Photo by Natasha Beitman. Brener Global Law Program students on the grounds of Herstmonceux Castle in East Sussex, U.K., before the end-of-term banquet.
Photo by Natasha Beitman. Brener Global Law Program students on the grounds of Herstmonceux Castle in East Sussex, U.K., before the end-of-term banquet.

As Queen’s students return to class this month, one group is coming back with a very special experience under their belts.

This summer, 44 Queen’s Law students, along with three students from Dalhousie University, spent May and June studying in the Global Law Programs at the Bader International Study Centre (BISC) in East Sussex, U.K. There, they took intensive courses in one of two streams: International Business Law (IBL) and Public International Law (PIL). IBL students focused their studies on international economic law and commercial arbitration, while those in PIL took international human rights, international humanitarian law and international criminal law.

Students had the opportunity to learn from law professors from Queen’s and other universities, as well as many practitioners working in these exciting fields.

“You are taught by a series of experts who cut to the chase and teach you the core of what it means to practise in the international arena,” says Nima Hojjati, Law’17, an IBL student. “This was the perfect program for someone with no background in business to get their feet wet, due to the personal experience the small classes offer.”

A highlight of the program was the week-long field studies trip in June, which included visits to embassies, major law firms, criminal tribunals, and United Nations offices in Paris, The Hague, and Geneva.

“The field studies were my favourite part of the program,” says Emily Lieffers, Law’17, a PIL student. “It gave a sense of what a career in global law actually looks like on a day-to-day basis.”

Outside of class, students also enjoyed living at the BISC facility, two hours from central London. The estate centres around a 15th-century castle, where students attended classes and had their meals.

“After a long day of classes, it was surreal to go for a walk on castle grounds and run into a peacock,” says Lieffers. “It isn’t an orthodox learning environment, but I think we all appreciated how special it was.”

As these students return to their classes this fall, they will all carry the “castle experience” forward in their legal education.

Nima Hojjati sums up that experience well: “It truly is a once in a lifetime opportunity!”

Read more about the Global Law Programs and see more photos on Instagram and the Global Law at the BISC blog.