Excerpt from article by Berkeley Law written by Andrew Cohen
New LL.M. Students Bring Unique Experiences and Insights from Around the World
New students in Berkeley Law’s LL.M. Program are emblematic of its vast legal experience, international diversity, and outside-the-box thinking.
Anais is part of the program’s executive track, which houses two degree paths: online in spring and fall and on-campus during the summer, or two consecutive summers on campus.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Anais wanted to maximize her time at home and began looking for a law program to expand her knowledge.
“I was stunned when I saw Video Game Law is part of Berkeley’s LL.M. Program,” she says. “It’s also a unique opportunity to take the program online without disrupting my work and family responsibilities. I enjoy the diverse group of people who bring their experience and background to the table.”
Global perspective
Anais grew up with an aunt in Venezuela before moving at age 14 to The Netherlands, where her mother went to seek a better future. She then spent three years working in the U.S. and five years in Malaysia before moving back to the U.S. in 2019.
“Having lived in all these countries, I’ve learned to understand people and acknowledge that we are all different and unique, so we have to learn how to embrace the differences and try to find common ground to work together,” Anais says.
After specializing in corporate law in The Netherlands and working with international clients, she moved to the U.S., shifted to intellectual property, and began working in the video games industry. In Malaysia, she became part of the leadership team at Streamline Media Group, an independent game development and services company, working on business and corporate affairs and managing the human resources and operations team.
Now back in the U.S., Anais is tackling corporate matters, intellectual property, and litigation — while relishing her time in Berkeley Law’s LL.M. Program.
“This process has been challenging and fascinating at the same time,” she says. “The U.S. legal approach is forcing me to be more creative with legal knowledge and analysis and embrace the challenge of discovering the unknown. I also have a study buddy. We have Zoom meetings three times a week to discuss the materials and keep each other accountable and motivated.”
Anais plans to obtain the program’s Law & Technology specialization, and take the bar exam in California and Nevada. Long term, she wants to become an independent advisor and run a firm specializing in technology, entertainment, and video game law that also helps train junior lawyers and law students, finance their education, and prepare them to run their own firm.
“A lot of creativity is required to learn and keep up with the dynamic nature of the video game industry,” she says. “As in-house counsel, you’re swayed from one law field to the other depending on what the company needs, and you have to learn how to switch gears fast. I’ve found myself preparing paperwork for one project, and after putting so much effort into it, it gets killed. You have to be able to let it be and continue gracefully with your next task.”
