What are your plans upon completing the Master in Acceso a la Abogacía? What are your professional goals?

I’m very excited about my professional life right now. In the short term, I hope to start working as a lawyer at a firm where I’ll be able to learn from the best professionals and have the opportunity to put into practice the knowledge I’ve been gaining over the course of these five years studying law.

I’d like to start building my career as a lawyer, reaching the level of knowledge that a good lawyer needs to have and contributing progress to the legal world.

How do you think technology has influenced the practice of law? And how do you think it will affect you (and your generation) in the near future?

In my opinion, a law firm that doesn’t commit to new technology is not a good place to be a lawyer these days.

Changes stemming from new technologies are right around the corner. Serious changes are coming to the traditional methods of advising clients. On the one hand, I think it’s a positive change that could bring about great progress, but we lawyers can’t risk becoming obsolete—we need to stay ahead of the curve.