Grenoble Law SchoolLaw at the top

1. Can you tell us about your educational background?

During my studies, I earned a double bachelor's degree in law and political science, followed by a master's degree in public law at Lyon 2 University. I then went on to complete a master's degree in fundamental public law, spending the first semester at the University of Toulouse and the second semester at the University of Costa Rica. It was there that I discovered electoral law, which I went on to specialize in. I decided to pursue a PhD at the Faculty of Law in Grenoble because it is home to one of the leading experts in electoral law, Professor Romain Rambaud.

2. Why did you choose to write a thesis?

First of all, I really enjoyed writing my Master's thesis. Obviously, this work, which took a few months to complete, cannot be compared to a dissertation, which requires a long-term effort, but it confirmed my interest in the field of research. I had had this idea since my third year of undergraduate studies, and the teaching assistants who supervised me during my studies encouraged me to continue in this direction by explaining what a doctorate involved.
From an educational standpoint, the feeling of completing my studies with the highest degree is an added source of satisfaction. Furthermore, I really enjoy academic life: it is my professional goal.

3. What is the topic of your thesis?

I am working on the autonomy of electoral law, with the aim of conducting a comparative study between public law (e.g., presidential elections) and private law (e.g., employee representative elections). In this context, I am seeking to determine whether elections are approached in the same way by public law judges and private law judges, by analyzing the common elements from a case law perspective. To complete my thesis, I have obtained a three-year doctoral contract, which I hope to extend by two additional years as an ATER (temporary teaching and research assistant). I am currently at the end of the second year of my doctoral contract and I am allowing myself another three years to finalize my thesis. This is the duration recommended by the CNU (National Council of Universities) in the field of legal sciences.

4. How are you supervised during these years of thesis work?

I am fortunate to have particularly good support in Grenoble. My status as a teaching assistant entitles me to an office within the faculty, where I work regularly. It is located next to my thesis supervisor's office, which makes it easy for us to exchange ideas. This helps me maintain a certain level of discipline and creates a sense of competition when working alongside other doctoral students.
The doctoral school of legal sciences is also there to encourage us in our initiatives. As the doctoral students' representative on the EDSJ Council, I can speak on their behalf, and I can see that the school's director supports our projects.
The research center to which I am affiliated, the CRJ (legal research center), is also important for the scientific aspect. In Grenoble, doctoral students have the opportunity to participate in conferences and seminars organized by research centers.

5. What other activities do you engage in outside of your research work?

As part of my doctoral contract, I teach 64 hours of classes, not to mention lesson preparation, grading papers, etc. I teach constitutional law in the first year, administrative law in the second year, and constitutional litigation in the first year of the master's program. I really enjoy teaching, just as much as research, especially when I teach first-year master's students because there are few of them, they are very interested, and I can therefore have real exchanges with them. When you take the time to invest in your students, they repay you in kind, which is very rewarding. I also like to take advantage of my role to talk to them about doctoral studies and answer their questions, just as other teaching assistants did for me.
In addition, I have just finished my first article (a 50,000-character study), co-written with Romain Rambaud, on the outcome of direct litigation in last year's legislative elections, for the AJDA journal (legal news in administrative law – Dalloz), which is important in the field of public law. Access to publication varies greatly depending on the opportunities available to doctoral students. The CNU recommends submitting articles written entirely by the doctoral student on topics other than their thesis. This exercise takes a lot of time, but it is always useful for the future and for learning how to write.
On the other hand, my role as representative of doctoral students leads me to organize events such as, most recently, the
Doctoral student tournament. This event was well received by doctoral students and helped to create a sense of belonging.
we needed, bringing together new and long-standing members. Our action was also supported by the
laboratories, the EDSJ, and the Faculty, which is rewarding.

6. How is thesis work organized over the long term?

In theory, you start with the research and then write at the end of the thesis. My thesis advisor and I have
adopted a different strategy, which consists of writing from the outset. I write down my research results immediately, then
I am continuing with some rewriting work to develop a full-fledged study. This gives the impression of progress and avoids the
frustration. The thesis defense, on the other hand, really takes the last three months to prepare.

7. What advice would you give to students interested in pursuing a PhD?

The first thing to do is to ask questions of doctoral students and other members of the faculty (EDSJ, teaching and research staff).
There are certain things that we don't always think about, such as the choice of thesis supervisor, which is very
important, possible financing methods, which are often very opaque, etc.
It is also important to realize that a PhD is a truly solitary journey. You need to be quite disciplined because you are left to your own devices.
oneself, and one is alone in front of one's computer when writing...
When it came to choosing the subject, I was lucky enough to be able to decide based on my own preferences, but it's important to note that this isn't always the case.
always the case. Certain topics are highlighted, and it is funding that determines what we will work on. For me, there is only one
approach to a thesis, being passionate about your subject, even if it means sometimes finding it difficult to talk about anything else!