LLM International Human Rights Law (Economic Relations)

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 Law (Economic Relations), 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 Law (Economic Relations) builds off 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.

Our LLM in International Human Rights Law (Economic Relations) 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.

Your future

Most of our students go on, or return, to work in human rights as litigators, in NGOs and international organisations like the UN, in government (particularly Ministries of Foreign Affairs) and in academia. They are a conspicuous presence in all the key human rights hubs in the world. Our School of Law graduates have gone on to a wide variety of careers in international and intergovernmental organisations or employment with governments across the world, in commerce and banking, in non-governmental organisations and, as might be expected, in the legal profession and the judiciary.