Mariela Fernandez

Mariela is currently a Recognised Student at the Centre for Socio-Legal Studies. She is a DPhil student from the University of Oviedo (Spain). Her research examines the “Provision of jobs for Public officials in Local Government with national authorization (those who are in charge of the legal consulting and economic-financial control in Local Government)”. The aim of the research period at the University of Oxford is to study the regulation of the Monitoring Officer, the Chief Financial Officer and the Chief Executive Officer in Local Government in England. In particular, the systems for the provision of these jobs. The continuous changes of political parties in Local Government have a direct impact in society from the point of view of the importance of the functions exercised by these public employees, who might be exposed to the influence of politicians. In this sense, the methods chosen for the provision of these jobs becomes fundamental for democracy.  

Graduated in Law from the University of Oviedo (Spain) in 2006, she also holds an MPhil (Law, Public Intervention in Society) since 2014.

She has been a practicing lawyer since September 2006 in the field of Administrative Law at the international Law firm Garrigues. Currently, she is a Senior Legal Counsel in ArcelorMittal, the world's largest steel company, since 2022.

She has acted as legal counsel in a range of appeals for judicial review before the Supreme Court, the National Appellate Court and the High Courts, being a member of the Oviedo Bar Association.

She is the author of “Horizontal careers in the Principality of Asturias” (*) in the collective work Derecho del Empleo Público en el Principado de Asturias, published by IUSTEL, 2012.

(*) originally published in Spanish.