Catch up with Fabrizio Esposito

Congratulations on your appointment as Assistant Professor of Law at NOVA law school. What made you switch to a career in academia?

I joined Ashurst before having finished law school and learned what it means to be a lawyer from Ilario Giangrossi, Chiara Bicci, Daniele Iorio and many others. This invaluable experience is always with me when I research and teach. However, I had the opportunity to pursue an academic career, which gives a degree of intellectual freedom that the practice obviously cannot.

What does a typical day look like for you?

Right now, I am spending a lot of time preparing lectures. Having just joined NOVA, I have my courses for the first and second semesters to build. Not much research these days, which is normal when you have new teaching obligations. I have plans for next year, starting with the publication of my first monograph with Edward Elgar.

Has the pandemic had a profound effect on the way you work?

Of course! I work essentially from home, and I meet the students only online. The same goes for seminars, conferences, etc. But it is not all bad, honestly. Thanks to the chat and cameras off, more students participate in the lectures. Group activities are also more manageable. Organizing seminars and conferences online is easier, allows broader participation, and is environmentally friendly. In sum, I believe that these are best practices that academia should strive to carry on when this is all over.

NOVA’s mission is ‘to make diversity a starting point for adapting to the challenges to which the Law responds’. Why do you believe diversity in legal services is so important?

A lawyer’s mind must be first and foremost open, curious, imaginative and flexible. Without this attitude, legal skills cannot be fully exploited. NOVA does an excellent job in creating a diverse academic environment, which is instrumental in making sure that our students will exploit their legal skills to the fullest extent possible.

What new skills do you think lawyers need to develop for the future?

Digital skills, of course. We need to make the most out of the opportunities opened by many software and apps for legal research and drafting. But also, lawyers must become more familiar with the use of scientific expertise in legal argumentation. This goal is central to my academic activity.

What’s the best career/life advice that you’ve been given?

“If it takes less than five minutes, do it know”. Try it. It helps to get rid of a lot of post-its.

Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?

Right now the plan is the promotion to Associate Professor, one or two kids, winning a research grant and writing another book. It will be a busy, but surely exciting time!