Human rights law clinic

The Human Rights Implementation Centre (HRIC) offers through its Human Rights Law Clinic the unique opportunity for students to work with international, regional and national organisations engaged in the promotion and protection of human rights law.  

Founded in 2009, the Human Rights Law Clinic integrates students into the HRIC's work and helps students acquire knowledge and experience in international human rights law and practice.

Each year the HRIC appoints around seventy members to its Clinic. Being appointed a member of the clinic is a fantastic opportunity to work with the Centre.

The projects students have worked on include 'Legal Geneder Recognition'; 'Reform in the United Kingdom'; 'Assisting litigation in Libya'; 'Flag State Research'; and 'Torture prevention'. All projects are international in scope, yet also have an impact at the regional and local levels.

Students work in teams tasked with conducting comprehensive, high-quality research that meets the requirements set out by the partners in their initial project briefs. It is the role of each team leader (a student) to liaise directly with the partner organisations throughout the research and to ensure that all final outputs were of the highest quality.

By the end of the academic year, the students produce a series of high-quality reports, each of which provide partners with crucial, up-to-date research that feed directly into ongoing litigation and policy drafting, as well as informing future projects.

If you would like to learn more about the work of clinic read the news article which talks about the projects the students have been involved in and you can hear from members of the clinic.

Applications for the Human Rights Law Clinic 2025/6 are now open

Please find further information regarding applying for the Human Rights Law Clinic using the following link:  Human Rights Law Clinic Application 25/26 (Office document, 127kB)

Students who wish to apply for the Clinic must submit to law-exec@bristol.ac.uk the following, as one document, by 5pm on 15th November 2025:

• A CV

• A two-sided personal statement outlining your motivations for volunteering for the Law clinic, your experience of researching or working in human rights and a short discussion of a human rights case / situation and why it interests you.

Please note that membership of the Human Rights Law Clinic is only open to students registered in the University of Bristol Law School for an Undergraduate (Year 2+) or Postgraduate degree. Students must have undertaken or be currently undertaking one of the following modules in Human Rights or international law:
  •  LLM:

    • LAWDM0021 Individual Employment Rights

    • LAWDM0026 General Principles of International Law

    • LAWDM0089 Human Rights in Law, Politics and Society

    • LAWDM0112 Migration Law and Policy

    • LAWDM0123 International Law and Human Rights

    • LAWDM0149 Workers, Unions and Collective Labour Rights

    • LAWDM0158 International Law and Armed Conflict

  • LLB:
    • Human Rights in Law, Politics and Society
    • General Principles of International Law
    • British immigration, nationality and citizenship law
Eligible modules for students on the MA programme are the same as those for postgraduates (LLM). 

 

If students on any of the above programmes have human rights or international law experience from previous degrees or work, they are encouraged to apply and should outline this in their application, even if they are not taking one of the required units. Applications will be considered from students with previous equivalent experience in human rights outside of the University. Each application will be considered holistically on its merits. Please provide details of your experience in your application. Students must have a very good standard of written legal English.

 

Applications will be considered, and successful candidates informed by 5 December 2025, so that the Clinic can start taking its first projects in January 2026.

 

If you have any questions, regarding eligibility, the work of the clinic or need any other points of clarification, please do not hesitate to contact the Exec team (law-exec@bristol.ac.uk).