Home>Pauline Lego, Class of 2019

28.04.2022

Pauline Lego, Class of 2019

CAN YOU DESCRIBE YOUR ACADEMIC AND PERSONAL BACKGROUND? 

Attracted by social sciences since secondary school, I decided to begin my university studies with a law degree at the University of Paris 2 Panthéon-Assas. A solid legal education is essential to better understand the workings of our society. Those three years of study allowed me to specialise in business law and international law. More specifically, discovering European law and competition law intrigued my interest and quickly convinced me to pursue this path. 

Curious and international-minded, and having previously graduated from the European section of my secondary school, I decided to study abroad. I first entered the College of Law in the International and Comparative Law section and then the Master of Comparative and Common Law at Assas, in partnership with Oxford University. That year in one of the most prestigious Anglo-Saxon universities, in the context of Brexit, convinced me even more to turn towards a European career. 

It was also during this year abroad that I became interested in environmental and energy issues in the context of my student society experiences. I quickly understood that working in the energy regulation sector would allow me to combine my personal convictions for energy transition and European construction as well as my interest in European law and competition law. 

Eager to expand my knowledge and strongly attached to the notion of public service, I decided to apply for the double master's degree between Sciences Po and LSE, in the Energy, Environment and Sustainability stream.  

WHAT WERE THE MAIN STAGES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF YOUR PROFESSIONAL PATH?

The development of my professional career path has been the result of  deep reflection, as well as the result of many different encounters. 

Convinced from my first years of law school that I would be a corporate lawyer in an Anglo-Saxon law firm, I gradually realised that other paths would suit me. My two experiences in England, in Oxford and London, were decisive in this shift by allowing me to meet other students from different backgrounds. The context of Brexit also convinced me of the importance of committing to the development of Europe. My year in the School of Public Affairs only reinforced this conviction and my desire to work in the public sector.> 

Finally, meetings and internships were real factors in this process. I owe a lot to some of my professors at Sciences Po who allowed me to pursue my project in the energy and European sectors. It was thanks to all these steps that the regulation of energy appeared to me as an obvious choice because it brings together all my skills and interests.

WHAT ARE THE MAIN CHARACTERISTICS OF YOUR POSITION TODAY AS A PROJECT MANAGER IN THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT OF THE ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION?

After six months of a very rewarding "Blue Book'' internship in the Directorate-General for Energy of the European Commission, I realised that the building of Europe was equally important within the Member States. It was armed with this conviction that I applied for a position at the Commission de Régulation de l'Énergie (CRE), the French independent administrative authority that regulates the gas and electricity markets. Indeed, I believe it is essential to develop a first experience "in the field" before trying to integrate the European institutions.

I took up my post in March 2020 as a lawyer in the "networks and infrastructures" department. I was in charge of the independence of network operators, an essential condition for the proper functioning and competition in the gas and electricity markets, and the development of interconnections between France and its European neighbours. In February 2022, I moved to the "market access" department, still within the legal department. I now deal with issues related to the supervision of the retail gas and electricity markets and the capacity mechanism. 

This is an exciting subject in this period of energy crisis and I am gradually becoming aware of the importance of my duties. This position allows me to feel fully aligned with my values: to contribute to the construction of the European energy market and to contribute to the smooth running of the French electricity and natural gas markets for the benefit of consumers.

WHAT CONTRIBUTIONS DID YOUR STUDY AT THE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS, MORE SPECIFICALLY THE ENERGY STREAM HAVE ON THE POSITION YOU HOLD TODAY?    

It might sound a bit clichéd but the School of Public Affairs really made me realise the importance of public service. The wide variety of courses in the energy stream also taught me to always be more curious and not to be afraid to tackle some of the more technical subjects. 

Above all, the School of Public Affairs, in addition to being a school of "knowledge", has been for me a real school of "know-how". In my opinion, its richness lies in the diversity of the students' profiles and in the exceptional pool of professors with impressive careers. It was at this school that I learned to build a network, to lead large-scale projects, to express myself clearly before a demanding audience and to defend my ideas with conviction. These are all skills that I believe are essential in the professional world. 

DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE TO GIVE A STUDENT OR A FUTURE YOUNG GRADUATE?

Never restrict yourself and believe in yourself! I never thought I would be admitted to the dual-degree master's programme between Sciences Po and LSE in European affairs, which is very selective - and yet, I got in! The same goes for the internship at the European Commission. You should never be afraid to try, it is by failing that you learn the most. If you believe in yourself and in your project, you will succeed one day, whatever others may say!

Finally, networking is key! It is thanks to my network that I have been able to carry out many of my experiences. In addition to helping me in my various projects, these encounters have allowed me to enrich myself from a personal point of view and to open myself to many possibilities that I had not expected at the beginning. 

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