Caroline Njoya is just one of the School of Law's master's students to have gained valuable career experience at the European Human Rights Advocacy Centre"My legal skills have improved and I've grown in confidence working in a professional environment with practising lawyers," says Caroline Njoya, who began working at the European Human Rights Advocacy Centre (EHRAC) on campus for the internship module of her MA in Global Governance and Public Policy.
Having completed both an undergraduate degree in common law and a master's qualification in comparative law from the René Descartes University Paris V, Caroline's time at Middlesex and EHRAC in particular has allowed her to explore her interests in human rights.
"We always ask new interns which aspects interest them the most and try to cater to their general ambitions throughout their internship" - Sabrina Vashisht, PR and Development Officer at EHRAC
EHRAC, an independent legal centre within the School of Law, is the perfect place to gain experience in this field as the Centre works closely with partner lawyers in the former Soviet Union to bring cases of human rights abuse before the European Court of Human Rights.
"Human rights are a big concern for me," says Caroline, who has been conducting research into domestic violence for lawyers to refer to as part of her role at EHRAC. She has also assisted in organising events, including a recent webinar on women's rights.
All this is helping Caroline prepare for the tests she will take to become a judge on her return to Paris, but she is not the only beneficiary. As EHRAC's PR and Development Officer Sabrina Vashisht explains, the internship scheme is a valuable resource for the Centre too.
"Like many NGOs, EHRAC relies on interns for support in every aspect of our work, whether researching information for cases before the European Court, translating documents, writing articles for our bulletin, uploading resources to the EHRAC website, or organising events," says Sabrina.
"We always ask new interns which aspects interest them the most and try to cater to their general ambitions throughout their internship."
Middlesex School of Law students looking to gain work experience with EHRAC should visit www.ehrac.org.uk for a greater understanding of its aims. Interns should also have an interest in human rights and/or a legal background and it is incredibly useful, though not essential, if you are able to speak Russian, Georgian, Armenian, Azerbaijani or Ukrainian. There may also be opportunities to conduct specific research at EHRAC if it's relevant to a particular human rights issue in the region. You can contact EHRAC by emailing ehrac@mdx.ac.uk or dropping into WG06 in the Williams Building.
