Hey all,

I am finishing a Bachelor of Social Science & intend to undertake a law degree (graduate entry). I am considering the field of human rights. I am in South-East Queensland and am wondering if anyone can offer me some good advice about which uni would be best to attend.
My options have been narrowed down to Southern Cross, QUT and Griffith - possibly UQ from 2nd year on... I have heard the law school I choose can dramatically affect potential job outcomes - how valid is this?

Any help would be wonderful & greatly appreciated!
Cheers!

If you intend to end up in human rights, you will likely need an LL.M. too. I know nothing about your choices but if I were you, I would look at the depth of courses or internships offered in the field of interest to you. In Canada, for example, University of Ottawa for the LL.B. has a great program in international children's rights whereas not so McGill. As regards your job prospects, generally speaking the choice of university can be a factor, however, your focus at this stage should be upon the opportunities to learn in the area of interest. For human rights, you are looking to International Committee of Red Cross or one of many agencies of UN - and they all require a Masters. BTW, a second language is a valuable asset in this field.

The law school you choose typically does not have a major influence on your career. Good marks from a less fancied university will always beat average or poor marks from an older university. The idea that doors will fly open because you went to a particular law school but will slam shut because you went to another is quite ludicrous but it seems to be widespread among students and would-be students. Getting articles at a reputable firm is far more influential on the future direction of your career. Law is something ou learn on the job, not at university. That said, you probably don't want to go to a law school that is less than five years old. Ten years or more is preferable - it takes institutions a while to develop.
Many top-tier law firms have lawyers who work fulltime on pro bono matters. They often do secondments at specialist community legal centres or international organisations.

As I don't know about Queensland I'll focus on a different aspect: work experience to get a job.

My biggest regret is that I didn't clock up years of work experience immediately upon starting my degree, or even earlier. You can volunteer your time with community legal centres, which provide free legal assistance to society's most vulnerable. This helps show your commitment to social justice. Try get work experience with the Australian Law Reform Commission; even unpaid internships are difficult to obtain! Get involved with the UN Society in your uni, and try become a member of the committee because you'll get to meet important people in the field (like guest NGO speakers), which gets your internships, which gets you graduate positions.

If you get your extra-curricular and work experience part right, you have a good chance of getting a job regardless of the university you attend.

BTW, you'll need to get more specific about what you mean by 'human rights' law. It sounds glamorous but is entirely amorphous.