Helen joins us as a trainee advocate. She grew up in Berlin and studied law at the Free University of Berlin with a specialization in comparative law. Helen has worked at the Federal Ministry of Justice in the field of civil procedure law and at PricewaterhouseCoopers Legal in litigation. She has done so while writing her doctoral thesis in legal history. She is currently a trainee advocate at the Kammergericht Berlin. 

We welcome Helen, and have so many questions… 

What was your first job? 

I was a strawberry seller at a roadside stand – my favourite part was testing the product every morning. 

Breakfast or dinner? 

Dinner – even though I love a good brunch on the weekends. 

What song will always get you on the dance floor? 

Getting me on the dance floor is the easiest thing imaginable. Should I – for some unknown reason – not already be there, anything 80’s will do the trick.  

Window or aisle seat? 

Always the window seat, while listening to a very dramatic music playlist. 

Country you wish to visit? 

Zambia – my favorite place in the world is southern Africa and I cannot wait to finally see the Victoria falls! 

Which movie can you watch over and over? 

Casablanca – which now that I’m thinking about it, I also really want to travel to. 

Night owl or early bird? 

Night owl. But I wish I were an early bird. Just once I would like to join a 6am Yoga class.  

If you could meet someone famous, dead or alive, who would it be? 

There are so many historic figures I would love to meet. But as a young woman in law, I would love to meet Elisabeth Selbert – one of the three “mothers” of the German Constitution and an incredible lawyer.   

Last thing you learned? 

No matter how many moving boxes you have, it is never enough when moving into a new apartment. 

What do you cook when you spontaneously have friends over for dinner? 

Lasagna – with some good wine and ice cream for dessert. 

Most played on your music playlist right now? 

August by Taylor Swift. 

Mountains or seaside? 

Honestly – I just like to be warm! As long as there is some sun and I can jump into a mountain lake or the sea after a day outside, I’m happy. 

Favorite time of day? 

Apéro hour with friends. 

Biggest pet peeve? 

Bad table manners. 

Three words to describe Berlin? 

Place To Be – Summer is in full swing at the moment and nothing beats Berlin in summer.  

Favorite pizza topping? 

I feel like Pizza is all about the sauce, so I am flexible with the toppings. I do love a spinach Pizza though.  

Favorite public holiday? 

Christmas! Partly because the 26th is my birthday. Every year, my mom makes the world’s best fondue and close friends and family gather for a few gin and tonics, great wine and even better conversations. One last proper feast to end the season.