LLM Human Rights Advocacy

A master's degree in law is a fantastic way for law graduates to develop a specialisation, or for non-lawyers working in related fields to gain a deeper understanding of legal issues.

This LLM pathway is a unique course that allows you to specialise in human rights from a highly practical perspective; the focus on advocacy translates into valuable clinical skills that enable you to put your knowledge of human rights law into practice. You'll study the core principles of human rights advocacy, rooted in knowledge of the European Convention on Human Rights, developing expertise in an increasingly vital area of law that has implications for individuals throughout the world facing discrimination and persecution.

Alongside the optional modules, you may choose to either write a 15,000 word dissertation or conduct a work-based project that will give you valuable experience of dealing with a specific legal issue in detail.

The course is perfect for lawyers and law graduates looking for career development, although all of our LLM courses can be studied by students without a background in law, since you will be trained in the necessary analytical and legal skills.

The programme also offers an optional placement year, following your first year. Placements will be provided and supported either by us or a partner organisation where you'll gain worthwhile and practical real-world experience in handling issues relating to aspects of social welfare law. This is a unique and exceptional opportunity for you to work in law. International students wanting to do the placement year must indicate so upon application. 

As such, the programme will also provide ideal training for paralegals, journalists, NGO and charity workers, policy advisors, consultants, lawyers, those working in business and finance, or anyone who will benefit from a legal education in their career.

You'll study two core taught modules - one in Human Rights Practice and Advocacy, and another in the Law and Practice of the European Convention on Human Rights - before choosing a further two optional topics from our extensive list of LLM modules. Some of the available options are also related to human rights, so you can develop your specialisation further, or opt to diversify your training with subjects from other areas of law.

As well as choosing your optional modules, you can decide to either write a postgraduate dissertation or carry out a work-based project. Both of these options allow you to conduct independent study on a topic of your choice, developing your practical legal skills while honing your knowledge of a specific legal issue.

This project, paired with the advocacy training in your core modules, ensures you graduate with an in-depth knowledge of human rights law backed by strong practical competence in legal practice.

This pathway takes advantage of our long-standing expertise in Human Rights, so you’ll be learning about crucial, contemporary topics in the field from leading experts. The Centre on Human Rights in Conflict - based at UEL - does important work to protect human rights in regions suffering the consequences of war, and many of our academics work for other leading research groups in the field.

The programme also offers an optional placement year, following your first year. Placements will be provided and supported by the London-based NGO, Pro Bono Communities, where you'll gain valuable experience in handling issues relating to aspects of social welfare law. Training and supervision will be provided by Pro Bono Communities and a module leader at UEL will oversee the relationship and assess student performance.

We consistently review our courses to ensure we are up-to-date with industry changes and requirements from our graduates. As a result, our modules are subject to change.

• Bachelor's degree: GPA of 2.5 / 4 or overall classification of "Good" or higher
• UK Bachelor's degree with Honours: Second Class, Second Division or higher
• US Bachelor's degree: GPA 2.5 / 4

Extended Diploma or Diploma

FROM

INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE

Diploma with 24 points including a minimum of 15 points at Higher Level

This pathway gives you the necessary legal and practical training to develop specialist knowledge in the growing field of human rights advocacy, with a huge amount of employment opportunities.

Specialists may go on to work for organisations that promote and defend human rights (such as Amnesty International or Human Rights Watch), legal firms that practice in the area, institutions like the UN or European Court of Human Rights, as well as non-legal professions that require expertise in human rights law, including journalism and policy advice.

Due to the practical focus on advocacy in this course, it will be of particular interest to graduates who want to work in litigation, working on behalf of individuals pursuing legal action in human rights courts.

The course also allows you to undertake a work-based project so you can gain practical experience and build professional links, while our renowned Legal Advice Centre enables you to work on real legal cases with local people to enhance your clinical skills while you study.

Explore the different career options you can pursue with this degree and see the median salaries of the sector on our Career Coach portal.