Ever wondered how you might combine an interest in fashion and law? Well LLB1 student Haleema Saeeda Memon secured an internship to help her find some answers! Here she takes us through how she applied, what the internship involved and gives a brilliant insight into this area of practice. Enjoy!

I came across this opportunity on LinkedIn while I was actively looking for internships that aligned with my interest in corporate law and emerging areas of practice. What immediately caught my attention was its focus on fashion and luxury law, which is still quite a niche field. It felt like a rare chance to explore something different and to learn more about an area I had only previously engaged with through academic research.

To apply, I had to complete a form where I explained my interest in fashion law and why I wanted to be part of the programme. It was not just about listing achievements but about showing genuine curiosity and motivation. I found this part particularly useful because it made me reflect more deeply on how my interest in corporate law could connect with the fashion industry and whether this was something I wanted to pursue further.

What draws me to fashion law is the way it brings together creativity, business, and legal protection. Through my academic work, especially while writing my article on trademark protection and counterfeit fashion goods, I became more aware of how important intellectual property is in maintaining a brand’s identity and value. At the same time, it is still a relatively underexplored area, which makes it feel exciting and full of potential as a future career path.

The internship itself was conducted remotely over a period of 10 days. Although it was online, I was still able to get a sense of what the organisation was like through the way the programme was structured and delivered. It felt quite specialised and focused, with a clear emphasis on treating fashion law as a serious and evolving area rather than something secondary.

In terms of structure, the 10 days were quite intensive but well organised. Each day focused on different aspects of fashion and luxury law, which helped to maintain a clear sense of progression throughout the programme. The sessions were arranged in a way that gradually built on foundational concepts before moving into more specific and applied areas, which made the learning experience feel cohesive rather than fragmented. This structure allowed me to engage with a wide range of topics in a relatively short period of time, while still being able to follow the development of key legal principles.

Despite its short duration, the programme managed to balance breadth and depth effectively. It introduced core areas such as intellectual property, particularly trademarks, while also touching on broader commercial considerations relevant to the fashion industry. The combination of research-based tasks and guided sessions helped reinforce the material and encouraged me to think more critically about how these legal principles operate in practice. Overall, the structured yet varied nature of the programme ensured that the experience remained engaging throughout, while still providing a meaningful overview of the fashion and luxury law landscape.

During the internship, I mainly worked on research-based tasks that explored legal issues within the fashion industry. A lot of this focused on intellectual property and brand protection, which linked closely to my academic interests. I also attended talks and training sessions delivered by legal professionals, which helped bridge the gap between theory and practice and gave me insight into how these issues are handled in real situations.

As the internship was remote, I did not have the opportunity to meet lawyers in person. However, I was still able to hear from them through the sessions that were organised. Even in a virtual setting, it was valuable to gain an understanding of their experiences and perspectives on working within such a specialised area of law.

Fashion and luxury law is still unfamiliar to many people, but it is actually a very broad and multidisciplinary field. A significant part of it involves intellectual property law, particularly trademarks, as brands rely heavily on logos and design elements to distinguish themselves. My own research into counterfeiting highlighted how major an issue this is for luxury brands and how difficult it can be to enforce these rights, especially across different jurisdictions and online platforms.

At the same time, the field also involves corporate law, contract law, employment law and international trade. Fashion brands operate globally, which means legal work often involves managing supply chains, licensing agreements and business strategies. This combination of creativity and commercial awareness is what makes the field particularly interesting.

One of the most striking aspects of the internship for me was realising how complex and widespread the issue of counterfeiting is. While I had studied it academically, understanding how it operates in practice, especially with the growth of e commerce, made me appreciate the limitations of legal enforcement. It was both challenging and eye opening to see how global and adaptable this issue is.

Overall, one of my key takeaways from both the internship and my research is that while trademark law provides a strong foundation for protecting fashion brands, it is not always sufficient on its own. The global and increasingly digital nature of the fashion industry means that issues like counterfeiting are far more complex than they initially appear. Enforcement is often fragmented across jurisdictions and heavily reliant on the efforts of brand owners, particularly in online spaces.

At the same time, this highlights the evolving nature of fashion law as a field. It is not limited to traditional legal principles but is constantly adapting to new challenges such as e commerce, technological developments, and global supply chains. This intersection between law, business and innovation is what makes it particularly compelling.

For me, this experience reinforced the importance of looking beyond conventional areas of law and recognising the potential in emerging fields. Fashion law is still developing, but that is precisely what makes it exciting. It offers the opportunity to contribute to an area that is growing in relevance and complexity, and one that will likely require more specialised legal attention in the future.

Overall, the experience has made me more certain that I want to explore a career that combines corporate law with the fashion and luxury sector. It has helped turn what was initially a general interest into something more focused and realistic.

My next steps are to continue building my knowledge in this area, both through further academic work and by seeking out similar opportunities. As the fashion industry continues to grow and evolve, I think this is a field that has a lot of potential and deserves much more attention within the legal profession.

Interested in finding out more about fashion law?

There are a couple of other events coming up that might interest you (find them both and register on Lawbore Events Calendar):

• 3rd April – Fashion, Law, Tech: Introduction and Showcase
• 14th – Fashion Law Day

Haleema Saeeda Memon is a law student with a growing interest in corporate law and emerging areas of legal practice. Alongside her studies, she has developed a particular curiosity for fashion and luxury law, especially in relation to intellectual property and brand protection.

Her recent research on trademark protection and counterfeit fashion goods has further shaped her interest in this field and encouraged her to explore it beyond an academic context.