Activities and Volunteer Opportunities

The Centre for Human Rights in Practice provides a range of opportunities for students both within Warwick University and outside. These include modules on the undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes, internships, volunteering and the possibility to join the Lacuna magazine team.

• Volunteering Opportunities with Central England Law Centre (CELC).
• Writing Wrongs School Programmes.
• Lacuna Magazine.
• International Mooting.
• Equality, Human Rights and Public Spending Cuts Work.
• Death Penalty Project.
• Julia Kerr Prize.
• Middle Temple: Access to the Bar Awards.
• Modules offered by CHRP.

Volunteering Opportunities with Central England Law Centre (CELC)

The largest Law Centre in the country and winner of the Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year Awards 2015, CELC has worked closely with Warwick Law School and the Centre for Human Rights in Practice over many years.

CELC is a charity providing free specialist legal advice and representation to those most in need in our area. They also support people to anticipate and prevent legal problems from arising and engage in innovative and sector-leading work in this area. Learn more about the work of the Central England Law Centre (CELC).

They offer various volunteering opportunities for our students, which are set out below:

Writing Wrongs School Programmes

Writing Wrongs aims to:

• Develop the writing and research skills of 14-18 year old school students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
• Empower those students to produce their own pieces of writing on a social justice issue of their choosing.
• Give those students important experiences and connections not usually open to them (e.g. access to professional writers, experiences of university life etc.).

Last year we recruited a paid research assistant to work on the Writing Wrongs Schools Programme (WWSP) over the summer period. The role primarily involved developing our WWSP teaching materials. The most important part of the work is identifying creative, journalistic etc. pieces of writing about social justice issues (e.g. knife crime, mental health etc.) to inspire our students. The research assistant may also develop teaching resources to accompany these materials.

In addition, this role may be involved in networking with schools and other universities who are interested in becoming involved in WWSP in the future.

Lacuna Magazine

Lacuna is an online magazine, run by the Centre for Human Rights in Practice, that exposes injustice and promotes human rights.

Each year we advertise paid support positions, offering opportunities to students with skills in social media, video production, editing, content marketing, art and graphic design.

International Mooting

The Centre for Human Rights in Practice facilitates student engagement with various international mooting opportunities.

In summer 2016 a Warwick team participated in the International Criminal Law Nuremberg Moot Court.

Previously, Morshed Mannan, Lucy Newton and Max Wilson represented at the KK Luthra International Mooting Competition (January 2011) and were awarded the second best memorial, coming third overall.

Equality, Human Rights and Public Spending Cuts Work

We have a number of ongoing research projects investigating the impacts of public spending cuts and welfare reform. We also undertake workshops, and provide expert training and support for public authorities and civil society organisations.

At times we look for a student to assist us in this area, primarily working on the resource 'database' alongside researching issues related to public spending cuts, and communicating with civil society organisations and public authorities.

Successful candidates will need to demonstrate a passion for research into issues of human rights and equality; very good research, communication and IT skillsl; and be prepared to work up to 6 hours per week in terms 1 and 2 of the academic year. Payment is at standard research assistant rates (approx. £10 per hour).

As vacancies arise they will be highlighted here. For more information, contact James Harrison.

Death Penalty Project

Through the DPP students have the opportunity to assist US attorneys and charities working on capital defence (Remote Assistance, student-led). The Centre for Human Rights in Practice also facilitates volunteering opportunities in partner capital defence offices in the USA (Internship).

The Death Penalty Internship Programme is a unique opportunity for “hands-on” exposure of legal work involving the common law system of the United States, which also encompasses diverse areas of criminal justice, medical law and human rights.

Julia Kerr Prize

Generously founded in memory of Julia Kerr, a Warwick Law School alumna, class of 1975.

£500 will be awarded to the student who has best demonstrated the use of skills and knowledge gained at Warwick Law School to make an important contribution to human rights in the community (locally, nationally and internationally) as a participant of activities arranged through Warwick University.

In 2015/2016 the prize was allocated to a group of Warwick students interning with US attorneys on the Death Penalty Project.

Previous winners of the Julia Kerr Prize include Zeenat Islam, Steve Hare, Phoebe Bower and Margaret O'Leary.

Middle Temple: Access to the Bar Awards

Available to one or two undergraduates from Warwick each year, these awards provide able students from disadvantaged or under-represented backgrounds with experience of what a career at the Bar involves.

They offer two weeks of work experience during university summer holidays; one in a set of barristers’ chambers and one marshalling (i.e. sitting in court alongside a judge) and students receive £250 per week.

Modules offered by CHRP

Undergraduate

Postgraduate