Interview with Mihaela Neagoie – “The team is JGV’s asset.”

Interviu Mihaela Neagoie – „Echipa este atuul societatii JGV”

HOW DID YOU BECOME PART OF THIS TEAM?

During my time at university, I learned about SCPA JGV & Associates, and the first thing that caught my attention was the main area of ​​activity, as tort liability was one of the most interesting institutions of civil law that I studied, especially considering that it can give rise to controversial legal issues.

WHAT WAS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE IN THE JOB INTERVIEWS? HOW DID YOU FIND THE RECRUITMENT REQUIREMENTS AND THE INTERVIEW ITSELF?

The interview I underwent was by far the most interesting and different interview I had experienced up to that point, from the perspective that it was an open discussion about how I think, how I perceive certain legal and academic issues, about my desires, the difficulties I encountered, as well as how I would react in various key situations. I can say that the interview was personal because the partners wanted to discover me, not being interested in the academic status I had during college. My immediate goal was to get a job in a law firm oriented towards development, and I can confidently say that I ended up in the right place.

HOW DID YOU PERCEIVE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THEORY AND PRACTICE?

Theory is the foundation of practice! Before practicing my profession, I heard various opinions, and the most common one segregates practice from theory, but I see things differently. Indeed, there is a difference between them, but I do not consider them distinct, but that there are nuances between them; for example, theory does not entirely tell you how to do certain things, but we, as lawyers, must put into practice the theory that we interpret practically by combining it with other information.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR EXPERIENCE SO FAR WITH THE JGV & ASSOCIATES TEAM? HOW DO YOU FIND THE TEAM?

The team is the asset of JGV, because the ability of colleagues to work with each other is the foundation of the company, and the involvement of mentors with trainees leaves a positive mark on our development as future practicing lawyers, from enhanced preparation for the first pleading in court, to guidance in drafting papers, as well as networking outside working hours, are things that brought me closer to the people in this collective. JGV not only made me dedicate my time to work, but also to work with passion.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR DEBUT IN LAW? WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO LAW STUDENTS?

I could say that my debut was one with a lot of curiosity; I saw myself as a child discovering the beautiful things in life. This stage came with new challenges, such as pleading in court, teamwork, legal issues that were not addressed during college, but the company had a successful contribution to these, properly guiding me.

I can say that I chose to approach the challenge of internships with confidence in myself, and I offer the same advice to law students because if you have confidence in yourself, then everything comes naturally, emotions disappear, and you can focus on the objective you want to achieve.

WHAT QUALITIES DO YOU CONSIDER ESSENTIAL FOR A LAWYER DEALING WITH PERSONAL INJURY CASES?

I believe that a lawyer in this field must be human. They need to empathize with the victims, understand their pain. However, no matter how emotional the cases are, they must also have a more detached attitude so that they are not easily affected by the cases they receive.

WHAT WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT STRATEGY YOU USED IN YOUR CASE AND WHY WAS IT EFFECTIVE?

From the beginning, we decided to have specific responses to the arguments presented by the opposing side and try to neutralize the defenses they invoked, one by one. Knowing the case very well and being in the position of the plaintiff, it was necessary to adopt a spontaneous and offensive style. This helped us create a sense of credibility for both the jury and the audience.

HOW WAS THE INTERACTION WITH THE FIRM JGV & ASSOCIATES AND HOW WOULD YOU CHARACTERIZE THIS FIRM COMPARED TO OTHERS?

I believe it was one of the best interactions I have had. I greatly appreciated the openness, the organization of the training sessions, and especially the fact that they guided us in drafting our first legal documents. For the first time, we had the honor of wearing robes during the debates, which again shows the level of interest given to organizing the competition.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO OTHER STUDENTS WHO WANT TO GET INVOLVED IN SUCH COMPETITIONS?

My advice is simple: Don’t hesitate and give it your best! You don’t often encounter such opportunities to meet your future colleagues in the profession and see how they behave in the courtroom. It’s like training for what you will do after graduation. The good part is that you have nothing to lose, and even if you don’t reach the finals, rest assured that you will leave richer in knowledge than you came.