Staff and students from the LLM work based placement

Strathclyde Law School’s innovative approach to work-based learning continues to break new ground with experiential work-based learning offered on every Law programme at undergraduate, Masters and PhD level. This year the Law School is celebrating the launch of professional projects and internships across all of our Masters programmes. Head of the Law School, Professor Adelyn Wilson said,

“Our mission is to give every student on all our programmes the opportunity to gain practical experience and establish their careers before they complete their studies – launching them into career trajectories with the employability skills to be the leaders of tomorrow.”

Students across every programme have the opportunity to apply to work with one of our members of the Strathclyde Law School Professional Practice Network. Members of the network are drawn from the Law School’s vast national and global networks and include the United Nations Environment Programme, the United Nations Development Programme, the Scottish Government, the Legal Services Agency, the Scottish Human Rights Commission, JustRight Scotland, Save the Children Geneva Office, the Scottish Women's Rights Centre, Refugee Sanctuary Scotland, the Miscarriages of Justice Organisation, the Scottish Government and the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Climate Change. Example placements students have secured this year include:

• assessing whether state’s nationally determined contributions under the Paris Agreement align with international human rights law with the United Nations Development Programme.
• developing an emerging framework of good practice on environmental justice for the ocean with the United Nations Environment Programme
• advancing our understanding of justice at the intersection of human rights and environmental law with Professor Elisa Morgera, UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Climate Change
• an analysis of whether the allocation of social housing is compliant with the right to adequate housing in Scotland with the Legal Services Agency
• contributing to the emerging new framework on a national AI governance policy for the Scottish Government, impacting AI regulation at the highest level
• working alongside Scotland’s leading mediation providers, including the Strathclyde Mediation Clinic

Professor Katie Boyle, who coordinates the professional dissertation modules at Masters level said, “Every Masters student has the opportunity to apply for one of our Law School placements with our Professional Practice Network or to set up their own internship or project with our support. Five have secured UN-based placements with Geneva-based organisations and are all working towards the United Nation’s 59^th Human Rights Council, others have secured internships with KPMG in Frankfurt to work on the emerging legal tech space or the United Nations Environment Programme to work on access to justice for the ocean. We have a hybrid and flexible set-up to meet the needs of students and our partners. It truly is transformational in terms of employment pathways and positive destinations for graduates and reflects Strathclyde’s commitment as a global leader in fostering a place of useful learning.”

The new Professional Practice Network builds on a long-standing commitment to ensuring our students have a useful education. Our graduate Terfa Ashwe said “At Strathclyde Law School, I had the opportunity to gain work experience with MICAIA, a social enterprise in Mozambique. There, I worked on projects at the intersection of international trade law, environmental sustainability, and community development, honing my technical and analytical skills and sparking an interest in international trade as a practical tool for sustainable development. This led to an internship at the World Trade Organization (WTO) after graduation. Now, I have built a career in the trade and development field, and I am currently a Mo Ibrahim Fellow on trade and development at the International Trade Centre (WTO/UN), where I contribute to cutting-edge projects and work with businesses and countries similar to MICAIA and Mozambique. My time at Strathclyde was invaluable, providing me with a strong foundation in international economic law and sustainability principles, as well as the practical experience needed to excel in my career."

One Strathclyde Professional Practice network member spoke of the trusted relationships that are nurtured where students become part of a pre-existing collegiate environment “when we took on our intern, he quickly became an indispensable member of the team. We all worked closely together and watched him progress into a leadership position in government. He is now highly sought after internationally because he is just steeped in the expertise and practical skills required in the field alongside a sharpness of critical thinking and interdisciplinary perspectives. His work was also nominated for an impact prize at the Scottish Graduate School for Social Sciences. We are all very proud of him.”

These transformative experiences can launch students into careers as future leaders in the field and we are proud to foster these connections as a Law School committed to socially progressive and transformative responses to global challenges and opportunities. For more information about our work-based learning options as a prospective student or employer, please contact Professor Katie Boyle katie.boyle@strath.ac.uk

You can search our Masters programmes on our website.