Honored Students List

"Dear Pericles Community,

I was surprised to receive a message informing me that I have the honor of being named Student of the Month. While I do not consider myself a particularly diligent student, I am delighted to be humbled by this recognition. It is especially meaningful as I am a practicing lawyer and have not been a student for some time and have never been named a Student of the Month.

Studying at Pericles presents unique challenges, particularly in adapting to the academic approach and the necessity of using professional English. I am happy that I accepted this challenge by enrolling in the LLM program. The support from all of you—professors, staff members, and fellow students—has been invaluable on this journey.

I want to express my sincere gratitude to each and every one of you for this honor and for being part of the Pericles Community."

Olga has been chosen as our October Student of the Month for her desire for knowledge and active participation in class. Professors have highlighted that Olga is always full of questions, likes to challenge new information and her presence makes the class alive. All of this resonates very well with our Socratic approach to teaching. Congratulations, Olga!

"Hello everyone,

I am grateful to be one of the lawyers who are on the list of the Student of the Month. Scrolling through this page (and Pericles pages in social networks), I was amused by how many talented people went through Pericles’ educational programs and it is a pleasure for me to be one of the best.

Pericles changed my mindset regarding law in full. As an attorney, I focus on bankruptcy and commercial litigation proceedings including disputes regarding sanctions. Pericles’s courses help me to understand how elements of law should work, and how you should analyze legal issues from different points. I do not have any regrets that I decided to enroll on Pericles LL.M. Program last year, as every course is a concentrated knowledge and expertise.

Good luck!"

Dmitrii has been chosen as our September Student of the Month for his sound progress and successful start to the LL.M. program. Most of you know how challenging the program is, so to take a giant leap straight from Approaching Legal English into the LL.M. takes real aspiration and hard work. Congratulations Dmitrii!

"Hello everyone,

My name is Kristina, and I’m a third-year law student at MSAL.
Frankly speaking, the thought of even possibly becoming the Student of the Month had never crossed my mind until I received this offer from Pericles. So, I appreciate it highly and thank the professors for their decision.

ALE course at Pericles gave me the opportunity to rethink my approach to learning English and made it easier. Prof. Cannon provided the necessary legal concepts and grammar rules with his explanations, made the participants feel comfortable speaking English, and changed our perspective on learning a foreign language at all.

All in all, I’m happy that this law center launched my long journey of professional development, and I look forward to moving step by step towards my goals with Pericles.

Thank you!"

Kristina has been chosen as our August Student of the Month for her exceptional work in the recent Approaching Legal English course. Despite being busy with exam preparation at uni (passing with straight As), and having a part-time job, Kristina never missed a lesson, always attending in-person and completing all the homework exercises. Congratulations Kristina!

"Hello everyone!

My name is Evgeniia Bairasheva. I am a senior lawyer at a media company, where I focus on IP and technology-related issues.

First of all, I would like to thank all of Pericles’ staff and professors for their hard work and incredible friendly atmosphere in the center. It is almost miracle that in Moscow there is a school that offers American standards of legal education.

Secondly, I would like to address those people who still doubt Pericles programs for some reason. I was hesitant myself. I especially doubted my legal English knowledge. I used it in my work routine. But to listen to foreign professors for hours and participate in discussions on complex legal issues? I thought that I was not ready for that. But some dedication, a lot of reading, and paperwork... Maybe not immediately, but hard work always gives results. And how wonderful it is to apply the acquired knowledge in practice and feel the professional grow. Wish it to everyone!"

Evgeniia has been chosen as our July Student of the Month for overcoming difficulties in Legal Writing I in the Fall, working extra hard to improve and eventually getting a B grade. She then decided to join our LL.M. program and has performed exceptionally well in her first semester by receiving top grades in both courses! Congratulations Evgeniia!

"Hello everyone! I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to all the dedicated teachers and administration at Pericles. Their commitment to excellence has truly made a difference over the years.

Pericles isn't just about mastering legal English, maintaining discipline, and honing our case briefing skills. It goes beyond that - it infused us of the ability to apply diverse legal reasoning and address complex domestic legal issues. While my work in a Russian company primarily involves Russian law, thanks to Pericles I've broadened my horizons and now I can approach legal problems in fresh, creative ways.

Looking back on my time at Pericles, I can't help but acknowledge how much it's shaped me personally. It's helped me build confidence, set and smash my goals, and taught me to brush off the doubters and challenges that come my
way. My profound gratitude to Pericles for shaping me both professionally and personally!"

Svetlana joined our LL.M. program in 2017, and despite facing some difficulties during her studies, made a strong comeback to not only overcome these challenges, but also be chosen as the Student Representative of the Graduating Class of 2024. This is a great example that one should never give up and that perseverance and hard work always pays off. We are very proud of you Svetlana! Good luck with everything!

"Hello everyone. My name is Galina Grishina. I am a head of legal division at Multibonus (a company that operates bank loyalty programs).

Unfortunately, I do not use any form of English in my day to day activity, and I thankful to Pericles for such opportunity, besides the knowledges in foreign jurisdictions. I believe that experience I have been obtaining in Pericles is extremely useful now and further down the road.

I am happy to study at Pericles and to be a part of community highly qualified people. I strongly recommend Pericles everyone who wants to expand consciousness, develop logical thinking and keep open mind."

We are delighted to announce Galina as our Student of the Month. Galina commenced her LL.M. studies in the Spring of 2020, demonstrating remarkable resilience and determination.

Despite facing significant challenges that necessitated a pause in her academic journey, she returned with unwavering commitment and an inspiring drive to succeed. Her perseverance has been particularly evident in her outstanding performance in the Contract Law course, where she achieved a perfect score on a paper, a feat never before awarded by Professor Dent.

Galina's academic excellence and tenacity exemplify the spirit of our institution, and we are proud to celebrate her achievements. Congratulations, Galina!

"Hello to all of professors, administration and students of Pericles! I’ve been waiting for this nomination for almost three years:), however, didn’t have any objections with the every choice made every month during this period, honestly. The reason is that I have seen most of the guys in classes and was impressed with their knowledge, motivation and desire. I do believe that every student, with no exceptions, made him/herself better during the study in Pericles than he/she was before.

Obviously, it is not only students’ achievement, but, first of all, result of dedicated and hard work of Marian, administration and professors. I would like to thanks each of them for creating useful, well-organized and effective studying environment, which truly works.

Many thanks and all the best to all of you, believe, will meet some of you sooner or later! And may the force be with you:)"

Pavel joined our LL.M. program in the Fall of 2021 and is graduating this semester. He has worked hard and earned good grades throughout his studies at Pericles, and has been a consistently active contributor in class discussions.

We are pleased to congratulate him on capping off his studies at Pericles as Student of the Month! Congratulations, Pavel.

"Hello everyone, I'm Natalya. My passion lies in international law, and I am fascinated by negotiations between companies from different countries for mutual benefit. However, my ambitions to contribute to this global arena remained unfulfilled until I discovered the Pericles Center for International Legal Education in Moscow. Here, I've found an opportunity to delve into the complexities of international law.

Although this path is fraught with challenges, I enjoy the opportunity to solve complex problems and expand my knowledge within a community of experienced professionals.

At Pericles, I am continually impressed by the commitment to providing students with relevant courses led by top-level professors, ensuring that we stay up to date with the latest developments in the field."

We are thrilled to announce that our Student of the Month is Natalia Yurshina! While she may not be the loudest or most outgoing student in class, Natalia's competence, maturity and consistency shine through in her work. Her professors have noted her regular preparation for class. She always has insightful contributions to make on the cases and reading materials, so that her teachers can rely on her for intelligent answers, showcasing her understanding of the subject matter.

Natalia has also demonstrated excellent academic skills and writing ability.
Last semester, she tied for the highest grade in Professional Responsibility, and she consistently earns As and Bs in her classes.

We know that Natalia balances a demanding career with her studies, yet she never slacks off in class or makes excuses.

Overall, Natalia embodies all the qualities of a top law student and top lawyer - diligence, consistency, maturity, intelligence, and dedication.

We are proud to recognize her as our Student of the Month because she's a great role model for us all. Congratulations, Natalia.

"Dear Pericles' team
I appreciate it so much that you chose me as a student of the month.
Your decision to choose me as a student of the month encourages me a lot to continue studying with much more enthusiasm, improve my legal skills further and complete the LLM program, which is very challenging one to be honest.
Pericles law center became for me not only a very good law school which teaches law at a very high level, but also an opportunity to change my attitude to studying process as a whole, because Pericles despite seeming simplicity while presenting materials (sometimes and only in my personal opinion) demand very deep analytical skills both when completing writing and reading assignments and discussing a lot of different US and UK cases.
Every time when I come to the Pericles' classes I feel that I'm in a professional environment with highly qualified practitioners in an international center of education.
You help me to build my career and feel confident that I do exactly what I need.
Thank you"

We chose Sergey Gurin as our student of the month for his amazing perseverance, hard work, and ultimate amazing success!

When Sergey first started in Pericles LL.M. program, in Fall 2012, he was really challenged by the English level and difficulty of the courses. His first semester grades were awful, so Professor Dent and Professor Mendelssohn actually advised him that he was unlikely to succeed and encouraged him to drop the program.

But Sergey didn't believe that he couldn't master it. He took a step back and took several years to improve his English, figuring out how American law school programs worked, and then rejoining the LL.M. program in summer 2021, getting an A- in Legal Writing just for starters.
Since then he has been building on that success with consistent high grades, until this fall, in International Asset Recovery, he got the top grade in the class! What an amazing improvement, Sergey, and we are so glad you proved our professors wrong!

Congratulations Sergey! We are proud of your hard work

"Hello, my name is Kamilla Ishmatova. I am so honored and happy to be named as the student of the month.

I Have completed half of my LLM in the Pericles. It has been a unique and enjoyable experience. I find the courses very interesting and fruitful in many aspects, mostly because they are practice oriented and I can apply the obtained knowledge in my work.

I want to express my highest appreciation to the Pericles team and professors for their professionalism, support and dedication to their work. You help not only to obtain a deeper knowledge of international business law, but also motivate students for personal growth and bigger goals in a friendly atmosphere surrounded by like-minded people."

We are proud to announce Kamilla Ishmatova as our student of the month. She currently works as the head of the legal department of a major chocolate factory in Russia, and has previously worked for the Ministry of Justice and in the private sector. Despite her busy working schedule, she attends classes in person, and she is able to consistently finish near the top of her class in the LL.M. program, in which she has completed half of the classes. Kamilla's professors appreciate her diligent efforts and smiling participation in class.

Congratulations Kamilla! We are proud of your hard work in the classroom and wish you the best of luck as you complete your LL.M. degree at Pericles.

"Wow! I am super excited to become the student of the month so far. My personal plan was to be on the list later, after tons of paperwork and hot discussions with my fellow students and professors. However, I accept this nomination with great pleasure and gratitude. It turned out to be one of my best New Year presents.
Many thanks to Pericles' staff and professors for their care and support, and to the students I had a chance to study with for their passion to law, sharp wits, and dedication to profession."

We selected Mikhail Rukavishnikov as student of the month to encourage him for his hard work and congratulating him on overcoming obstacles that he has been facing this semester. Mikhail is a new LL.M. student.

Despite his facing a job crisis at the beginning of the semester, then being hospitalized for several weeks this fall, and finally facing a health crisis for one of his twin daughters, he managed to successfully complete the Legal Tech course, to finish his Intro to American Law course and earn high praise for his in class participation from Professor Brian Bellerose.

We also want to congratulate him on his professionalism. Despite not finishing Legal Writing I, he behaved in the correct way and contacted us, asking for a withdrawn passing to take it in a later semester, and to take a one semester leave of absence. This is a place where students facing hardships often fail and just disappear, causing irreparable damage to their LLM grades. But Mikhail's behavior throughout the semester has been exemplary and professional, and we thank him for that. Mikhail's behavior is a valuable lesson to everyone facing obstacles: you must reach out and tackle them head on, rather than avoiding problems or just giving up.

Mikhail, we wish you health, prosperity and happiness in the New Year for you and your family.

"This title feels almost unfair, because I’ve just started my journey with Pericles!!
I still have so much to learn and work on. This credit is major. It’s an honor to be on the list with such outstanding students. It also feels good to finally have an academic family and a nest (things I struggled to find during my previous education). There’s never a dull moment in class thanks to my fellow students. Their wit, curiosity, and immense experience really inspire me.
During our wild times of uncertainty, Pericles remains a place for optimism and hope thanks to outstanding professors and staff, and a coffee machine at the reception counter."

We are proud to announce Sofia Perelygina as our student of the month. Though she is very busy as the Head and a Board Member of a mining and manufacturing company, as well as writing books and dancing in her free time, she is taking 4 courses with Pericles this semester. As a former judicial assistant to the Commercial Court of Moscow, her years of experience are showing in the classroom.

Congratulations Sofia! and keep up the great work. We are glad you enjoy taking courses at Pericles and look forward to seeing you in more classes soon.

"Hello everyone, I'm Emma, and I am the one whose Jessup passion grew into a Pericles LLM (and it feels I'm getting another addiction to study here).

Pericles is a place to start thinking outside the box. Here, you truly learn lateral thinking and challenge yourself. For real, where else can you learn an entire legal course with memes from your favorite TV-series? The hypotheticals professors come up with, besides being entertaining and fascinating, give you an opportunity to learn transferable skills. Every single class is practical, with heated discussions among students and professors, so you just can't stay away!

At Pericles, you rub shoulders with passionate students, who are bright and with different legal backgrounds. It truly gives you motivation to keep up with your own intelligence to grow along with them.

For me Pericles feels like a place where you can push the boundaries even further and grow both professionally and personally.

I am extremely surprised and rejoined to be a Student of the Month. (Will take it as a sign to get more courses next semester and hit them even harder.)

My special thanks to Marian, whose personal approach and feedback helped me to develop my own style of lawyering."

Emma has consistently displayed outstanding academic prowess, consistently achieving top marks in her classes. What makes her achievement even more remarkable is her ability to maintain her academic excellence, even as she embarked on the significant journey of marriage. Her dedication, time management, and unwavering commitment to her studies have allowed her to successfully balance both personal and academic responsibilities.

Congratulations, Emma! Best wishes for your new marriage. And keep up the great work!

"Hi! I’m Masha and I’m a Pericles-aholic. Yes, I am one of those people who just only wanted to improve their English, but who couldn't stop… I went from attending of one course per semester to 4. I'm trying to slow down, but they [Pericles team] are keeping to creep up on me with new interesting courses. And what now? Student of the Month.

But seriously, I am extremely surprised and really honored by that nomination. Here in Pericles I am surrounded by incredibly talented and intelligent people—my classmates, each of whom is 100% student of the month, and absolutely amazing and magnificent teachers. I am very pleased to be among you all, you inspire and delight me.

And I am eternally grateful to the Pericles team for their support and attention.
Thank you once again for what you have been doing."

We are delighted to announce Mariya Malysheva as the Student of the Month at Pericles. Her commitment to excelling both in her legal career and LL.M. studies have truly set her apart.

Mariya embodies the qualities of a dedicated lawyer, juggling complicate challenges in her family life, and a full load of legal studies at Pericles, while still spending her spare time providing pro bono legal assistance to refugees and other persons in need. We want to encourage Mariya to keep up her spirit and continue to demonstrate the best qualities of a lawyer, by helping others.

We are proud to recognize her achievements and look forward to witnessing her continued success in the legal field and beyond.

Congratulations, Mariya, on this well-deserved honor!

"Hello, everyone! My name is Sofia Ovsyannikova. I am grateful and surprised to be the Pericles student of the month. It is a big honor for me. I am 20 years old law student from Russian Foreign Trade Academy of the Ministry of Economic Development, Moscow.

This year, I became extremely interested in taking part in moot courts and scientific conferences. If you haven't heard of me yet - you definitely will, just give me some time ;)

I started my education in Pericles in July 2023 during Jessup Summer School. From the first days at Pericles, I realized how lucky I was. It was such an amazing opportunity to develop my oral advocacy and legal writing skills, as well as English language skills. I have never taken part in oral and written competitions before, and I managed to get to the final rounds of the competition. Moreover, I won the Best Memorial and Best Oralists Awards.

I am proud to have taken part in Pericles Jessup Summer School, and I am happy to have had such an awesome time there. Thanks, Pericles!"

Sofia was Runner-Up Best Oralist at the recent Jessup Summer School, and was a teacher assistant at the BFU Kaliningrad Summer School to two of our professors who taught there, Marian Dent and Donald Cannon.

Sofia, congratulations, and we hope to see at Pericles courses again!

"Hi, my name's Darina. I'm so honored to receive such a high recognition of my efforts. Being a part of Jessup Summer School in Pericles has been nothing but a delight. I'm immensely thankful to Marian, Donald, Elena, Vladimir and all the other amazing teachers who helped me get more confident in oral presentation and legal writing. Oral rounds have been a great mini Jessup experience. Pericles does an amazing job assisting future lawyers like myself, setting our course in the right direction. There's always so much more to learn and the teachers have so much knowledge to share. I hope I'll get an opportunity to study in Pericles once more!"

Despite the disadvantage of attending online, Darina swept the Jessup Summer School competition this year by winning not only the Best Oralist award, but also the Best Memorial, as read by a unanimous vote of 4 U.S.based judges. Amazing! We don’t know Darina very well because the Jessup Summer School is only a very short, intensive program, but we were truly impressed by this performance, and we hope to get to know her much better.

Pericles Jessup Summer School is a program that brings together students from universities all around Russia to help them prepare for the Jessup International Moot Court Competition, which takes place September through April each year. The Jessup competition is the largest and most prestigious competition for law students in the world. Students argue a hypothetical problem in public international law before a hypothetical International Court of Justice. Every year the Jessup brings together students from around 120 countries, who first compete in national and regional rounds, followed by the best of the best meeting in Washington, D.C. for the final, international level.

Darina, congratulations, and we will be rooting for you in the real Jessup competition in the spring!

"Hello everyone! My name is Victoria. It is a great honor and a big surprise for me to be June Student of the Month. When Marian Dent handed me the LL.M. Diploma she said something about a special award for people who had to stay up till one or two in the morning. I suppose this is it, my special award. In fact, my classes normally ended at 12 a.m. in Yekaterinburg time, so Marian exaggerated, but just a little. It was a challenging time for me, but so exciting! I am grateful to all Pericles’ Professors who taught us how to think differently, how to use IRAC, how to write correctly and even how to cite. My special thanks are to Donald Cannon whose ALE class gave me the confidence in my abilities to study at Pericles! Thank you so much!"

Victoria joined our LL.M. program in Fall 2020, just when we started to offer the opportunity to study fully online. She is a very hard-working student that had to deal with issue of time difference on top of all the other challenges that the program brings. She graduated this summer, becoming our first student to complete the program 100% remotely.

Congratulations, Victoria! We are very proud of you!

"Hello everyone! My name is Ivan Gavrilov, and I’m thrilled to be the Pericles student of the month! Almost two years ago, I decided to enter the LL.M program and in hindsight, this was just the right thing to do. But inching my way into American law has still been a bumpy road.

Pursuing a Pericles LL.M means devoting your heart and soul to your studies and never giving up until you reach your goal. Studying there is challenging but well worth it. Pericles professors will, of course, teach you law, but also so much more: how to improve your critical thinking, to speak and write English better—to make something more of yourself. Words can’t express how much I want to thank Pericles professors for that!

I’m also enjoying helping ALE students, seeing how things work from the other side of the fence, and I hope to stay tied to Pericles for many years to come. I’m a totally different person now than I was before I met Pericles.
Thanks, Pericles!"

Ivan is a very enthusiastic student that has integrated really well into the Pericles community. He has been making steady progress in his LL.M studies while simultaneously pursuing an M.J. degree at Delaware. On top of all that, he helps our Approaching Legal English profesor, Donald Cannon, run his Saturday alumni sessions.

Congratulations, Ivan! Keep up the great work and thank you for all the help!

“Hello, my name is Michael. It was a surprise for me to be nominated for the "April Student of the Month" in Pericles. I am happy to study here and every day I feel my knowledge in the field of law is increasing. And I am glad that not only doctrinal knowledge about law, but also soft skills are taught, which can be immediately used in practice. Thanks to Pericles for the opportunity to grow and develop as a professional, new acquaintances and interesting classes.”

Michael is a hard working student that never misses an opportunity to attend classes in-person and is a big supporter of our events. He has been showing some great results in the LL.M. program and was the joint top student in the recent Negotiations course!

Congratulations, Michael! Keep up the great work!

“Hello everyone, my name is Anastasia Shashkina, and I specialize in corporate law and M&A. I am very excited and grateful to be nominated as student of the month, but I am even more grateful for the circumstances that prompted me to apply for the LLM here. It has only been two months since the program began, but I already realize how valuable this period will be for me. Studying at Pericles is quite challenging, but it definitely gives you a big boost to your growth with the bonus of meeting smart and interesting people.”

Anastasia joined the LLM program last Fall, receiving the highest grade ever on the entrance exam. She is currently completing her first semester, and is amongst the top students in each of the three courses she is taking.

Congratulations, Anastasia! Keep it up! Your next goal is to get the highest GPA ever!

“Hello everyone,

My name is Svetlana Dubrovina. Throughout my legal career, I have worked in international law, and I currently lead the Intellectual Property Practice for a large international FMCG Company. Studying at Pericles has given me the opportunity to improve my knowledge of international law, enhance my abilities in negotiation, and develop my English writing and speaking skills further.

I am immensely proud to be nominated student of the month! At the same time, I would also like to express my gratitude to Pericles professors and staff for the incredible support they extend to all their students.”

Svetlana is an outstanding student and has achieved great results in the LLM program. She is also a great supporter of Pericles.

Congratulations, Svetlana! Keep up the great work! We look forward to seeing you graduate this summer!

“Hi, I am Margarita Sologubenko. I am surprised and really honored to be named student of the month.

I am a private consultant and advise clients on M&A and JV issues. I also participate in research with a focus on data governance and commercialization.
Prior to that, I headed the M&A practice of one of the Russian legal firms for more than 10 years, where I led projects on legal structuring and investing in various jurisdictions.

To be honest, this is my second attempt here at Pericles. The first time I joined Legal Writing I was in 2013, but then the citation rules seemed so far from my day-to-day professional tasks that I didn't make it through. Almost 10 years later, having completed a master's degree in IT/IP Law at the Higher School of Economics, I decided to give myself another chance with Pericles. Last summer I completed the Language of Contracts course and after that dived into the LLM.

I am grateful to the Pericles team for their support and attention, and to all my classmates for sharing their experiences and making a great company for classes.”

Margarita joined our LLM program last fall and has received the top grades in both required courses in her first semester - Legal Writing I and Intro to American Law.

Congratulations, Margarita! Keep up the fantastic work!

“Hi everybody. I ‘m Antony. If you are reading this message right now, you are at the right time and in the proper place.

I have been serving my respective clients as a practicing litigator, legal advisor and a criminal lawyer for more than 20 years. My intent is not to testify about my career, considering that I almost never was experienced in Legal English as a lawyer. But as one of our professors said: “Change the facts, change the law”. That’s why I’m here.

I totally distribute my title to the Pericles community, Marian in particular, and my classmates. Every minute with you is worth that time.
You inspired me to be diligent, open minded and grateful for discovering new legal hangups and approaches that we’ve learned here.

Thank you all, take care!”

Anton is one of the biggest supporters and active members of the Pericles community. He is a very social person that comes to all our events and never misses an opportunity to attend classes in-person, while encouraging his classmates to do the same. Anton performed really well in the recent Change Leadership for Lawyers course, and is a good student overall.

Congratulations, Anton! Keep up the great work!

“Hello everyone. My name is Anna Fetisova. I am a Chief Legal Counsel at ivi.ru – video-on-demand streaming service that allows to access movies and TV series via internet.

I cannot recommend Pericles LL.M. highly enough. Pericles LL.M. will help you to expand your legal knowledge in global business law and develop practical skills beyond the law. The program is a very challenging at times, but it definitely will help you grow.

I am a big supporter of lifelong learning. You can join the program at any stage of your career and take advantage from it.

I was very glad to meet so many bright and dedicated colleagues here. Pericles legal community is truly wonderful.”

Anna has been chosen as our Student of the Month for November for her outstanding academic performance in the LL.M. program. She always strives to learn and has recently applied to join the M.J. Dual Degree Program with Widener University.

Congratulations, Anna! Keep up the great work and good luck with your future studies!

“Hi everyone! My name is Elena Tesler! In 2004 I decided that I will be a lawyer, and no one could change my mind. More than 10 years passed since I have graduated from Moscow State Law Academy (MGUA), but I continue to improve my skills and knowledge. That’s why I am studying LLM at Pericles. I have never regretted my chosen profession. I get great satisfaction from work and study. You need to know from the very beginning what you want and not listen to anyone in the achievement of your goals!”

Elena has been chosen as our Student of the Month for October for her achievements in the Change Leadership for Lawyers course, and just overall outstanding academic performance in the LLM program. Congratulations, Elena! Keep up the great work!

“My name is Sergei Nikonorov. I hold a PhD in Law from Moscow State University and have practiced law as an advocate for over 18 years. In 2019, I started studying at Pericles in Approaching Legal English with prof. Donald Cannon, currently continue with other courses as my work schedule allows, and particularly enjoy interacting with the Pericles teachers. Frankly speaking, getting nominated as the Student of the Month comes as an unexpected surprise. Needless to say, I’m very pleased and honored. As I reflect on my Pericles experience, I recall how Konstantin Ushinsky, the father of Russian pedagogy, spoke of the spirit of any educational institution. This spirit doesn’t live as written words on paper, nor even within the school’s walls, but solely in the teachers’ characters—and only from there can it permeate into the students’ minds. That’s what Pericles is for me: dedicated teachers who make the learning process both engaging and practical, all in a friendly atmosphere, supporting and encouraging their students to progress, grow, and improve. Thank you for imbuing me with this spirit. By a quirk of fate, my Student of the Month nomination coincides with Pericles’ 25th Anniversary. Personally, however, I can’t consider this just a coincidence. Instead, it gives me the opportunity to say this: Keep up the good work, PERICLES!”

Sergei recently helped Professor Donald Cannon compose and edit a complete vocabulary list for the Approaching Legal English course. Thank you and congratulations, Sergei!

“Hi everyone! It is great to be chosen the student of the month! Especially in August, when there are no courses)) Either way, Pericles is great, the LLM program is great, professors are great, students are great. Being surrounded by all this greatness really motivates to improve mylanguage and legal skills. So, I thank Pericles for that! The one thing that always strikes me is that all the students instead of having fun or “doing nothing” commit themselves to studying in the evenings, on weekends, on vacation, or even at work! Moreover, people spend their own money or persuade their employers to cover the costs. Well, that is C – Commitment. I believe that with this commitment nothing is unachievable. Thank you once again!”

Alexander was one of the top students in the recent International Commercial Arbitration course which earned him this well deserved award. He has been a top performing student in his other courses too, which just goes to show that persistence and hard work always pays off. Congratulations, Alexander!

“Thank you so much, Pericles, for choosing me the Student of the Month! I am so excited to be here and learn from such devoted professionals as well as be around so many smart and ambitious students.

For those who don’t know me: I am Valeria Natsvina and I work as Head of the Legal Department in an American and Russian joint venture in agricultural business.

After I spent eleven years in three universities (OMG) I told myself that I would never pursue another degree. I first came to Pericles just to take a course in Legal English. Then I thought: “Why not take Legal Writing?” And then … Then I woke up and discovered I applied for the Pericles LLM program))

I had to sacrifice some sleep and fun, but I never regretted it. Discovering the American approach to teaching law and generally to the legal profession is a unique and breathtaking experience. And I am grateful to Pericles for such an amazing opportunity.”

Valeria recently came back from Delaware becoming our first student since COVID to go and study abroad. Her perseverance, braveness, and enthusiasm helped her overcome all the visa and travel difficulties that are now in place. She is also always keen on attending classes in-person and brings sweets every time she visits us (a good bribe to get student of the month, right? :)) Congratulations, Valeria!

“I am honored to be elected this year's Valedictorian and the best student of the month combined with the Diploma of Honors.

My name is Anastasia Firayner. I work as a lawyer in a small law firm. My area of expertise is concentrated mostly around various types of agreements and contracts, private matters of the clients.

Honestly, my journey with Pericles started rather unexpectedly. I have just graduated with the Master degree of Moscow State University and there were no plans in my mind to continue my education in any way (just some vague ideas to receive the second education as a translator, but not immediately.) However, if you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans, right? In this scenario this role was taken by a colleague of mine. He actually laughed (quote: “Translator? No, you are way too young for this. I have something more amusing for you”). He decided that I do not have the right to vote and I simply had to go to Pericles, whether I liked it or not.
It turned out to be such an extraordinary experience. I had a pleasure to learn from the best lawyers, masters in certain spheres, with such determined people that it, honestly, motivated me to go on. I cannot say that it was easy, one or two semesters I definitely overestimated my abilities and it became quite a challenge.
Nevertheless, I am grateful for the experience I had, for the opportunity to learn from the professors and students, for such an improved English, legal way of thinking, skills and knowledge. Thank you.”

Anastasia recently graduated from our LLM program with an Honors diploma, and was also the Class Valedictorian, meaning that she had the highest GPA out of the graduating class! Congratulations Anastasia!

“Why do I love Pericles?
For me, personally, Pericles is much more than just knowledge.
It’s people: I’ve learned a lot (and continuing to learn) not only from professors who are true professionals, but also from my smart classmates.
It's a competitive but warm atmosphere.
It’s such a place where you could gain a high standard of lawyering and figure out which legal advice is actually good advice.
Seriously, guys, stop wasting time and jump into Pericles!”

Ilya joined our LL.M. program in Spring 2022, and received the top grades in his first two required courses - Intro to American Law and Legal Writing I! Congratulations Ilya!

“Hello everyone! My name is Marina Zarembo. I am honored to be a student of the month; and of course I am glad to share my experience of being a student at Pericles Law Center. For the past eleven years I have been working in a coal production company as an in-house transactional legal counsel. I have been doing contract law, civil law, financial law, antitrust law, procurement law etc. In 2000 I graduated from Lomonosov Moscow State University. During 2017-2019 I studied in the City Law School, City University of London. I enrolled in the LLM International Business Law program, distance mode, to work and study online simultaneously. I graduated with distinction. After my studies in the City Law School, I understood that I need not only the knowledge of substantive law, but practical skills as well, such as contract drafting and legal writing. Thus, I was happy to take two courses from Pericles school: Legal Writing I and Language of Contracts. Taking two courses simultaneously along with work and home duties was a challenge, but I managed it!
Legal Writing is a mix of education that includes theory and practice, students’ network and a warmhearted communication with Professor Marian Dent. Due to her professionalism, students graduate with developed logic of legal writing. Now I can do client letters, law office memoranda, instructional letters, presentations, and can apply "IRAC" technique to my documents. During classes we also completed exercises on topics such as punctuation, using active voice, structuring sentences, organizing paragraphs, and creating logical flow between paragraphs. Another course was Language of Contracts. In the beginning, the course seems to be quite easy, but don’t take it for granted. This impression is created due to the professionalism of Professor Sergey Danilov. In reality, the amount of knowledge he has given us within 12 classes is such, that after graduation I am listening to the recordings of classes for the second time and taking notes of aspects I did not manage to write down for the first time. Overall, I highly recommend Pericles Law Center in general, and such courses as Legal Writing and Language of Contracts in particular.”

Marina was the top student in the recent Language of Contracts course, in which she received an Honors certificate, and she also got the highest score on the Legal Writing exam! Congratulations Marina!

“Hi! I am Abraham Anand Chelladurai, originally from Tamil Nadu, India. I am very honored to be selected as student of the month at Pericles. I previously worked as a law officer at DBS Bank India Ltd. My expertise is in the matters of recovery of debts and transfer of property. I have also been a legal advisor for MAA Group Berhad (MAAG), a Malaysian investment holding company, for its expansion in India. I also hold a Bachelors degree in Aeronautical Engineering. I am now settled in Russia with my family. I love Russia, the people are very warm and friendly. The faculty at Pericles are a great inspiration and I have learned a lot from their classes. I enjoyed all courses at Pericles, especially the International Business & Legal Negotiations course that had given me major self realization to my profession. I aspire to be a corporate lawyer and I am confident that with the knowledge and training at Pericles I could scale great heights in my career.”

Abraham received the top grade in the recent International Business & Legal Negotiations course that finished in March! Keep up the great work, Abraham!

"Hello! My name is Oxana Kuzyaeva. I graduated from Lomonosov Moscow State University in 2006 and during my career I mostly concentrated on investments and cross-border projects.

It is quite a long and complicated story about my way in the field of American Business Law education. In 2020 I received my LL.M. degree in Global Business Law at Pericles Law Center and in 2021 I received my MJ degree in corporate law at Delaware Law School. I am very much grateful to the dean of Pericles – Marian Dent – who inspired and convinced me to join LL.M. program. It allowed me to make a leap in my career.

The dual program at Delaware Law School is a great opportunity to receive knowledge in the area of American Corporate Law. Now there is a tendency among Russian IT projects to establish business in Delaware because the Delaware Law is the most developed and flexible for these purposes. At Delaware Law School I have received complex knowledge in the areas of compliance, corporate and business law which I am successfully applying in my current projects."

Oxana is the first student that has completed our dual degree MJ program with Delaware! We are very proud of you, Oxana!

"Hello everyone,
I am Roman Solovyev. Currently, I am a lawyer at an investment firm based in London. I graduated from Moscow State University (Faculty of Political science) and got a master’s degree in law at Higher School of Economics (Master program for Corporate lawyer).
Last fall, I commenced my LLM Program at Pericles. Although I have passed just two courses here, I find them quite helpful in my day-to-day activities in my firm. At least, my colleagues noticed that I improved my writing skills.
I know it’s just the beginning of the long way to complete the LLM Program at Pericles and I am looking forward to acquiring new knowledge and skills here. In addition, even in this time of COVID, Pericles is a great networking place where you can meet up with your former or future colleagues."

Roman has just completed his first semester of the LLM program and received top grades in both of his required courses, Legal Writing I and Intro to American Law. Keep up the great work, Roman!

"My name is Nina Shibalkina. I’m very glad and surprised that I was chosen as the student of the month. It is a big honor for me. I graduated the Kutafin Moscow State Law University in 2009. I started working during my studies at the age of 19, and by the time I graduated, I became the director of the legal department of a group of private shareholders. My main areas of legal practice are M&A and corporate law. In April 2021 I established my own consulting company Apexcom. I started my education in Pericles in September 2021 under the program Approaching Legal English. My first year of study the LL.M program starts in January 2022.
From the first days of my study at Pericles, I realized how useful this study is and is applicable to work. In the process of study I want to gain knowledge for the conduct of international projects. I am very happy to have the opportunity to study at Pericles.”

We chose Nina as our student of the month because she exemplifies the persistence that we like to see in LL.M. students. Nina applied for our LL.M. program last year but didn’t do so well on the entrance exam. This fall she took Pericles’ Approaching Legal English course with Professor Cannon and studied her English like crazy. Instead of taking the next step of our regular Legal English course, as most students do, Nina decided to try again right away. She took the exam again in December and raised her score by an amazing 27 points over her August score! Way to go, Nina!  We hope to see great things of her in the coming years of her LL.M. program.

"Hello, my name is Aida Tokranova. I work as a lawyer in a brokerage company. I graduated from Kazan State University and also got a master's degree at Higher School of Economics (Corporate lawyer Master program). It is a big honor for me to be chosen as a student of the month during my first year studying the LL.M program at Pericles. I am very glad to be a part of the program because it provides the experience of studying in accordance with international standards, and helps to expand educational horizons. I see that it is not only about knowledge in some areas of American law but also about soft skills, such as listening to classmates (or contractors if we talk about real life examples), participating in discussions, complying with best standards of drafting documents and extending the professional network. Studying foreign law also helps to better understand Russian legislation and to practice it more deeply. I can fully recommend the program to every lawyer, even those who do not work specifically with foreign law.”

We are all happy for you Aida! Keep up the good work and studies!
We chose Aida, not only for her great grades and cheery attitude, but because she worked this semester as a Teacher Assistant (TA) for Professor Amy Kouznetsova and did a wonderful job. Being a TA involves helping an assigned professor with the technical issues for a class, such as putting materials on Moodle, running breakout rooms or sharing screens in online classes, and helping to set up the classroom equipment in live ones. It's a great way to get a small discount on tuition costs, but also to get to know a professor more personally and get an inside look at how the educational process works. Professor Kouznetsova said that Aida was an extraordinary TA and was really an asset to have in class.

“I am honored and – frankly – surprised to be among the graduates with honors diplomas, valedictorians, and best students based on their academic merits. My name is Nadia Agafonova. This September I started my last class leading to my LL.M diploma. Since January 2020, I have been taking up to three classes each semester, both to refresh my English, to expand my knowledge of global business law, to think like a lawyer as well as to establish new social and business relations. In my previous professional life, I worked in various industries: aviation, mining, heavy industrial machinery. Recently, I switched to a more “modern” area, taking advantage of our virtual world to touch on intellectual property issues, contracts with daily services for households, but still within a B2B mode. I am happy to be among the Pericles LL.M. students to get a broader view on every business aspect, to participate in discussions with lawyers from different industries, background, and age. I got my latest work offer thanks to the students’ network community.”

Nadia recently found a job after being a work-study student at Pericles for over one and a half years. Congratulations Nadia!

“Hello everyone. My name is Andrei Kolesov. I am an investment lawyer handling private equity investments, capital markets, and M&A transactions. This year I got an LL.M. in Global Business Law at Pericles. Before applying to Pericles in 2018, I took considerable time deciding whether I could manage in-depth studying western law while working in a tough mode. Furthermore, by that time, I already had a PhD degree, advanced education in alternative dispute resolution at ARGE, Vienna, and more than ten years professional experience, being an attorney at a well-known law firm in Moscow. However, I commenced studying at Pericles, and today realize that this decision was a turning point in my career.

Faced with international transactions, I significantly benefited from the Pericles LL.M. program by improving my analytical legal writing and contract drafting skills, developing case law legal research abilities, and enhancing familiarity with main concepts and mechanisms in the realm of general common law. While studying, I moved from a senior lawyer to the Head of Transactional Structuring and Support at the international investment group where I currently work. No less important, I became a member of the bright and talented Pericles legal community, to which I am proud to belong.

Studying western business law gives you an opportunity to see each time the full legal picture at issue, and thus, be more advanced and effective than if practicing apart of well-structured legal knowledge. Having graduated from Pericles, I advise my colleagues and fellows not to hesitate in achieving their professional objectives by getting a western style legal education.”

Andrei recently graduated with an Honors diploma. Congratulations Andrei!

“Hi, my name is Larissa Kariagina. I am a corporate lawyer. I studied law at Lomonosov Moscow State University. Most of my legal career I worked in the investment industry dealing with cross-border projects, with the main focus on M&A and other corporate law areas. Recently, I joined one of the companies of MR Group, one of the major developers in Moscow.
In 2021, I completed my LL.M. degree in Global Business Law at Pericles Law Center. This education was a challenging and exciting experience. The studies required time, concentration and dedication. In exchange, I had a brilliant opportunity to acquire new valuable knowledge indispensable for lawyers in a contemporary business environment. For these 2.5 years, I have improved my oral and writing skills, upgraded legal reasoning and presentation abilities, identified numerous blind spots, and had an excellent opportunity to redress them in a company of like-minded dedicated people under the direction of the esteemed professors and practicing Western lawyers.
The studies challenged and shaped my professional and personal qualities, but also inspired me and made me feel more confident in my competence. I have taken all this precious experience and hope to maintain the bonds with the outstanding people I met here.”

Larissa recently graduated with an Honors diploma. Congratulations Larissa!

“Hi, I am Eugenia Pleshkova. I am General Counsel at Digital Horizon — a venture fund with an international focus and venture builder that creates and scales technology start-ups. I studied Law at the State University of Land Use Planning, and now I am a second-year student of the Pericles LL.M program. I started the program just to boost up my English skills but quickly found many interesting and quite useful courses for lawyers. I am glad to be part of the program and Pericles, and recommend the program to all my friends who work with law.”

Evgenia was the top student in the recent Contract Law course that ended last month. Congratulations Evgenia!

“My name is Evgenia Korystova. My native town is Smolensk, where I finished secondary school. In 2001 I started studying at Law Department in the Moscow State University. After four years of studying I decided to make a pause and went to the United States for a year. I lived in a family and studied in Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY.

That year in the States influenced my career and my life. My English improved greatly and after the graduation form MSU I started my career in DLA Piper continuing with White & Case.

When I became a mom, I decided to continue my career as an in-house lawyer. I got some free time to learn, but at first I didn’t choose Pericles to continue my education, as I thought Pericles teaches only English which I didn’t want to learn any more. But to my joy I met Oxana Kouzyaeva, my former co-student, who described to me how useful the Pericles’ LLM program was. That’s how I started the LLM at Pericles. This program gave me the opportunity to practice both oral and written English, and gave me confidence in my ability to learn something new.”

Evgenia graduated two weeks ago as Valedictorian of the class of 2021. That means she received the highest grades out of everyone graduating this year. That’s quite an achievement to be working full time, raising a child and also graduating at the top of the class. Congratulations Evgenia!