Brenna Haddad, MLS ’21, recently landed a job as a Compliance Research Coordinator at Dun & Bradstreet. In this role, she works with a team to develop and deliver due diligence compliance reports for the company’s clients.
Haddad chose the Master of Legal Studies (MLS) program because she wanted to immerse herself in legal studies while remaining in the work force. “I knew I wanted a solid foundation in legal studies to help advance my career,” said Haddad.
Haddad recently answered a few questions about the MLS program.
What challenges (personal or otherwise) did you face while working towards your degree? How did you balance your schoolwork with your other responsibilities?
At the time I enrolled at Drexel, I also began working full-time. Full-time work while pursuing graduate school is no easy task by any means. It requires discipline and patience with yourself. I luckily had a great supervisor and team that supported my ambitions, and it was a great balance! When the COVID-19 pandemic hit our area, it altered my job drastically and affected the important work my team and I were doing. Fortunately, I found my position with Dun & Bradstreet in March of 2021 and I was able to start my career in compliance. Balancing graduate school, a “work from home” day-to-day structure, and job searching was difficult to say the least. I knew I had to keep myself focused on my goals and ambitions—COVID-19 was not stopping me!
Why was online learning the right choice for you?
Online learning was definitely the right choice for me because I was able to work full time and pursue my studies at the same time. The flexibility to get your work done at your own pace is a great incentive.
Why Drexel? What made this school (and this program) stand out?
I chose Drexel because of the school’s phenomenal faculty and rigorous curriculum. Drexel Kline Law has a great reputation and many educational opportunities to leverage your career and skills, so I had to consider it. This program, in particular, stands out because the faculty and students come from many different backgrounds and have perspective to share. Many students come from all over and work in different fields, so to have those perspectives is so important when immersing yourself in studies.
What was your favorite class?
My favorite class was the Compliance Thesis Capstone, because I was able to complete a research thesis on a criminal justice reform topic that I am passionate about, the 1994 Federal Crime Bill and “Three Strikes” laws.
Can you give an example of how you applied what you learned directly to your job?
Gaining a solid foundation in legal studies, laws and regulations, legal research, and compliance/risk management skills has really helped propel my career in the compliance field! I use this knowledge on a day-to-day basis and get to build on it.
What’s next for you?
I am excited to build my career at Dun & Bradstreet and develop my knowledge and opportunities in compliance. As for next steps, I plan to gain certifications in compliance within the next couple of months. I am grateful for Drexel for showing me that the world is constantly changing and developing, and at the forefront of that change is compliance. The challenge of graduate school at Drexel Kline Law was intimidating, but 100 percent worth the reward!