Hello,

I am a long time reader, first time poster.

I am interested in the course at the University of Essex but I have a few doubts regarding the programme. People who have done the course or know something, please do help out. I find whatever has been written on the website to be attractive. The cost is also a factor, as it would be cheaper than other options. It seems to put an emphasis on practice which other universities do not seem to do to that extent. Alumni is also good and active.

BUT.. the ranking is low. And i am not sure about the reputation outside the UK. These are concerns for me. I am sure many of you who applied and got in must have had a similar question going through your mind. I am just curious to know what you felt about the experience. I know rankings are not everything and they rightly shouldn't be, but it is niggling in the back of my mind.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Hi, I had a discussion with someone on this site couple of months ago where we had a disagreement as to how good Essex is, I while tell you my opinion/experience and then you can decide!

I am not studying there but my girlfriend is so I am there quite often, I have met several law students and the view i have formed is not the best one. I have heard different things, from lecturers not showing up for class without even sending an email, being given the wrong exam paper during a exam etc. Furthermore, the people I met get really high grades but if you read their work the standard is very low, which makes one wonder why do they get such grades while, in quite a few cases, they can't differentiate between the mens rea and the actus reus :p

I have read the posts before, but the conversation petered out before I could really come up with anything conclusive.

Thank you for responding. I am open to hearing both sides. May I know if these students who couldn't differentiate between mens rea and actus reus were doing the masters or the bachelors course? I would be particularly concerned if it were the former. I know this might be hard, but was there anything positive about your vicarious experience of the University of Essex programme?

And people who would want to say glowing things about the programme.. By all means divulge, but could you also try to tell me one shortcoming if you can think of one?

The reality in my mind is that for something to happen after an LLM one needs to hustle the alumni and the contacts you can mobilize around you. The impression formed from what I have read shows that there is a good possibility of doing that in Essex. If this isn't the case, I am not sure I would want to apply to a college which is ranked rather low in most of the rankings.

The students I have met are all undergraduates, therefore I can not express an opinion in regards to post-graduate standard.
To be honest from what I have read on this site people regards Essex as having a very good human rights LLM. In regards to rankings, don't even bother paying attention to rankings, they are inaccurate and universities as well as firms and chambers know that they are inaccurate. I know someone who was in a low ranked uni but he will be doing his phd in harvard next year.

Which uni did your friend go to? What in your opinion would be a good place to study IHRL?

Which uni did your friend go to? What in your opinion would be a good place to study IHRL?

Hey,
Law 01 and I have had quite a few disagreements about Essex. I think it really is a brilliant place to stuy Human Rights. But there seems to be a problem of perception when 'generalists' hear about this programs. The reputation of the program, to those in the know, is solid, that much I can assure you.
And I am sure you have read many arguments in its favour in many threads. I have admissions from three colleges so far, and am still leaning towards Essex (despite the fact that the two others have better rankings).
Please take the general opinions of people with a pinch of salt, when you are talking about niche courses. (No offence meant to law 01)
I would advice you to PM some Essex alumni on this board. They will be able to guide you better, and talk of their own experiences. Am sure some of them will even respond to this thread.
You could also tell me about your background maybe. Who knows we might end up in the same class. :)

Hey,
Law 01 and I have had quite a few disagreements about Essex. I think it really is a brilliant place to stuy Human Rights. But there seems to be a problem of perception when 'generalists' hear about this programs. The reputation of the program, to those in the know, is solid, that much I can assure you.
And I am sure you have read many arguments in its favour in many threads. I have admissions from three colleges so far, and am still leaning towards Essex (despite the fact that the two others have better rankings).
Please take the general opinions of people with a pinch of salt, when you are talking about niche courses. (No offence meant to law 01)
I would advice you to PM some Essex alumni on this board. They will be able to guide you better, and talk of their own experiences. Am sure some of them will even respond to this thread.
You could also tell me about your background maybe. Who knows we might end up in the same class. :)

Ofcourse man! Din't mean no harm.. :)
It will be great to bump into you and your girlfriend then. I would love to learn more about the places and people in the UK. We should stay in touch.

Would be nice, pm me your fb if you want!

Yep

I'm currently studying for the LLM here and only have great things to say about it. For what it's worth, I also received great offers from "prestigious" universities and do not regret one second turning them down, despite Essex's lower ranking. This is so because I am convinced I want to practice human rights law. Rankings will obviously matter if you want to keep other options open such as big law firms, consultancy firms, etc. But if you want to work in human rights and that's the one thing that will make you happy? Essex is the place for you.

I don't have a job lined up yet (still to early for most positions), but I can tell you about the opportunities that are available to us. In fact, there are so many interesting ones, it was difficult to choose.

There are PAID opportunities to work with the Special Rapporteur on Iran, the Essex Business and Human Rights Project, the Human Rights Clinic, the Human Rights Centre, the Centre on Human Rights and Drug Policy and the Essex Transitional Justice Network. Many of these projects collaborate with other UN Special Rapporteurs. There are also volunteer opportunities with some of these projects, as well as the possibility of participating in the Jean-Pictet Competition in IHL or the ELSA moot court in European Human Rights Law. Students help litigate cases before the Inter-American Human Rights system and before the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights. Frankly, I'm sure I'm missing something.

Then, of course, the faculty is simply amazing... yet so accessible, which cannot be said of all rockstar human rights professors. Sir Nigel Rodley, Francoise Hampson, Paul Hunt, Noam Lubell are only a few of several great members of staff.

This brings me back to your comment about needing to "hustle" and network. I also believe this is essential in landing a human rights job. And all of the above activities will allow you to do just that. Essex (or any university) will not guarantee you a job, but if you actively try to engage with the Essex HR community, this will definitely help.

Also, a few LLM Guide posts have referred to the Essex Mafia. It's true, we have alumni everywhere and many ARE working in human rights. If you can get in touch with some of them (as well as that of other universities you are considering), this might be helpful. I know it certainly was for me.

Finally, the undergrad and postgrad programs should be kept distinct. People traveled from far away places to do the LLM, either on prestigious scholarships or having made some important financial sacrifices. You simply cannot conflate the two programs.

One last thing, watch this video: http://vimeo.com/81402921 and feel free to PM me if you have any other questions.

Good luck with your decision-making!

Hey. Let me thank you for this brilliant post. ( even though I am not the thread starter).
I am a little torn right now between human rights at Essex and Development at Soas.(Both LLM programs, with overlaps in terms of subjects taught)
While human rights is what I want to do.. I want to combine it with other skills.. such as a knowledge of intellectual property rights and business laws. I was wondering if you could answer some of my questions.
How useful would this course be for someone who is interested in litigation in their own country? What I seem to have understood is that it's geared towards jobs with international organisations.
Further what is living in Colchester like. Am sure the student body is diverse.. but do you feel like you are missing out by not being in London?
Also what are the accommodation and living expenses like?
I hope I haven't loaded you with too many questions. These are just some doubts I have.