Human Rights and Public Interest Law

Lawyer

A practising solicitor/barrister working in relevant practice areas to public law.

Paralegal/legal assistant

Supporting lawyers in their work, such as drafting documents and collecting, analysing and summarising information. Could go on to study as a chartered legal executive to become a ‘fee earner’, or pursue qualification as solicitor/barrister.

Project officer/assistant

Working within an organisation with a link with human rights law, often an NGO or a charity. Providing administrative, project management or field work support to a project which relates to the field, not working in a legal capacity. Projects could range from awareness campaigns to research work, to direct support for beneficiaries (e.g. refugees).

Support roles

Every organisation, whatever their cause or values, has a range of support roles, which keeps everything working smoothly: from finance, to marketing, to HR, to IT, to senior management.  Direct-entry roles exist within most organisations to support these departments.

Caseworker

Providing similar support roles to a legal assistant in some cases, but usually also face-to-face advice for clients (e.g. prisoners, immigrants and asylum seekers).

Policy advisor/analyst

Working in an organisation with a remit for advocacy – seeking to question, analyse and propose solutions to policy and political agendas.

Academic

Researching, publishing and teaching, having studied higher degrees (usually a doctorate) in a public/human rights law specialism.

There is no one route in to a career in public interest law, and it’s worth remembering that there are roles for those who are not qualified lawyers too, particularly in supporting functions within the same employer, which can be more instantly attainable.

Legal qualification:

Full details are available within our advice for Solicitor or Barrister routes, but it’s worth pursuing relevant law options where you can during your degree.

A number of public bodies offer legal training programmes in the UK which lead to qualification as a solicitor (see below). If your aim is to become a criminal or human rights barrister is is unlikely that this stage of qualifying will be highly specialised around your interests, as very few firms take on only human rights cases. Some firms, such as Bindmans and Leigh Day are known for their human rights work. See the list of top human rights firms in Chambers and Partners or the Legal 500 as part of your research.

You will be required to work in different practice areas for your training contract, not just human rights cases. This provides a solid base in law, which can provide a good ‘fall back’ option while looking for law roles more suited to your interests, post qualification. However, it also means that an interest in the law itself, not just the cause, is essential. If working on other areas of law isn’t something that will motivate you, it might be worth considering working in the field, but not as a lawyer (look for vacancies in project support, communications, policy, and research to explore other ideas).

Skills needed

Skills will vary depending on the nature of the role, but those often sought for legal roles in this sector include:

• A commitment to social justice, supporting principles of fairness of opportunity for all
• Resilient and committed
• Strong legal professional skills, such as research, drafting, advocacy
• An analytical mind and good judgement
• Articulacy in written and spoken English
• An ability to think and communicate clearly under pressure
• The ability to describe complex matters of law in a simple manner
• Ability to deal with a wide range of people
• Good research skills and able to synthesise large volumes of information
• IT skills
• Ability to operate with total integrity and confidentiality

Getting experience

Here we primarily cover human rights and public law work experience opportunities in the UK, but some intergovernmental bodies and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) also offer internships internationally. Examples of these are listed in our information on International Law.

Internships

• Government Legal Department Diversity Summer Scheme provides a virtual programme to 300 undergraduates or graduates from diverse backgrounds which are currently under-represented across the legal profession. Although known as the 'summer' scheme, it was held in May in 2022. The GLD partner with  the Law Society, Black Lawyers Circle, Aspiring Solicitors, Social Mobility Foundation and Bridging the Bar to select students for this scheme so it's worth following their social media pages for updates on deadlines and criteria.
• Research Assistant at the Law Commission – a one-year paid internship with one of the five teams at the Law Commission (includes public law) for students with some academic legal knowledge (for example law or GDL students).
• Mini-pupillages with barristers’ chambers. Use LawCareers.net or similar to identify chambers that have civil liberty and human rights, or relevant public law specialties. Our information about Barristers has more information on mini-pupillages.
• The Summer Internship Programme run by The Careers Service offers placements in a wide range of organisations, all over the world some of which are based in legal or other sectors relevant to human rights. Recent internships include roles with Prosus as a public policy analyst intern in New Delhi; with the Academy of European Law; research into human rights violations with the Academie Diplomatique Internationale; a law internship with BLAST in Bangladesh; and with the World Food Programme Legal Office.
• The Micro-internship Programme run by the Careers Service offers 3-5 day placements during 9^th week of each term.

Volunteering opportunities

Pro-bono work

• Free Representation Unit – a charity providing individuals with legal representation that they could not afford otherwise. FRU volunteers receive training to provide case preparation and advocacy to clients. London-based and suitable for third year law students and beyond.
• Advocate offer three or more days per year of pro bono work to trainee barristers from the second sixth of their pupillage.
• Oxford Law Faculty: Oxford Pro Bono Publico– Graduate law volunteering

Other volunteering opportunities

• Oxford Legal Assistance– for undergraduate law students to work with immigration law firm Turpin & Miller, applications open in Trinity term each year
• Citizens Advice offers many volunteering roles. Advisor and witness service volunteers may be particularly relevant.
• POhWER are a charity that provides information, advocacy and advice services across the UK and offer a variety of volunteer advocate and customer service roles.
• Law Centres Network. Law Centres provide advice to disadvantaged individuals in their local area. Students volunteers are occasionally recruited to provide casework assistance and administrative support.
• Getting Heard– Joint charity made up of Oxford Advocacy and SEAP – advocacy volunteering opportunities
• Volunteering with other public interest or human rights charities – search for relevant charities using directories such as Charity Choice.

Other organisations to engage with in Oxford

• Oxford Human Rights Hub (OHRH), based at the University of Oxford Law Faculty, brings together academics, practitioners, and policy-makers to advance the understanding and protection of human rights and equality. Sign up for their newsletter, attend seminars and webinars, listen to podcasts etc. They occasionally hire students as blog editors, and facilitate a small number of internships with relevant organisations each year.
• Oxford Hub is a charity offering practical volunteering, skilled placements, project incubation and events. They may have relevant events or programmes depending on your interest.
• Consider joining relevant clubs and societies at Oxford for speaker events and volunteering opportunities. Examples include Amnesty International, Oxford Women International, Oxford Homeless Action Group.

Speculative applications

Many students each year are successful in arranging their own work experience by identifying and then directly approaching organisations of interest speculatively. LinkedIn is a valuable tool for researching relevant organisations and for identifying Oxford alumni using the University of Oxford page to approach for an initial conversation to learn more about the sector.

Sources of funding for internships

Many internships available within public law are unpaid, offered as they are by charities or public bodies with limited funds.  To find out if you are entitled to be paid when undertaking work experience or an internship, visit the UK Government: National Minimum Wage webpages.

Although it may not be possible to take every opportunity, the following represent ways in which previous students have accessed unpaid internships:

• ASIL: Helton Fellowship Program – up to $2000 for field work or research on issues around international law, human rights, humanitarian affairs etc. In previous years applications opening in October, but only the first 50 were reviewed. Limited to current law student or recent law graduates. Currently suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic but check the website for updates.
• HRLA: Bursaries– up to £3500 for work related to human rights law for those who would otherwise lack financial means to do it. That work need not take place in the United Kingdom, but it must be relevant to human rights law in the United Kingdom.
• Enter essay competitions (few competitions, but sizeable prize money)
  The Times Law Award
  Graham Turnbull Essay Competition
  Bar Council Law Reform Essay Competition
  Hogan/Smoger Access to Justice Essay Competition
  Junior Lawyers’ Division Essay Competition (Law Society)
  UKELA (UK Environmental Law Association) Andrew Lees Essay Prize
  Marion Simmons QC Essay Competition
  Commonwealth Law Student Essay Competition
• The Inns of Court provide funding for their barristers to undertake internships during or just after the pupillage year. See the Inns’ websites for more details.
• Check with your college as you may be able to apply for travel grants or other financial aid for work experience.

It may be worth contacting regional alumni offices for the country or region you wish to work in, or perhaps speak to your college alumni office, many are happy to circulate requests for advice which could lead to low-cost accommodation solutions.

See also our information on Barristers, Solicitors and International Law.

• Government Legal Department (GLD) provides legal services to the majority of central government departments, undertakes parliamentary advisory work, provides litigation and commercial legal expertise to the government and has one of the largest employment law practices in the UK. The GLD Legal Trainee Scheme offers training contracts and pupillages. Applications usually open and close in July, recruiting two years ahead of the start date. The Civil Service nationality rules apply.
• Crown Prosecution Service Legal Trainee Scheme typically offers up to 30 positions to those with an interest in criminal law, seeking to become fully qualified barristers or solicitors. They offer the opportunity to become a permanent Crown Prosecutor upon successful qualification with an expectation that graduates of the scheme will develop further into senior and specialist roles. 
• Public law and human rights law at the Bar
  The competition for public law pupillages is fierce. Successful candidates are likely to have experience in the public or voluntary sectors in addition to exceptional academic credentials. Use the Training Contracts and Pupillages Handbook, available online, to identify chambers with relevant expertise and see further information on routes to practising law as Barrister.
• Training contracts with solicitors firms
  To find private law firms with substantial human rights practices, check the Legal 500 or Chambers & Partners for human rights specialists as part of your research. 
• Army Legal Services is a branch of the Adjutant General’s Corps, a specialist all-Officer branch of the British Army providing legal support to the Army. They recruit qualified lawyers who already hold a current practicing certificate issued by the relevant regulatory authority.
• RAF Legal Officer roles are for qualified barristers or solicitors and are available as a full-time regular or as a spare time reserve committing 27 days per year.
• Opportunities for post-qualification lawyers
  Government departments and other public bodies recruit qualified lawyers to join their legal teams. Key vacancy sources include Civil Service Jobs and searching public sector/human rights law jobs at The Lawyer and The Law Society Gazette.

Podcast

• Not all lawyers have law degrees -  from the BBC Legal team, this excellent podcast explores how you become a lawyer and meet some incredible legal people who share their experiences and what they’ve learnt along the way. 

Sector Information

• Oxford Human Rights Hub – facilitates the exchange of ideas and resources through it’s website, blog, seminars and conference.
• Human Rights Careers – has lots of information on different areas of work, how to gain relevant skills and has a jobs blog with current vacancies.
• Lawyers Without Borders

Directories of firms & organisations

• Chambers and Partners– Research firms and rankings within preferred practice areas (e.g. ‘public law’)
• Legal 500– Research firms within preferred practice areas (e.g. ‘civil liberties and human rights’ – under ‘public law’)
• HG: Practice Areas– A useful summary of key firms and other organisations around 260 practice areas

Sector vacancies

Please see the sites mentioned in the work experience list of this briefing and details of pupillages and training contracts in the Law Society’s “Training Contract and Pupillage Handbook”.
General legal job boards (such as Legal Week, The Lawyer, Law Society Gazette Jobs) do occasionally carry public roles, but they’re rare here. It’s more common to see roles listed directly on organisation websites or social media pages. Use the organisations and associations mentioned here to find post-qualification and other supporting roles.

• Government Legal Profession
• Public Law Jobs
• EuroBrussels– Covers vacancies in EU institutions and law firms operating in Brussels, as well as NGOs, political organisations and think tanks
• Guardian: Jobs– Occasional vacancies for law/rights related work
• Human Rights Careers

Professional associations

• Law Society of Scotland
• Law Society of Ireland
• Law Society of Northern Ireland
• European Law Students’ Association
• International Law Students Association
• International Bar Association– Full time law students can now join as student members.
• Law Society of England and Wales: International Law– Contains information and links on international law, how to qualify in other jurisdictions and the practice of law internationally – including human rights, lobbying, development work, pro bono work and links.
• The Law Society Gazette: Human Rights LinkedIn Group
• Solicitors Regulation Authority
• Human Rights Lawyers’ Association
• Bar Council– A full list of the specialist Bar associations.
• Law Centres Federation
• Legal Action Group
• Legal Aid Practitioners Group
• Immigration Law Practitioners Association
• Young Legal Aid Lawyers

YouTube videos

• Public Law speaker panel at the National Pupillage Fair 2015 – three Barristers practicing Public Law talk about their experiences
• Government Legal Department legal trainees share their experiences.
• Crown Prosecution Service – hear from a legal trainee about their experience with CPS.

Recruiters are keen to have a diverse workforce, and many will have policies and processes that are proactive in recruiting students and graduates from diverse backgrounds. An increasing number of recruiters are offering traineeships, internships and insight events that are aimed at specific groups and many are being recognised for their approach to being inclusive employers.

Try the following to discover more about the policies and attitudes of the recruiters that you are interested in:

• Read their equality, diversity and inclusion policy
• Search their website to see if they have any specific staff networks
• Look for external accreditation such as whether they are a Disability Confident employer, a Stonewall Diversity Champion or part of the Mindful Employer charter promoting mental health at work
• Check to see if they are partnering with organisations such as Rare Recruitment, SEO London, MyPlus Students' Club, EmployAbility or one of the many other organisations that are working for specific communities
• Explore what they do to celebrate diversity on their Facebook and Twitter page

Specifically for the legal sector:

• Law firms are particularly active in this area and have well established programmes in place with long standing organisations such as Employ-Ability, Sponsors for Educational Opportunity, RARE, the Sutton Trust and the BLD Foundation. In addition, new organisations are growing such as Aspiring Solicitors, which provides mentoring and CV/application help for any students in its target groups.
• The Law Society also operates its Lawyers with Disabilities Division They regularly run a series of informative talks throughout the year to which students are usually invited for free.
• The Bar Council, the Inns of Court and many barristers are determined to widen access to the Bar, and to create a diverse and inclusive profession. A number of initiatives exist to help achieve this from offering specific bursaries and scholarships to work experience programmes. The Pegasus Access & Support Scheme(PASS) administered by the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple. PASS is a co-ordinated work experience programme for students considering the Bar as a career.
• The National Black Crown Prosecution Association (NBCPA) is a BAME staff network providing support and guidance for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic colleagues within the Crown Prosecution Service and wider criminal justice system.

The UK Equality Act 2010 has a number of protected characteristics to prevent discrimination due to your age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or beliefs, sex or sexual orientation. For further information, visit the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s webpage on the Equality Act and the Government’s webpages on discrimination.