Legal Clinic Fourth Edition

L3 Legal Clinic Students Explore UAE Legal Practice with Leading Firms, ADGM & Global Legal Experts

(February – April 2026)

The Legal Clinic provided students with a unique opportunity to engage with legal professionals from a wide range of backgrounds and practice areas. Throughout the semester, the sessions offered valuable insight into the realities of legal practice while introducing students to different career paths within the profession. More importantly, they created opportunities to connect what is learned in the classroom with the experiences of practitioners working in the field. While the first sessions were held onsite, the programme later transitioned online due to the conflict in the Middle East. Although this sudden change altered the atmosphere of the course and initially made interaction more challenging, the sessions remained highly engaging and enriching, showing the commitment of both the speakers and participants.

The programme began with a session hosted by Al Aidarous Advocates and Legal Consultants and presented by Dr. Jean-Michel Moriniere. During this session, Professor Moriniere explained the relationship between the French legal system studied at Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi and the UAE legal system. This helped students better understand how different legal frameworks interact in practice and highlighted the international dimension of legal studies in the UAE. He also shared his personal journey and his passion for maritime law, encouraging reflection on the many paths available after graduation and the importance of exploring what genuinely interests each future lawyer.

The second onsite session with Al Tamimi & Company was led by Raneem Salha and Rashed Abdel Hadi. The discussion focused on Real Estate and Construction law, fields that several participants are currently exploring and hoping to specialize in. One especially memorable moment came when Rashed Abdel Hadi asked everyone to look outside the window and pointed out that every building in the city is supported by contracts and legal frameworks that made its construction possible. The speakers also discussed the UK legal qualification process, which many students are interested in pursuing. They spoke honestly about the challenges they faced throughout their journeys while also explaining how they overcame them and succeeded.

Following the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East, the remaining sessions were moved online. Despite the difficult regional circumstances and the sudden change in format, the discussions continued to be interactive and intellectually enriching. One of these sessions was conducted by Elie Ajouz, from Sultan Al Badi & Partners Law Firm (SSB Law), who introduced students to several practice areas, including corporate commercial law, mergers and acquisitions, and real estate law. Students also benefited from insightful sessions led by other SSB Law partners and lawyers, including Georges Okais and Ahmed Abdelsamad. Georges Okais’s session focused on lawyers’ ethics and professional conduct. Ahmed Abdelsamad’s session on the UAE legal system stood out for its interactive and personal approach. He emphasized the importance of professionalism, honesty, and strong communication skills, showing that being a successful lawyer is not only about understanding the law but also about building trust with clients.

Another memorable online session was held with Dr. Roshanak Bassiri Gharb of Clyde & Co. Dr. Bassiri Gharb shared her career journey, explaining how she moved between several law firms across different countries while continuously exploring new opportunities and following her ambitions. Her perspective encouraged students to think more openly about their futures and to not be afraid of change. The session delivered by Arbitrate AD, a long-standing contributor to the Legal Clinic, with Verina George Kamal, Ramzi Haddad, and Peter Barna, introduced students to an entirely new area of dispute resolution practice.

Students were also introduced to a very different area of law through a session with the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR), presented by Sheikha Al-Khoori and Aysha Al-Awadha. This session explored the legal framework governing the peaceful use of nuclear energy in the UAE and introduced many students to a field they had previously known very little about.

Taken together, these sessions revealed just how broad the legal profession truly is. While many students initially associated legal careers primarily with litigation or corporate law, the programme showcased a much wider range of opportunities, from maritime law and construction law to regulatory drafting, public safety, and international cooperation. The Legal Clinic encouraged students to reflect on their future careers and provided a valuable opportunity to learn directly from practitioners whose experiences brought the law to life in ways that cannot be replicated in a classroom alone.

Content provided by Legal Clinic student Haya Barbar.