Describe your summer fellowship/externship/internship. Who was it with (organization and location)?
My Corporate Counsel externship was with Orange/Atlas Services Belgium, which was based in Brussels, Belgium but I worked remotely from Athens.
What did having the fellowship/externship/internship funds enable you to do that you might not have been able to accomplish without them?
The fellowship funds enabled me to take part in the Corporate Counsel externship for a full 11 weeks, which in turn allowed me to contribute to two large projects at Orange. Over the span of the 11 weeks, I was able to form strong working relationships with my Orange colleagues and learn an incredible amount about corporate law and corporate governance concepts.
What did you work on or accomplish that you were proud of?
I co-authored the Guide to Listing in Belgium, which is a book that focuses on specific issues and continuing obligations that a Belgian public company may encounter. The guidebook includes a wide range of relevant corporate law and governance topics, ranging from requirements of taking a company public and admission to trading on a regulated market to governance, compliance and taxation.
I also worked on a very detailed company valuation project with the Brussels-based team and two other corporate counsel externs, Gamble Baffert II and Jackson Nock. This project involved analyzing U.S. Tax Court case law to calculate marketability discounts (DLOM) and control discounts (DLOC) of private companies. We identified 25 variables that potentially have an impact on court decisions and have identified their values in each of the cases. We analyzed 60 cases in total, which covered over 90 companies. We noted that courts apply very different discounts in practice. These discounts can have a large impact on a company's valuation, which affects legal and financial rights of the shareholders.
What competencies or confidence did you gain?
Through my externship with Orange, I was exposed to a wide range of corporate law concepts, including company requirements of going public on a regulated market, continuing obligations of a public company in Belgium, the role of shareholders and company valuation.
Discuss the importance of the work done by your placement site.
As a leader in the telecom industry, Orange is making technology accessible to people around the world which is vital in today's setting where many people are working remotely.
Why did you choose to attend the University of Georgia School of Law? How did you end up here?
During my master's program at Sciences Po Paris, I had the opportunity to spend a summer as a graduate assistant with The Carter Center's Democracy Program in Atlanta, which sparked my interest in both the city and Georgia in general. I am especially drawn to Atlanta because it is an international city with many opportunities for law students and lawyers.
I chose to apply to UGA Law based on its location in Georgia and the international law program, including the experienced faculty, the resources offered by the Dean Rusk International Law Center and the GEO program.
What inspired you to become a lawyer?
I spent three years of my childhood as a refugee living in a Bosnian refugee camp in Germany. My firsthand experience with injustices associated with armed conflict, including fleeing Bosnia, losing family members in the war and becoming a refugee in Germany and then an immigrant in the United States inspired me to become a lawyer.
Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?
In ten years, I hope to have a legal career that allows me to do work I care about and to have gained enough legal experience to serve as a mentor to law students and young lawyers. My own mentors, especially several UGA Law peer mentors, faculty, and staff, and my supervising attorney at Orange, have been monumental in helping me navigate the legal field, so I would like to emulate their efforts for the next generation of lawyers.
Thus far, what is your most memorable experience from your time at the School of Law?
My most memorable experience thus far has been bonding with my section cohort during my 1L year. Meeting like-minded classmates and collaborating with some of them paved the way for the establishment of the Middle Eastern Law Student Association (MELSA) at UGA Law and the formation of a creative 1L study group that excelled at writing imaginative, yet helpful hypos.
Where is your favorite place to study? Why?
The Sohn Library within the Dean Rusk International Law Center because it is usually very quiet, the armchairs are comfortable, and the faculty and staff whose offices are nearby are always pleasant to talk to.
What are two things you always have to have with you when you study?
Gummy candy and noise-cancelling headphones.
What do you like most about living in Athens?
I am fortunate to be surrounded by a diverse group of neighbors who have created a sense of community in Athens and have been instrumental in helping me get through the pandemic and law school in general.
What do you do to handle the stress of law school?
I like taking my dog into the woods near my house for walks. Since March, I have picked up archery and tennis.
What is your favorite place on campus? Why?
I love the Dunlap Room on the third floor of Hirsch Hall. I appreciate the design and decor of the room, which provides for a nice change of scenery from the law library.
What makes you optimistic?
Despite the current state of affairs, my peers at UGA Law make me optimistic because it is inspiring to see students making sacrifices and accommodations for others -- from creating fundraisers for the people of Beirut and engaging in social justice reform to checking in on friends who have been adversely affected by COVID-19 and making the needed sacrifices, including social distancing and foregoing social events, to ensure that the law school community is as safe as possible.
Name: Emina Sadic Herzberger
Hometown: Born in Gorazde, Bosnia - Raised in Houston, Texas
Expected graduation year: 2022
School of Law achievements and awards:
-- Woodruff Law Scholarship (merit-based)
-- Georgia Law Research Clerkship (merit-based) (research clerk and teaching assistant for Professor Diane Marie Amann)
-- Research assistant for Dean Peter B. "Bo" Rutledge
-- Teaching assistant for Student Services Librarian Geraldine Kalim's Legal Research I class
School of Law extracurricular activities:
-- Georgia Law Review Editorial Board
-- International Law Society President
-- Middle Eastern Law Student Association co-founder and Vice President
-- UGA Law peer mentor
-- Dean Rusk International Law Center student ambassador
Undergraduate university, degree(s), year(s): Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and Political Science from the University of Houston Honors College (2012), Master of Arts in Human Rights and Humanitarian Action from Sciences Po Paris (2016)
Published August 2020