60-credit compulsory dissertation module, further 15-credit core skills module, 105 credits of optional modules.
In addition to the compulsory module listed below, you will study 105 credits of optional modules (45 credits in the autumn term and 60 credits in the spring term) chosen from the list of optional international law modules available in your year of academic study. You may choose to take 30 credits of module(s) outside the Law School, subject to availability and approval by the programme director.
LAWM189: Legal Research and Writing Skills
Legal Research and Writing Skills is a module designed to equip you with academic skills relevant to the study of law at postgraduate level. You will study a range of contemporary approaches to legal research and writing, and learn about effective strategies in the use of sources. The module does not require or expect previous experience of researching and writing about law, and is suitable for all students on postgraduate programmes and pathways where there is a law element to the programme.
This module aims to provide you with a strong foundation in legal research and writing skills, including practical advice on navigating and using legal and academic resources, and opportunities for critical reflection on research methodologies. The module also aims to reinforce and embed your awareness of conventions associated with successful academic writing. You will learn about assessment criteria commonly used within postgraduate law programmes, and how to interpret those criteria to maximise your attainment. The module also aims to provide you with opportunities to evaluate your own work against accepted standards of academic writing.
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LAWM640: Dissertation
This module is compulsory for students on the LLM programmes and relevant MRes programmes. It provides a valuable opportunity for you to gain experience in legal or socio-legal research, writing a dissertation on a particular legal or socio-legal topic of interest chosen by you and approved by your programme director.
You will be assigned an academic supervisor from the expertise available in the Law School, to match the proposed dissertation topic or your areas of interest. You will be given 3 research meetings with your supervisor during which they will guide your research and writing according to an individually agreed framework, but you are largely expected to determine your own deadlines and define your own work programme in order to meet the final submission deadline set by the Law School.
The module calls for excellent legal/socio-legal writing and research skills, personal discipline, and professional communication with the academic supervisor. For those of you who have not undertaken any large-scale legal research before, an introduction to the design and methodologies of legal research will be provided in Term 2. For those of you on the MRes programme, you are expected to draw on the grounding given in your core modules and any optional module relevant to your dissertation topic.
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LAWM145: Dignity, Democracy and the Law
Arising out of some of the darkest periods of history and experiences of dehumanisation, human dignity has become a rallying cry of resistance to oppression and the hallmark of democracy in Europe since 1945. This module provides you with a multi-layered study of these two complex concepts and their interconnections, essential for understanding social and political developments today. The module focusses on Europe, specifically the Council of Europe and the European Union, as this is the region in which human dignity was first developed and has significantly shaped human rights law and democracy. This module will enable you to develop a unique knowledge combining foundational legal texts and theories with the latest international scholarship, including therefore non-European perspectives. The summative assessment is designed to give you the opportunity to develop your key critical thinking and writing skills, as well as to encourage you to start taking part in the wider scholarly discussions.
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LAWM155: Human Rights and Digital Technologies
Digital technologies raise many legal issues for the protection of human rights. In this module you will learn how international human rights law responds to these legal issues. You will acquire and deepen your understanding of the rights to privacy, data protection, freedom of expression, non-discrimination and due process in the digital age. You will have the opportunity to critically think about how the law should evolve to better regulate these technologies. Knowledge of this area of law is a strong and desirable asset for students wishing to pursue a career in the private and public sectors alike.
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LAWM156: International Crimes and Human Rights Abuses
This module innovatively adopts a two-fold legal approach - based on international criminal law and international human rights law - as well as, where relevant, an interdisciplinary perspective, turning to criminology, history and /or forensic science.
With this module, you will undertake an in-depth study of different international crimes (see syllabus plan) and explore the relevant domestic, regional and international law and case-law. You will apply this knowledge in the dedicated case-study sessions.
This approach will enable you to fully understand the concept of international criminality in terms of prohibited acts, criminal modus operandi and victimhood. It will also allow you to understand the nature, causes and consequences of this type of violence.
While prior knowledge of international criminal law is desirable, it is not mandatory and there are no pre-requisites for you to take this module.
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LAWM157: International Human Rights Law: United Nations System
On this module, you will identify and critically examine the manner and ways in which international law has embraced human rights protections. The predominant focus will be on the United Nations system, as developed since 1945. You will explore and critically analyse the sources of international human rights law, and the role of the United Nations and its members (i.e. States) in conceptualising, drafting, implementing and monitoring human rights standards. You will also learn about and critique the role of other key actors, including non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and national human rights institutions (NHRIs), particularly in respect to the monitoring and implementation of human rights standards.
The overarching aim of the module is to provide you with the opportunity to learn about and critically assess the major substantive and procedural aspects of international human rights law viewed through the predominant lens of the United Nations system. It intends to support you to acquire an in-depth knowledge of the rules, institutions, and processes of international human rights law, as well as the ability to identify the gaps, opportunities, and challenges present in the contemporary international human rights system. The module is especially well-suited to anyone interested in working internationally, in careers such as international legal practice, human rights advocacy (for example, for NGOs), international politics, peacebuilding and diplomacy.
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LAWM158: International Human Rights Law: Regional Systems
On this module, you will identify and critically examine the manner and ways in which international law has embraced human rights protections. The predominant focus will be on the regional human rights systems, namely in Europe, Africa and the Americas. You will explore and critically analyse the sources of regional human rights law, interrogating their role, rationale and efficacy. Within this you will learn about and critique the role of States, judicial and non-judicial mechanisms, particularly in respect to implementing and monitoring human rights standards[.
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LAWM160: Law, Politics and Justice
This module gives you the opportunity to develop your knowledge and understanding of various theoretical perspectives on law by exploring them in applied and dynamic ways through a series of in-depth discussions about some of the most fundamental assumptions of modern law and legal systems. You will consider foundational questions such as, for example, how the concept of justice can be defined and analysed in relation to law; how the concept of personhood can be imagined philosophically and how it contributes to the formation of a political community; how we can understand law's role in achieving social order and law's relationship with violence; why people obey the law and how disobedience might be justified; how individual responsibility can be understood and questioned in theoretical terms; and how law might be critically examined as text, narrative and discourse by crossing disciplinary boundaries into the humanities.
The module aims to enable you to build a detailed understanding of legal and political theories by applying them to specific questions and problems. The module is research enriched, and it is oriented towards developing your abstract reasoning and critical thinking skills, as well as your ability to apply abstract theories to practical issues. The module aims to enable you to develop your own critical perspectives on the theories and topics studied, and to grasp the relevance of theoretical analysis to everyday issues of law and politics.
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LAWM161: Migration, Citizenship and Asylum in International Law
This module will provide an in-depth understanding of the international law framework on international migration and the associated legal, political, and conceptual problems, such as, for example, the tension between state sovereignty and universal protection of human rights, or competing versions of citizenship as a legal, sociological, affective or political concept. It is topic led and will examine issues in their real-life context and the impact on them of international law. Students will have opportunities to bring their knowledge and research to the class through, for example, drafting exercises, presentation of case studies and class discussions.
The module is open to students on interdisciplinary pathways. Students who do not already have knowledge of international law will be advised on preliminary reading.
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LAWM162: The International Criminal Court: Law and Practice
Since the entry into force of its Statute in 2002, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has become a major international institution, attracting both praise and criticism. With this module, you will gain complete insight into its functioning. You will explore the investigation of atrocities, rules of evidence (including scientific and digital), modes of liability, defences, and sentencing and critically reflect on issues of jurisdiction, selection of cases, State cooperation as well as on the place of victims, witnesses and culture in the proceedings. Where relevant, attention will be paid to other international(ised) tribunals and courts.
With this module, you will assess the effectiveness of the ICC as well as the challenges it faces in an international legal environment torn between globalisation and fragmentation.
While prior knowledge of public international law is desirable, it is not mandatory and there are no pre-requisites for you to take this module.
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LAWM163: The International Law of Cyber Operations
Cyberspace is surprisingly difficult to define, but there is no question that it has become a venue of strategic competition and contestation among States and other stakeholders. Incidents such as Stuxnet, WannaCry, or NotPetya have been dominating the headlines, raising the questions of attribution and accountability for the havoc they have wreaked around the world. Meanwhile, over 100 States have been developing military cyber capabilities, many of which have already been put to use in wartime including in the ongoing armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
Against this fast-evolving and complex backdrop, this module is designed to equip you with a deep understanding of how international law governs - and thus restricts - cyber operations both in peacetime and during armed conflict. We will explore how existing international legal concepts such as sovereignty, non-intervention, or State responsibility apply in the cyber context and what practical consequences this entails. We will also delve into the application of international humanitarian law to cyber operations during armed conflicts, with a particular focus on the question of protection of civilian data, the trend of civilianization of military cyber activities, and the regulation of information operations.
By completing this module, you will position yourself as a desirable candidate for professional opportunities in the fields of international law, diplomacy, and cybersecurity.
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LAWM178: LLM Law Clinic
The Community Law Clinic is a student-led pro bono opportunity run by the Law School. This module adopts experiential learning techniques to deliver a unique clinical experience as part of your LLM.
This module focuses on access to justice for those who are ineligible for legal aid but are otherwise unable to afford private legal advice. You will have the opportunity to undertake real casework for members of the public who have found themselves in a legal dispute. This module will enable you to develop the essential skills of communication, client interviewing, research, drafting legal advice and client record keeping. In addition, you will complete core clinic workshops on client skills, access to justice and professionalism.
Through this experiential learning you will be encouraged to reflect critically on your own individual learning process and gain a broader understanding of what access to justice really means and the barriers litigants in person face. This valuable clinical experience will increase employability for those wishing to go into the legal profession or any other professional service.
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LAWM200: Human Rights Advocacy and Practice
Human Rights Advocacy & Practice uniquely equips students with the practical skills and knowledge required for the dynamic, competitive but fulfilling fields of international human rights advocacy and social justice. Through a series of simulated campaign and project tasks designed in collaboration with leading human rights organisations and international NGOs, students will engage with learning activities that mirror the day to day work of human rights advocates, practitioners and professionals, examining a series of global human rights challenges in the process which may include media freedom and disinformation, freedom of expression, fair trial rights, judicial independence, freedom from torture and transnational repression. This module is designed to prepare Exeter LLM graduates with hands-on experience and the skills, confidence and capacity for successful, meaningful careers in human rights and social justice advocacy and practice.
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