Comments from Graduates
Dr Michael Boyle,
Director Programmes and Policy, Parades Commission for Northern Ireland
Dr Michael Boyle working as part of the EU Election Monitoring Team at the Zambian Presidential election October 2006.
I took the LLM at Queens for a number of reasons, not least because of my long standing interest in Human Rights which had been further spurred in my role as an adviser to the Patten Commission. This involved discussing key issues on policing and Human Rights with practitioners and activists internationally. However, the immediate push was the incorporation of the European Convention on Human Rights into domestic law. As a Civil Servant at the forefront of rights issues (A Director with the Parades Commission) I wanted and needed to know more!
It was an enlightening and encouraging course and one that led me to push myself further into widening my academic and professional knowledge and contacts - the course is a great way to network! Having the Course under my belt no doubt helps me in my day to day job as I deal with rights and freedoms (assembly, protest, religion, culture, etc.). It also doubtlessly contributed to my being selected as an adviser on Policing and Human Rights with the Ministry of Interior in Baghdad for several months just after the war in 2003 and again in 2004. I was a Civil Servant secondee then and still work in the Northern Irish Civil Service. Since completing the LLM I've worked in election monitoring and democratisation in places as far apart as Afghanistan, Zambia and the Ukraine.
The LLM in Human Rights is a great start...how you finish is up to you...but I reckon with this course behind you...you just keep on going!
Carol Staunton,
Currently continuing her studies at Dublin Institute of Technology and hoping to start a PhD
Studying for my MSSc in Human Rights and Criminal Justice at Queen’s, a university as vibrant as the city it’s located in, was a truly great experience. The variety of subjects offered within the Human Rights and Criminal Justice programmes reflect the expertise within the school of law and only add to the experience of studying areas which are rich and fascinating to start with.
The school’s staff, both administrative and academic, were great, helping to answer any query and solve any problem as best as they could. The community atmosphere, facilities, and reputation of the school, and the HR/CJ programmes, are justly unrivalled. While at the School of Law I was fortunate enough to be awarded an internship with the NIHRC in conjunction with the QUB Human Rights Centre. I cannot highlight the value of this experience enough - not only did my placement enhance my studies, but was a notable addition to my CV. The staff at the Commission also deserve to be mentioned - they became great friends and colleagues, and made the internship memorable and enjoyable. (see picture with Irish Minister Ahern).
The Human Rights and Criminal Justice programme provided me with a unique learning experience and terrific opportunities to further my studies and my career – something for which I am very grateful.
Louise Medhurst,
Graduate of the LLM Human Rights (Cross Border)
I participated in the LLM Human Rights Cross Border programme so I spent the second half of the course at the Irish Centre for Human Rights at NUI Galway. I chose to write my thesis with NUI Galway and while writing about civilian protection; I completed an internship with the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt).
I then spent three months with Amnesty International working on the Middle East and returned to Jerusalem in February 2005. I have worked for a number of organisations in Palestine and am now Donor Coordination Officer for the aid coordination mechanism for the oPt which is co-chaired by the World Bank, UN and Norwegian Government.
The LLM programme unarguably gave me both the academic background and the professional contacts to pursue employment in my chosen field after graduation.
Phillip Londeree, USA
Graduate LLM in Corporate Governance and Public Policy
The programme in Corporate Governance addressed a wide range of issues that have become increasingly important in the world economy. Being an American student with a background in social sciences and American corporate law, I entered the program with no real understanding of international company law or international corporate governance. The programme proved to be genuinely international in scope, and left me with a firm analytical understanding of key issues that are becoming increasingly important in light of the problems being faced by the world economy. Perhaps even more importantly, the LLM programme in Corporate Governance left me with a wealth of resources to draw on in continuing study and legal practice. While studying at Queens, I found Belfast to be a great place to live and study, with interesting and engaging people and a wide range of amenities. Unlike so many cities, it has a unique character that's easy to appreciate.
Louise Dear, Scotland
Graduate LLM Human Rights Law (Cross Border)
Studying for an LLM Human Rights Law /Cross Border provided unexpected career opportunities for me. I had always been interested in human rights campaigning and activism, but studying human rights law provided me with intellectual and professional skills which were necessary to pick up interesting jobs. I am currently working with the United Nations in the occupied Palestinian territory, my first job after completing my studies was for a Palestinian human rights organisation in Gaza City. It has become increasingly clear that having an LLM gives me a head start in the job market; in law, development and human rights work. This is the degree that employers wish to see in the field. Human rights law, combined with humanitarian law and criminal law is a really useful combination for working in conflict situations. The Human Rights Centre at Queen's University was a great place to study; the facilities, lectures, internship opportunities, general learning environment, financial and academic support was excellent. I have recommended the course to several colleagues and friends.
