LLM International Human Rights and Economic Law

Economic actors and institutions - including private businesses, the World Bank, and the WTO - can have a profound impact on the realisation of human rights. Whether it's a case of an indigenous community displaced from their land for the benefit of a mining company, a World Bank-funded dam that pollutes the environment, or a state being unable to provide crucial medicines because of international property agreements, understanding the relationship between human rights and economic actors, activities, and institutions is necessary for securing the full realisation of rights.

International human rights law has traditionally focused only on the relationship between the state and individuals, meaning that businesses and international economic institutions have escaped both responsibility and liability. By pursuing LLM International Human Rights and Economic Law, you will learn about the challenges, pitfalls and (most importantly) the opportunities to pursue greater compliance by and accountability for economic actors when their activity harms human rights.

Our LLM International Human Rights and Economic Law builds off of our foundation LLM International Human Rights Law, meaning that you will take the same compulsory modules that will expose to you the theories, institutions and practice of international human rights law. You will also take compulsory modules that address businesses' responsibility for human rights, and the relationship between human rights and international trade and investment law. You will complement these compulsory modules with optional modules of your choosing, and then complete your degree with a dissertation focused on issues of human rights and economic actors and relations.

You also have an opportunity to work with our Essex Business and Human Rights Project (EBHR) or a relevant project in the Essex Human Rights Centre Clinic. In working with EBHR or a Clinic project, you will have an opportunity to develop research skills, to apply those skills to practical problems arising within the field, and to network with our alumni and other leading figures within the fields of business, investment, trade and human rights. Students are also given the flexibility to attend the annual UN Forum on Business and Human Rights, either as a student volunteers or as individual attendees (although students must bear their own expenses for this trip).

Our LLM International Human Rights and Economic Law attracts some of the most experienced and academically qualified students from around the world. It aims to produce graduates who will be leaders in the field. Our Essex human rights alumni work for a variety of relevant stakeholders, working with large multinational corporations and small non-governmental organisations, researching at academic institutions, litigating cases with law firms, and serving in either their national governments, national human rights institutes, or in intergovernmental organisations, including the United Nations. Each year, alumni working in these areas meet up with our current staff and students at the annual United Nations Business and Human Rights Forum.

There are a range of fellowships and bursaries available for LLM study. Please see our Fees and Funding pages for more information.

We are 3rd in the UK for research power in law (THE research power measure, REF2021)

This course is also available on a part-time basis.

Placement Opportunities

We strongly encourage those without previous human rights experience undertake at least a one-month internship with an intergovernmental or non-governmental organisation in London, Geneva or elsewhere. We offer up to 10 bursaries a year to help LLM students wishing to undertake placements.

This can be accommodated while studying for your dissertation, and extensions are available for those wishing to pursue this option full-time (for students who do not require a visa to study in the UK).

Students have previously interned with Amnesty International, Anti-Slavery International, Article 19, the Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions, the Council of Europe, JUSTICE, the International Commission of Jurists, the International Service for Human Rights, INTERIGHTS, Minority Rights Group International, REDRESS and UNHCR to name a few organisations.

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£21,700 Per Year

International student tuition fee

1 Year

Duration

Oct 2024

Start Month

Sep 2024

Application Deadline

Upcoming Intakes

  • October 2024
  • October 2025

Mode of Study

  • Full Time