LLM Human Rights and Legal Practice Postgraduate degree

Overview:

Face the legal issues in international human rights today in our LLM Human Rights and Legal Practice course.

Our LLM is designed and taught by experienced legal professionals and human rights activists. You will gain a thorough understanding of the theories, issues and concepts underpinning international human rights and, crucially, how they are put into practice. By combining theory with practice, this course will give you both the skills and the knowledge you need for a career in the field of human rights practice, campaigning and advocacy.

Suitable for legal practitioners, aspiring legal professionals and human rights activists, this course will enable you to develop your skillsets in research and analysis, strategic litigation, project management, and advocacy and campaigning skills within the field of human rights. Problem-based and interactive learning methodologies will enable you to master key concepts and instil the ability to learn from experience, absorb and integrate new information, and act strategically.

This LLM programme will examine the rhetoric and reality of human rights using an issues-based approach. Taking an interdisciplinary and holistic approach, you will acquire a high level of specialist knowledge, informed by current thinking and debate. There is also a wide range of optional modules to choose from, with focuses on economic, social and cultural rights; minority rights; business and human rights; policy and management; international human rights; criminal law; and international development.

Finally, you will write up a thesis on a topic that you choose, but the focus will be on a practical and applied human rights experience reflecting on real life experience and applied legal skills.

With the human rights sector becoming increasingly competitive, employers are now asking for some experience as a prerequisite. London is one of the world centres for this sort of career, with most international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) having their headquarters here.

This course will provide you with a strong academic grounding as well as the practical and vocational legal skills required for legal practice in the human rights field. You will also have the opportunity to undertake a work placement during your degree to develop your skills. After this course, you could work for a law firm, international organisation, government department, think-tank, non-governmental organisation, or a research and development organisation.

Learn more about the human rights academics who teach on this programme by watching our video, A Day in the Life of a Human Rights Activist.

Career Options

This specialised course will prepare you for many career opportunities within human rights law. You could work in human rights organisations, including international organisations such as the United Nations, the International Labour Organisation, the International Criminal Court, or for an NGO specialised in human rights and social justice. Many of these organisations are headquartered in London. You could also have a career in government, diplomatic institutions, think tanks, research and development organisations, or continue your academic career. 

How to apply

Postgraduate programmes