Our Alumni
My studies at the Department of Law at Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech) provided me with the intellectual gravitas required to pursue further studies and a career in European Union and International Law. Moreover, the synthesis of technology in the delivery of the curriculum, fused with being taught by leading academics in their respective fields, set TalTech's Department of Law above the rest. Coming from the Caribbean, TalTech formally introduced me to Europe and the rest of the world. That introduction not only pertains to law, but also to cultural norms, languages, and networking prospects. With such a holistic approach to education, it was no surprise that I was recruited upon graduation to hold a senior position in the Government of Antigua and Barbuda. Additionally, upon graduation, I was accepted into top universities in the United Kingdom and the Caribbean. I intend to return to academia to pursue graduate and doctoral studies in European and International Law. Upon completion of those studies, I desire to return to Estonia as a researcher and academic. My TalTech law degree sets me apart from the competition, and as such, I highly recommend international students pursuing a law degree to make TalTech your primary choice.
J'Moul Akeem Francis (Antigua and Barbuda), BA in Law, graduated in 2017.
The reason I came to study in the Law programme is that it is offered in Estonia and the country is renowned for its advanced e-governance systems and start-ups. Secondly, the programme is offered at technical university, so what would be a better place to study law and technology! The programme has lived up to my expectations – we have had many exciting courses such as digital evidence, cyber security and a course on how to build start-ups, all this through the prism of law, which gives the programme a stimulating touch of interdisciplinarity.
Xander De Valkeneer (Belgium), MA in Law, graduated in 2017.
The Law and Technology Masters programme in Tallinn Law School has enabled me to better understand the legal complexities relating to the modern technology-dependent society and to put the underlying aspects into a solid contextual framework. The vibrant, yet well-organized, study atmosphere both within the campus and throughout the virtual resources serve as an excellent backbone for providing the best possible support for its students. Some of the key strengths of Tallinn Law School, in my view, include its ability to offer its students a great variety of projects and programmes in a close cooperation with other departments and institutions that help the students to exchange their innovative ideas with people from different fields of expertise. In addition, it would have to be mentioned that Tallinn Law School has succeeded in offering a lively atmosphere for stimulating academic discussions both between the students themselves and with helpful guidance from the lecturers. After my studies at Tallinn Law School, I joined the Business Security and Legal Compliance team in an international telecommunications company, Tele2, and undertook the challenges of working as an in-house lawyer. For a lawyer, working in the rapidly changing telecom industry offers a wide range of challenges, both exiting and demanding, to tackle on a daily basis for which the studies in Tallinn Law School has prepared me well. The future seems bright with many interesting opportunities ahead! All in all, it has been a memorable and truly emotional journey to study in Tallinn Law School. My kindest regards to the Director, the staff and to all the fellow students.
Rudolf Penu (Estonia), MA in Law, graduated in 2017.
Tallinn University of Technology was not my first contact with university education, and neither was it my first away-from-home experience, but it proved a worthwhile choice year after year. Tallinn University of Technology is as innovative and progressive as Estonia itself: Mektory, for one, has played a vital role in inspiring and driving the study process. This is how our startup was born - truly an experience unlike any other. Moreover, during my BA I got a chance to spend an exchange year in Maastricht, in the Netherlands, which is virtually a promised land when compared to normal law student standards. Having graduated cum laude, I am continuing my education outside of Estonia, but the business that is left behind, the many great people that became friends, and the spirit of Tallinn University of Technology will always drive me back to my alma mater.
Tatsiana Khamichonak (Belarus), BA in Law, graduated in 2016.
I was a TalTech student in the Legislative Drafting course and most importantly, Alternative Dispute Resolution. ADR course sparked my interest towards dispute resolution, which is one of the reasons I studied also arbitration in Nottingham. Things I learned in ADR and in Legislative Drafting really helped me in my interview to European Chemicals Agency, where I currently work in Dispute Resolution team. My job is to resolve data sharing disputes of companies importing or manufacturing chemicals in the EU, and draft the decisions as well. Just wanted to let you know how great impact your teaching has had on my career, and say thank you. I don’t think that without ADR course I would be where I am right now.
Maiju Toivanen (Finland), BA in Law, graduated in 2016.
Graduating from Law and Technology Master programme of Tallinn Law School, Tallinn University of Technology, I was at a unique position, being able to work and study at the same place, in a multicultural and multilingual environment. Being a student in TLS gave me a feeling of studying in an international atmosphere from my home country. In contemporary digital society, our educational choices must be more astute than ever. Thus, I am delighted to have TLS as my threshold to the ever-expanding career path. And this is not a subjective view - my confidence in choice has further been supported by the forward-looking former President of Estonia, Mr Toomas Hendrik Ilves, who upon meeting him, assured me that studying law and technology "is a very wise choice". Indeed, the Law and Technology degree has offered me flexicurity in my career path – even a lawyer can't just be a lawyer anymore, digital by default presumes a digitally intertwined walk of life. Following my graduation, I did a 5-month stage at the European Commission, in the Vice-President Ansip’s Digital Single Market team, employing my freshly gained skills varying from digital evidence to data protection and cybersecurity, working towards the effectuating of a seamless digital market in the EU. Following the experience from Brussels, I joined the Estonian Council of the EU Presidency team, coordinating digital policies during the Presidency from the capital, undertaking tasks varying from drafting legislation to writing speeches for our Prime Minister. As of 2018, I take a wider look at the digital revolution, being the Global Affairs Director at the Government CIO Office of Estonia, whereat my duties include promoting e-Estonia and fostering cooperation with other bright digital minds in the World. Taking a look back at my degree studies and at my career path now, I can assure you that digital is the new normal – if our society keeps innovating, why should our career choices stand still?
Sandra Särav (Estonia), MA in Law, graduated in 2015.
I graduated as a Bachelor of Social Sciences in Law. I had a privilege to study among amazing law students and most importantly friends, who were highly supportive of each other. Tallinn Law School opens a great many doors for an international career in law. In addition, Tallinn has grown into a ‘’student city’’ where you are sure to have the time of your life. If you wish to pursue an international career in law, I highly recommend Tallinn Law School. I am currently working as a Legal Research Assistant at Tallinn Law School under the supervision professor Tanel Kerikmäe who is the director of Tallinn Law School. In March 2016 I will be continuing my career as a legal trainee in a Helsinki based law firm. Moreover, I am currently studying for EEA-aptitude tests at the University of Helsinki in order to begin my master’s degree studies there in the Fall 2016. As for my future career perspectives, I have couple of things in my mind but I am not yet certain which route I am going pick. They say that the ‘’world is your oyster’’. I think that they are right.
Max Rasa Atallah (Finland), BA in Law, graduated in 2015.
The decision of doing my masters’ degree in Tallinn Law School was undoubtedly the best choice I have made. This might sound like a cliché, but studying in the law and technology masters’ program has opened up many different opportunities to me, simply because it was something different and our focus was on intellectual property and IT. The atmosphere in Tallinn Law School was always very positive and encouraging towards research of novel topics and technologies, which lead me to writing my masters’ thesis about a new and emerging field of 3D printing technology and copyright regulation. It is possible to learn about the history of law in every traditional law school, but Tallinn Law School offers a great insight to future technologies, trends and regulations and generates valuable experts on fields that are currently emerging. I am now a participant in a leadership program organized by the Government Office of Estonia, which allows me to get an overview of the Estonian public sector by rotating between different ministries and institutions during a 22 month time period. I’m currently working in the Estonian Ministry of Justice as an adviser on the field of public e-services and IT.
Paula-Mai Sepp (Estonia), MA in Law, graduated in 2015.
I studied both bachelor and master degrees of law in Tallinn Law School (TLS), Tallinn University of Technology. I chose to study in Tallinn because of the programme emphasising international and European Union law as well as human rights, which I have always felt passionate about. My decision was supported by the fact that no university in Finland provided similar kind of internationally orientated legal education in English. I truly enjoyed my studies at TLS. Based on my own personal interests I wrote my master thesis on human rights in health care, which turned out to be a gold mine for my career. During the thesis project I had plenty of great discussions with my supervisor, Professor Katrin Nyman-Metcalf who, together with the other members of TLS’s academic staff, also encouraged me to expand my research to a doctoral level. Following their advices as well as my own academic desires, after graduating Master in Arts in Law I enrolled to University of Helsinki as a Ph.D. Candidate of law.
In addition to my Ph.D. studies I also obtained a six-month internship at National Supervisory Authority of Welfare and Health (Valvira) in Finland after which I was employed as an assistant and finally promoted to a senior officer to a department of health care supervision. I felt that my differentiating background of emphasising international law, EU law and human rights gave me a wider understanding of the health care related questions. I also started to work as a legal advisor for the Finnish League for Human Rights in health care related human rights matters. Over the years I have expanded my expertise and do nowadays several legal consulting services for different interests groups in the health care sector.
However, I had always dreamed of an academic career. Therefore, I made the decision of moving back to Tallinn and accept a position of a guest lecturer at TLS. I am extremely thankful that I can be part of such an international and student-friendly academic programme and help the students to enjoy their studies as well as share the knowledge I have gained from working in the field. Hopefully I would also be able to inspire the students in the same way as I was inspired and encouraged while I was in their position. I still continue to provide legal consulting services in health related fields in Finland as I have become aware of that there exists a need for the internationally oriented lawyers who are able to understand and apply legal rules beyond the mere national legislation. For that purpose TLS is a great place to study.
Jenna Tuulia Yliruusi (Finland), MA in Law, graduated in 2014.
I chose Tallinn Law School due to the international environment and the possibility to study law in English. However, I experienced much more than that - great lecturers, friendly and helpful faculty staff, challenging and motivating courses, modern buildings and library, active student life, different culture and gained friends for life. The size of the classes and number of students allowed to fully participate in lectures and discussions without the feeling of “getting lost in the crowd”. It was quite the opposite - students, faculty members and lecturers became as one big international family. Studies in Tallinn Law School and consequently Bachelor’s degree in International, Comparative and European Union law provided me with excellent knowledge and understanding of the foundations and general principles of law as well as gave insight to more specific areas of law, all of which successfully led me to my further law studies in the Netherlands and my career as a lawyer.
Lelde Frišfelde (Latvia), BA in Law, graduated in 2012.
I began my law studies at Tallinn University of Technology in 2008 where I studied in International and European law programme. I consider this one of the best choices of my legal career since it gave me a wide theoretical knowledge of different areas of law. For master degree studies I chose the University of Groningen in the Netherlands specializing in criminal law and criminology. My programmes in both universities were interesting, challenging and very educational. The professors and lecturers were experts in their field, furthermore they were easily accessible which supported the whole studying experience.
As my goal was to influence in the area of international law and conflict areas, I decided to gain knowledge and skills that cannot be learnt in books. I completed a military service in Finnish Army and was deployed to the UN led mission in Lebanon. The mission gave me understanding of the post-conflict zones, international cooperation and legally binding resolutions under which military units have a right to operate. Later on, after few years working in the corporate law field in Helsinki, I was offered a position of liaison officer in NATO led mission in Kosovo. In this work I am contributing legal expertise into international peace, supporting different actors in furthering democracy, respect of human rights, and states in their progress to become rule of law countries.
My career line has been unconventional, although successful. Without the strong academic background, friends, support and experience that I have gained during university years, I could not be where I am now.
Kethlin Piirma (Finland), BA in Law, graduated in 2011.
Let us take a moment to pounder, and imagine that the way one has to choose a path to walk would be to place his expectations and wishes as to what is most important for a person to grow on a scale for measurement. Let us not go into complicated situations where the virtue of a man’s lifetime is weights against a single feather and use Occam’s Razor here, the simplest answer is usually the right one – so the side which would appear the heaviest would show the right path. And now, let’s imagine that we place two values of importance on the scales where on one side we would place one of the best top tier educations and on the other side an international environment which brings unforgettable life experiences and lifelong friends. What happens when both sides of the scale are equal? Occam’s Razor - you go and choose TalTech! When choosing the fine institution to obtain my education from my gut feeling told me that TalTech is the place for me. TalTech offered everything, which was important for me to enhance my educational experience – international environment, exceptional curriculum, professional lectors who in addition to theory shared their practical experience, top-notch educational facilities (excellent library) whilst still allowing me to live in the Baltic States. As an indirect tax professional, serving multinational clients, I often reflect on what I had gained in TalTech and still use my textbooks to find the right solutions for my Clients everyday tax issues. Most importantly, I have made good friends in Tallinn, and it is in Tallinn where a wise man thought me that in life the most important thing is to collect memories and experiences as they are of most value in life.
Krisjānis Volfs (Latvia), BA in Law, graduated in 2011.
Studying international law at the Tallinn University of Technology gave me a strong basis on legal thinking, argumentation and international law. The studies included lots of practice on oral and written argumentation, which has been extremely beneficial in both studies and work life. I also gained important practical experience from orphanage project.
Employers have appreciated Bachelor degree from the Tallinn University of Technology both in Finland and abroad. I have had chance to make several interesting internships for example in the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Ministry of the Interior, EFTA Court, Finnish district court and in a law firm. Bachelor studies in Tallinn University of Technology have also enabled me to continue my studies in Åbo Akademi University and University of Tampere.
My specialization area is in particular human rights and environmental matters, as my doctoral dissertation is titled as "Towards Greener Human Rights Protection: Rewriting the Environmental Case Law of the Human Rights". The roots of my doctoral dissertation can be found my study time in Tallinn, as I did my Bachelor thesis on human rights and climate change. Currently I work as a Post-Doc researcher in ALL-YOUTH STN -multidisciplinary project, where I evaluate and develop youth friendly consultation models in relation to legislative reform processes.
Heta-Helena Heiskanen (Finland), BA in Law, graduated in 2009.
The reason why I chose Tallinn University of Technology was because of its international approach to legal education, coupled with an international student body. Looking back, as a current Stanford Law School graduate student, having worked in international law firms, and in-house legal departments of leading technology companies, I can say that many of those opportunities would not have been there if not for my studies in TalTech. The way that the programme encourages students to think outside the context of their own country teaches an especially valuable lesson. I can highly recommend studying in TalTech for everyone who is willing to embrace an international career path.
Markku Räsänen (Finland), BA in Law, graduated in 2009.