MIDS ALUMNI PORTRAIT SERIES — From Bucharest to Zurich: Navigating international disputes with purpose A portrait of Andreea I. Nica (MIDS ’18)

I started my career at DLA Piper in Bucharest, where I worked on several international arbitration mandates alongside highly regarded practitioners, which sparked my interest in a cross-border career. I had been considering studying abroad since my undergraduate years but postponed that decision to better define the field I wanted to pursue. By the time I applied, I knew I wanted to focus on international dispute resolution. The MIDS program therefore came as a natural choice. It offered everything I was looking for and more - from world-class faculty and practical workshops to institutional study visits and a close-knit, international network that continues to be a valuable reference point in my professional journey.

The international and diverse composition of the MIDS cohort had the greatest impact on my professional and personal growth. Being immersed in a genuinely global environment-where both classmates and professors came from different legal traditions, cultures, and professional paths-broadened my perspective on how law is practiced and understood across jurisdictions. While I was already drawn to international and diverse environments, the MIDS transformed that intuition into a lived, structured experience, sharpening my ability to work effectively across diverse backgrounds and approaches. Over time, this exposure strengthened my ability to navigate complexity and engage thoughtfully with differing perspectives-skills that have proven just as valuable personally as they have professionally. The MIDS did not simply deepen my legal knowledge; it reshaped how I think, collaborate, and position myself in an international professional environment.

The MIDS training has had a lasting influence on how I approach legal questions and professional choices. It instilled a rigorous and structured way of thinking about international disputes while also encouraging openness to different disciplines and perspectives. This combination has allowed me to navigate complex legal environments with confidence and to adapt my expertise to evolving professional contexts. The MIDS network has been equally influential. Remaining connected with classmates and alumni has offered not only career opportunities but also a valuable sense of perspective. Seeing the diverse - often non-linear paths - taken by peers has reinforced the idea that careers in international law are dynamic and can be refined over time. Together, the training and the network have provided both a strong intellectual foundation and a broader perspective. They have encouraged me to view career development as an ongoing process of alignment between skills, values, and long-term professional direction.

A common misconception is that international law and domestic law function separately, and that arbitration involves an entirely different way of working. The MIDS helped me see how often legal questions move between national and international frameworks and how the same core skills apply across both. The program emphasized that skills such as clear reasoning, careful analysis, and the ability to understand context are just as important in domestic settings as they are internationally. This made arbitration and international law feel far less compartmentalized and much more connected in practice.

The MIDS journey felt both demanding and unexpectedly freeing. The program's rigor and pace required strong focus and discipline, but that structure also created space to think more openly and to question assumptions. Building a strong foundation while gradually enabling engagement with more complex questions meant combining intensity with openness, ultimately broadening how I approach dispute resolution in an international context.

One of the most memorable aspects of my year at the MIDS was the quality of personal interactions that developed alongside the academic program. Beyond the formal classroom setting, everyday exchanges with classmates-during breaks or shared activities-fostered a genuine sense of openness and mutual understanding. These interactions added a distinct layer to the MIDS experience. Engaging with peers from diverse backgrounds deepened my appreciation of different perspectives and ways of thinking and reinforced that much of the program's value lies not only in its intellectual rigor and strong curriculum but also in the relationships formed along the way.