Summary
- Faculty of Education, Law & Social Sciences
- Campus
- City North Dawson Building, Level 1 and 2
- Duration
- PgDip Full Time: 2 semesters
PgDip Part Time: 3 semesters
LLM Full Time: 1 year
LLM Part Time: 2 years
- Fees
- FT Home Student: £3,780
PT Home Student: £1,890
International: £9,750 per year
For more information on fees please contact the School directly:
Tel: +44 (0)121 331 7300
Email: law@bcu.ac.uk
Overview
This course examines the impact of international human rights standards on national constitutions and laws, with particular focus given to the conflict between international standards and national provision. The course can be completed with or without an international placement through two distinctive pathways – US and International.
Why study with us?
There are two start dates, in September and January, in order to provide you with flexibility over when you join the course.
Other attractions of the course include a three month internship in America - working in an American legal firm or Public Defender’s Office – as well as the possibility of working directly with human rights organisations around the world.
In addition, you will have the opportunity to be creative in choosing your own human rights project.
Key Facts
LLMs are an increasingly common and important feature of Legal Education around the world. They typically require one year of full-time study or two years of part-time study. If you have studied law, have a degree with law as a major component or have extensive experience of working in the legal sector, a Masters in Law (LLM) will give you additional expertise in a specific area of the law.
It is not only the increased complexity of legal practice that may make you choose to complete an LLM, you may also want to strengthen your core skills – e g , in writing and research – or simply to be a better lawyer. You may be considering an LLM to jump start your career, change employer, change the field in which you work, earn more money or to move into teaching law. There is no set point within your career when you should study for an LLM. Some people do so immediately after completing their first law degree, others wait until they have been in practice for many years.
Course Outline
Course Structure
What makes this course different is that you will be given an opportunity to put your skills into practice on at least one real-life project. You will have the opportunity to make a contribution to an Amicus brief, or undertake a placement either in the USA, or elsewhere in the world.
We have been able to take interested students to events in Europe, including the Annual Sessions of the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva and the World Congress Against the Death Penalty in Paris.
The Postgraduate Diploma (PgDip) is completed with eight modules and the Master’s (LLM) stage by completion of a dissertation or a placement equivalent to four modules. Each single module is equivalent to 150 hours of study.
The taught modules are delivered across one full day per week throughout the academic year. For individual research modules, you will arrange supervision times directly with your supervisors.
Modules
We offer the course in two pathways, US and International. The compulsory modules will give you a base level of understanding in a complex area of the law.
US pathway
This pathway focuses on the conflict between the American constitution, American law and international human rights standards. Opportunity exists to undertake an internship of between three and six months in America, working in a legal firm or campaign group assisting on death row trials, appeals or prisoners’ rights and related issues. Most students on this pathway undertake the US placement. If you do not travel to the US you will be involved in the preparation of an ‘Amicus’ brief, arguing a point of human rights law for submission to the US Supreme Court.
International pathway
The International pathway examines human rights from both a global and local perspective. You will work as an intern with lawyers, organisations, institutions or tribunals - either overseas or in the UK - to contribute to the research and preparation of cases or projects relating to human rights or social justice. If you do not undertake an internship you will design and execute your own practical human rights project locally. Projects may include community education in schools and prisons, awareness raising campaigns, or website development. The project can be as creative as you wish to make it.
Whichever pathway you follow, you will take modules in Public International Law, Critical Perspectives on Rights, Globalisation and Justice, and Advanced Legal Research Methods. You will also take a module in either International Human Rights Standards in the US or Rights, Liberties and the European Convention on Human Rights. Optional modules include International Children’s Rights, International Criminal Justice and Social Transition, Human Rights and the Environment, and Refugees and the Law.
Assessments
The PgDip modules comprise principally seminars and workshops and interactive learning. Assessment is by coursework and presentations.
The Master’s degree is assessed by dissertation (for dissertation students) or by written reflective analysis and competence assessments appropriate to the nature of the placement (for placement students).
Staff
Martin Burnett
Senior Lecturer in Law and LPC Admissions Tutor
Martin Burnett is a senior lecturer in the School and also the LPC Admissions tutor. He is currently teaching LLB, LLM International Human Rights, Legal Practice Course (LPC), BA, Children and Integrated Professional Care (Chipce).
Prior to joining the university Martin has practiced as a solicitor for over 20 years in various fields including including child protection/adoption, employment law, public law and litigation, regulatory prosecution, commercial contracts and sports law. He is also an active member of the Law Society.
Martin's current research interests are primarly in the field of childrens law / rights, and employement law.
Dr Haydn Davies
Senior Academic, Director of Research
Haydn Davies is Director of Research and a Senior Academic within the School. He has been with the Birmingham City University since 2000, and originally begun his research career in 1986 working at the University of Cambridge.
Notable qualifications include Ph.D, LL.B, B.Sc. Haydn is also an active member of the United Kingdom Environmental Law Association.
His specilist areas of interest include:
- Models of Enforcement of Environmental Law
- The operation of the ‘Takings Clause’ of the 5th Amendment of the US Constitution and Art. 1 of the 1st Protocol of the ECHR in Environmental Protection Cases
- Rights and the Environment
Current professional areas of activity include:
- Senior Academic; Director of Research. Responsible for delivering the research strategy of the School of Law
- Member of the Teaching and Scholarship Special Interest Group of the UK Environmental Law Association.
- External tutor on the LLM Environmental Law and Management, Aberystwyth University.
- External Examiner, LLB Programme, School of Law, Swansea University.
Below is a list of recent published papers Haydn has contributed to:
- Davies H. (2010) Strict Liability, Culpability and Water Pollution. Seminar presented at Aberystwyth University 16th April 2010.
- Judicial Advisors and the Due Process Model: Challenges for Adversarialism. (Paper (Co-authored with Anne Richardson-Oakes) presented at the “Experts Authority and Law” Conference at Hull University on Tuesday 15th September 2009.
- Davies H. (2008) Site Waste Management Plans. Journal of the Association of Building Engineers. June edition. pp. 20-21.
- The Delivery of Project-Based Masters Courses. (2000) Paper delivered at the European Project Semester Seminar 25th – 28th May 2000. Ingeniorhøjskolen Kobenhavn Teknikum, Copenhagen. Denmark.
- Public Access to Environmental Information (2000) Journal of the British and Irish Association of Law Librarians. Pp. 22-24 Do polluters have the right not to incriminate themselves? (1999) 143(38) Solicitors Journal 924.
Safina Din
Senior Lecturer
Safina Din is a Senior Lecturer in Law who teaches Skills, Criminal Law, Human Rights Law and Asylum and Immigration on the LLB programme. She also teaches Legal Processes with Criminal Law on the BA Criminal Investigations Programme and Refugees and the Law on the LLM IHR programme. In addition she is also involved with Interviewing and Advising on the Legal Practice Course.
Safina has been with the University since 2003, and originally qualified has a solicitor back in 1999. She has been involved with several high profile cases including the miscarriage of justice case of John Marcus Roberts, who had his conviction for murder quashed on appeal. Safina still does various freelance consultancy work for Licensed Conveyancers, and OCS Examining ICS Learning.
Her current areas of interest are in:
- The ethical debate surrounding the law and morality of the use of sexual imagery in the advertising industry
- The treatment of unaccompanied asylum seeking children in the United Kingdom
- Community Justice
- Gender and the Law (female circumcision and forced marriage)
More information on the John Roberts case, which at the time featured in all national newspapers, www.innocent.org.uk/cases/johnroberts.
Professor Julian Killingley
Director of the Centre for American Legal Studies
Professor Julian Killingley is currently Director of the Centre for American Legal Studies. He has been with the University since 1990, and since joining has developed an extensive internship programme that places students to work in American law offices and has developed the law school’s unique Law with American Legal Studies degree pathway.
Prior to this Julian practiced as a solicitor specilizing in criminal litigation, he is qualified solicitor of the Supreme Court, an active member of the Law Society, and, Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors body.
In addition to teaching several courses Julian co-ordinates American legal research activities within the Law School and supervises doctoral students researching American law and practice.
His current research interests are related to the connection between mental and physical injuries sustained by British and American military personnel and subsequent criminal offending. He is undertaking a scoping study in connection it the Royal Marines Association. He also maintains a watchful eye on criminal cases pending before the Supreme Court of the United States for any that involve issues linked to international human rights standards. In appropriate cases he organizes friend-of-the-court briefs on behalf of the profession to make submissions to the Supreme Court of the United States.
A recent podcast from a inaugural lecture 'Student Pro Bono Work in American Capital Defence' is currently available on the University of Birmingham website to listen to.
Chipo Mwale
Programme Director LLM International Human Rights, Senior Lecturer
Chipo Mwale is Programme Director for LLM International Human Rights and also a Senior Lecturer in the School of Law. She currently teaches the following courses: LL.B.; LL.M. Corporate and Business Law; LLM International Human Rights; BA Joint Honours Programme (Business Law Pathway).
She has been with the university since 2003 and her current area's of interest include:
- Legal Theory and Human Rights
- Corporate Social Responsibility
- Approaches to Global Justice
Chipo's qualifications include an LLB Hons, LLM, PGCE. She is also a member of Global Studies Association, Global Alliance for Justice Education and Social Legal Studies Association.
Dr Jon Yorke
Reader in Law
Jon Yorke is a Reader in Law in the School of Law. He is currently teaching the following courses: LLB Medical Law; LLM International Human Rights; LLM Corporate and Business Law.
Jon's main interestes include European Human Rights, English and European Medical Law, Capital Punishment, Legal Theory, Legal Research.
His qualifications include an LL.B, LLM and a Ph.D. He is also an active member of a number of societies notably:
- Member of the Centre for American Legal Studies, School of Law, Birmingham City University; American Legal Practice Internship Coordinator
- Member of the International Academic Network For the Abolition of Capital Punishment
- Member of the Socio-Legal Studies Association
- Member of the University Association for Contemporary European Studies
Jon's current professional interests include:
- Advisor and trainer in international law and the death penalty, the Death Penalty Internship Programme, Amicus, London
- Advisor on the death penalty to the European Union, and to the Council of Europe
After your studies
Further Studies
Examples of further study are Legal Practice Course (LPC), LLM Corporate and Business Law. Qualified candidates may apply for MPhil or PhD research degrees. Details can be found on the postgraduate section of the website.
Employment Opportunities
The LLM will enable you to specialise and hone your legal skills in the subject area. Many students are already working in or have experience of the voluntary sector where they have dealt with issues relating to refugees and human rights breaches. The course will help you gain experience in this sector of legal work enabling you to build a career in areas such as United Nations Agencies, Civilian Peacekeeping, Foreign Office/ Dept for International Development, Specialist Human Rights Law practice, International Tribunals and the International Criminal Court. Many graduates progress to professional training as solicitors or barristers.
How to apply
Entry Requirements
Examples of modules studied:
Compulsory modules
- Advanced Legal Research Methods
- Critical Perspectives on Rights
- Globalisation and Justice
- Human Rights Standards in the USA
- Public International Law
- Rights Liberties and the European Convention on Human Rights
Optional modules
- Amicus Briefs
- Human Rights and the Environment
- International Children’s Rights
- Refugees and the Law
- The right to life and the value of life
- Dissertation (for Master’s stage)
- Human Rights Internship (for Master’s stage)
- US Placement (for Master’s stage)
Application Details
Apply online or call us for an application form.
Tel: +44 (0)121 331 7300
Email: law@bcu.ac.uk
For general information about applying to study at Birmingham City University, please refer to the Making your Application section.
International enquirers may contact the International Office for further help and advice.
Fees Notes
For more information on fees please contact the School directly: Tel: +44 (0)121 331 6646 Email: law@bcu.ac.uk
For international students please contact: Tel: +44 (0) 121 331 6714 or visit http://www.bcu.ac.uk/international/how-to-apply
Further Information
The Faculty of Education, Law and Social Sciences
Birmingham City University
City North Campus
Perry Barr
BIRMINGHAM
B42 2SU
Tel: +44 (0)121 331 7300
Fax: +44 (0)121 331 7316
Email: law@bcu.ac.uk