Hi!! I am seeking universities to do my master in International Human Rights Law. But I really don`t know which one i should choose. I have seen one in University of Essex. Does anybody know if it is a good university? And another question. Does anybody know anything about University of Minho in Portugal? Thanksss....i aprecciate your attention. Renata

University of Essex is quite good for Human Righs. It was one of the first universities to offer this LLM.
http://www2.essex.ac.uk/human_rights_centre/

You may want to read this article about the university:
http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storyCode=402644&sectioncode=26

Dont know about that uni you mentioned in Portugal.

Good luck :o)

Hi Pucca!
Thanks a lot for your answer!! I have read a plenty of articles about U. of Essex. But i am trying to find out some people who have studied there or who have friends in there. Thanks a lot.

I have read here posts from many people here who have studied are planning to study there. Hope they answer you soon.

Good luck Renata :p)

My very good friend who is now working at the European Court for Human Rights was in Essex and she always speaks about it with a lot of appreciation. Undoubtedly, this school offers a very good human rights course and is one of the best in the UK. I think you should also consider other UK law schools offering top human rights programs, one of which is undoubtedly Nottingham University. While you might come across quite a few "big shots" in the field there, the real advantage is that you are actually going to see them and work with them directly not only on your university work but on their engagements as well. For example, students get an opportunity to work with Michael O'Flaherty on his work for the UN Committee for Human Rights or on his research on HR field operations, with Olympia Bekou on her work for the International Criminal Court, with David Harris on editing the Human Rights Law Review, Peter Bartlett in the field of human rights of people with disabilities etc. The program of internships and the possibility of continuing your post-graduate education there is also fantastic. A lot of LLM students get an opportunity and stay for their PhD there. In addition, since the students get involved in the practical work that Human Rights Law Centre of the School is performing for various international and national institutions, the internships in these institutions i(f you were involved in the corresponding work) are as certain as death and tax. One thing which is probably a clearest advantage of Nottingham over Essex is boredom of Colchester. It might seem a bit unimportant when choosing the place for your advanced law degree but winters in the countryside can be rather depressing.
I hope this helps for broadening your perspectives. Good luck.

Hi - I'm finishing my LLM year here right now (taking a break from exam prep & reminiscing about where I was a year ago led me here).

Essex is a fantastic program, but whether any program is right for you will depend on what your priorities are. It's true that Colchester is not the boomingest of towns, but London's not far, and it's only an hour by bus to Stansted so heading out of town is easy. While most of would love to have a better night life here, the reality is you make your own happiness and your own night life, and we've been satisfied with the outcome. I've made really close friends here and there's never a night that I want to do something fun that I don't get to actually have fun (except the night before a paper is due and even then I'm usually just wishing I could be doing anything other than stressing over whether the formulation I have is the best way to convey that thought).

As for academics, there's a wide range of courses and you'll have a general seminar that covers all the major topics in human rights, humanitarian law, & refugees to some degree. The caliber of profs cannot be surpassed. Kevin Boyle & Francoise Hampson practically created half the leading jurisprudence of the European Court (seriously - go to hudoc and enter in their names, it's not half but it is a freaking lot). Kevin is also highly recognized internationally on issues of free speech, religion, belief, etc., while Francoise is the Queen of IHL. Geoff Gilbert is not only a leader in the field of refugee law but also hilarious and a great teacher. Nigel Rodley was Amnesty's first legal counsel, then a Special Rapporteur on torture (and CID treatment) and now a member of the Human Rights Committee. I believe he is one of only a handful of people ever to be knighted for work in human rights. Paul Hunt just finished his term as the Special Rapporteur on the highest attainable standard of health and was the first one to address the issue of pharmaceutical companies and their role on the realisation of the right to health (he's also a former member of CESCR). Sheldon Leader regularly engages in negotiations with companies to establish adequate human rights and labour standards and is called upon by governments and intergovernment agencies to do training on businesses and human rights. And Clara Sandoval still regularly practices before courts on issues of torture and redress.

Those are the major ones & their major accomplishments - the ones that I can rattle off the top of my head. They're all accessible and friendly and helpful. Of the ones I've just listed, I've done or will be undertaking shortly intense and extensive work with four of them (think, external research and writing projects, briefs and prep work for articles and books) and there isn't a single one of them that I haven't had extended conversations with about their field and my questions. They're brilliant and accessible.

The classes are small, too. So ours only has less than 55 in the entire LLM, meaning you get to know profs and coursemates. It's highly competitive and really well-respected when it comes to applying for jobs. And honestly, it's really fun. It's just a fun course with fun people who know a lot more than I ever expected to and who are able to get the highest quality of work out of you.