When Ivan Grechkivsky decided to follow in his father’s footsteps and study law, leaving his home in the Ukraine wasn’t an option. Instead, he joined ULaw and in 2012 he began to study the i-LLM. Today he explains the perks of studying online and how it has helped propel his legal career.
By Cara Fielder. Published 14 August 2018. Last updated 24 November 2021.
I took the University of Law i-LLM from January 2012 to February 2015, when I was granted Master of Laws in International Legal Practice with Distinction. I took six modules including International Arbitration Practice, International Joint Ventures Practice and Business, Finance and the Legal Services Market
I chose to study law because my grandfather and father are lawyers and ever since I was a kid I wanted to follow in their footsteps. I was looking for a programme that would combine a very practical approach to studying with the ability to keep working in my home country, which is what lead me to The University of Law.
I chose an online course for the flexibility. You study at your own pace without the necessity of leaving your home country behind. Yes, it’s longer, but it’s absolutely worth it.
Online courses mean you don’t need to pause your career. Of course, you spend more time studying, after work. But you get to both keep your job and advance your career and at the same time get a masters degree from a prestigious university.
One of the best things about ULaw is the detailed personalized feedback from tutors. Even though this was a distance learning problem, in terms of feedback it never felt like it. Whenever I had any doubts, the tutors were always there to clarify. I especially loved how my tutor Richard Haggett was always on point with his comments.
I secured a few training contracts at the end of my bachelor studies in Ukraine. One in a court, one at a law firm. These training contracts gave me an ability to understand what exactly I want to do in the future.
I would strongly suggest to anyone looking to secure their first job to go the extra mile. In my case, I was the editor of the local university law journal as well as taking part in Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition. This helped me enormously.
Currently I’m a managing partner of Law Offices of Grechkivsky, a boutique law firm based in Kyiv, Ukraine. We specialize in commercial litigation, corporate law and real estate & construction. I am also currently chair of International Relations Committee of the Ukrainian National Bar Association. In this capacity, I am a Council Member of the International Bar Association (IBA) and Representative of Ukraine in the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE). The highlight of my career so far is being entrusted by the national bar to represent Ukrainian legal profession internationally.
My online qualification has helped me see everything from a multitude of different angles. For a lawyer, every decision is carefully weighted and reasoned. This is generally a very helpful trait in everyday life.
For anyone tempted by an online course I’d recommend they do it. If you’re looking for an online course, then you probably already have your reasons. It’s not easy, but The University of Law does everything to ensure that you’ll be satisfied.
Check out our website for more information on online law and online business courses.
