Hi all,

I am exploring options and avenues to work as a human rights lawyer. I have a BA in Economics from a UK university, I'm a German citizen. I have 6 years work experience in the field of human rights and specifically at the UN related to various human rights mechanisms in the last three years.

Is there a route to become a human rights lawyer by starting off with a GDL / law conversion course? What are other 'starting options' in other countries after a non-law degree. I am willing to invest maximum 5 years (i.e. equivalent to gdl in other countries if there is such a thing?). Of course financial aspects are a factor for me in addition to time.

Sorry if this question sounds stupid! And thanks a lot for taking the time to respond. My head is literally spinning after reading and researching!

in the UK, you'd have to do a GDL, plus a Legal Practice Course, plus a Professional Skills Course. The total time commitment would be I think around 4-5 years, so that's an option.

This process will vary by country, and I don't think there are many countries where the time commitment is substantially less than that. In Belgium for instance you'd need to do a Bachelor in Law, plus a Master's in Law, plus do a three-year apprenticeship.

In the US, you'd probably just want to do a JD (which would take three years) and then pass a bar exam.

Hi Chicken Soup, thanks so much for this, I have a few things to Google now as leads, thanks!

Provided I follow this track, in the UK, at the end of it, would I get the same status as someone who did a BA in Law? My other question is, can I go into a Legal Practice Course after the GDL without having to train first?

This is all great, just, the consequences of Brexit on this for non-UKers is unpredictable. If I was charged international fees versus UK / EU fees, then I could not afford it for sure.