Graduate and Student Profiles
Benjamin Rue
LLM International Criminal Justice and Armed Conflict
Before joining Nottingham, I was working with the United Nations (UN) in a peacekeeping environment.
I chose the School of Law to pursue further studies because it is one of the best in the UK. It also offers a broad range of international law modules and the school is a place of world-class research with many respected experts in my field of choice. Further, the school is very diverse with a friendly atmosphere. I really feel comfortable and the learning environment of the University Park Campus is unique.
Nottingham is a great place to live. For instance, I discovered Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and I am now training a few times per week in a friendly club close to Jubilee Campus. It gave me the opportunity to meet fellow students as well as members of the local community. Nottingham is a great place to learn and prepare your future.
Yuliana Tjhai
LLM International Commercial Law
After finishing her postgraduate study in 2008, Yuliana continued working with Bahar & Partners, one of the leading law firms in Jakarta. At the beginning of 2010, she was promoted to become a Partner of the firm.
The postgraduate programme in International Commercial Law represents one of the largest coursework offerings in the UK. I found that it caters for a wide range of student backgrounds and attracts applicants from around the world. I was informed that their devoted lecturers and staff have very broad research and teaching interests, and write major business, commercial and maritime journals and book series.
The course was very interesting. I learned about issues that are seen in only a superficial way at the undergraduate level. The resources for law study in the University are very good. The induction programme for new students is very helpful too. I enjoyed the School of Law very much and I love the people that I work with as I have received excellent support and encouragement from them.
After I finished my postgraduate study in 2008, I continue working with Bahar & Partners. At the beginning of 2010, I was promoted to become a Partner of the firm. I believe that my studying experience in the University of Nottingham is very valuable for current and future employment. It has been a good opportunity to develop not only my technical expertise, but also management skills within a firm framework.
Jennie Haslett
LLM International Criminal Justice and Armed Conflict
Whilst studying at Nottingham, Jennie secured a job working as a policy analyst on international issues at HM Treasury. Her job involves writing submissions on various aspects of law, coordinating Government policy on international tax and development issues, and attending meetings between Ministers and stakeholders.
I made the decision to apply to study International Criminal Justice and Armed Conflict at Nottingham whilst studying Law at Durham University. The LLM at Nottingham seemed the perfect opportunity to learn about the areas of law that had caught my interest at Durham, mostly human rights and the law surrounding conflicts and post-conflict environments.
The modules on offer at School of Law as part of the LLM are unique in their variety and depth. Any possible interest you have in human rights or international justice is catered for by an expert in the relevant field. The best part about the LLM was that the lecturers taught you not just from a textbook, but from their own experiences also, whether this was working with refugees in Afghanistan on behalf of the UN or being a lawyer in the navy.
Aside from the excellent teaching on offer at Nottingham, there is plenty of opportunity to get involved with law related activities such as helping to organise the highly anticipated LLM Law Ball, or take part in Mooting or debating. The staff at the school are always happy to help you gain valuable work experience in an area you are interested in, such as shadowing the Judge Advocate General or working in the field with them.
Whilst studying at Nottingham I secured a job working as a policy analyst on international issues at HM Treasury. My job involves writing submissions on various aspects of law, co-ordinating Government policy on international tax and development issues and going to meetings between Ministers and stakeholders. Although my LLM gave me an in-depth understanding of a variety of legal issues and processes, far more valuable was the research methods and approaches to thinking about problems that I learned from my course.
Thang Nguyen Dang
LLM Public International Law
Immersing himself for one year in the intensive LLM programme, Thang had acquired an up to date knowledge of international law. This was effectively applied in his work in the International Law and Treaties Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vietnam.
Before going to Nottingham to read for an LLM degree in Public International Law, I had worked as a legal expert in the International Law and Treaties Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam for five years.
Strongly committed to the career of an international lawyer, I was then looking for a law school with a good international law curriculum. In this regard, the School of Law was particularly appealing to me, first because of the fact that the school professors boast two leading casebooks on international law. The school was also famous for the high-quality of teaching and the wide range of courses for LLM students. This was augmented by the huge collection of law books in the University library, which can quench the thirst for knowledge of any serious law student.
Finally, as an overseas student, I was very attracted by the diversity of student nationality within the LLM programme, which demonstrated the openness of legal education in Nottingham and provided a favourable academic environment for frank discussion and the exchanges of views on legal issues. I have never regretted doing my LLM in Nottingham.
Immersing myself for one year in the intensive LLM programme, I had acquired an up to date knowledge of international law, which was later instantly and effectively applied in my work in the International Law and Treaties Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs upon my return to Vietnam.
But more importantly, the programme consolidated my legal background and aroused my interest in doing research in order to become an expert in a particular field of international law. Thus, after two years working in Vietnam, I am now back in England, pursuing a PhD project in a city not far from Nottingham, Cambridge.
Tim Rose
LLM Human Rights Law
Upon returning to his native Canada, Tim used his experiences from Nottingham to secure a job in the disability advocacy arena, and also started The Rose Centre for Young Adults with Disabilities, a charitable organisation focused on social barriers created by disabilities.
The programme gave me the resources and tools to realise my potential. I gained an in-depth knowledge of international law and human rights, and learned from faculty that pushed me to think outside of the box. The coursework challenged me, and my colleagues supported me. Everyone from the programme administrative staff, to faculty and librarians were there whenever I needed guidance. The LLM also allowed me the freedom to pursue the area of academia that interested me, leading me to delve into topics that would have otherwise remained unexplored by me.
Upon returning to my native Canada, I have used my experiences from Nottingham to push the boundaries. I have secured a job in the disability advocacy arena, and also started The Rose Centre for Young Adults with Disabilities, a charitable organisation focused on social barriers created by disabilities.
Without the knowledge and confidence infused in me by the LLM programme, none of this would have happened. I knew I wanted to make a difference, and the University of Nottingham showed me how.