How to Become a Human Rights Lawyer?

The world needs human rights lawyers. As both a moral and a legal advocate, the job of a human rights lawyer is tailored towards helping those who are often the most in need of it.

That said, becoming a human rights lawyer isn’t easy. Specialising in both national and international law, human rights lawyers have to be highly educated in a number of different intersecting areas of law.

So how exactly do you build a career in human rights? What steps should you take? And how much can you expect to earn?

Legal Qualifications

Becoming a human rights lawyer is extremely demanding from an academic perspective. Sitting at the intersection between multiple legal disciplines, solicitors and barristers working in this field are expected to have a very strong understanding of public law, international law, immigration law, and civil liberties.

In the UK, most people looking at a career in human rights law start with a standard LLB (bachelor of laws) before proceeding into professional legal training. If you already have a non-law degree then you can take a conversion course instead.

At this point you’ll need to decide if you want to become a barrister or a solicitor. Both are vital to human rights work but they occupy different roles within the British legal system. In general, a barrister works in the courtroom, providing representation and legal opinion for trials and hearings while a solicitor is a more ‘behind the scenes’ role handling research, wills, and contracts.

To become a solicitor you’ll need to take the SQE (Solicitor’s Qualifying Exam). To be a barrister you’re looking at bar training followed by a roughly one year apprenticeship called a pupillage.

At this point, you should be qualified to practice law but that’s only the start when it comes to being a human rights lawyer. Charities and advocacy organisations – the largest employers for human rights lawyers – place a huge value on practical experience. Anyone serious about becoming a human rights advocate should be looking for opportunities to work directly with vulnerable groups as early as possible.

Additionally, you’ll want to take some time to read up on international law and humanitarian law. Many lawyers in this area eventually work across multiple jurisdictions or alongside international organisations, so a broader understanding of global legal systems is often essential. Plus, if you really want to excel in job interviews, then this is the kind of specialist knowledge employers are looking for.

Specialising as a Human Rights Lawyer

Human rights covers a massive spectrum of cases with many lawyers focusing in on only a small and specific subset. Some work with asylum and refugee cases while others specialise in discrimination, unlawful detention, freedom of expression, or cases involving state accountability.

Because of this, it’s a fairly linear career path. Many professionals spend years working in adjacent areas of law before fully specialising. Criminal defence, immigration law, and public law are all common entry points because they naturally overlap with human rights issues.

Building expertise usually means developing a niche over time. A solicitor handling asylum appeals, for example, may gradually move towards broader international human rights work. Others may focus more heavily on domestic civil liberties within UK courts.

In practice, human rights law can be emotionally difficult. Cases often involve individuals in very vulnerable situations and the workload can be intense. At the same time, it’s one of the few legal careers where the social impact of your work is often immediately visible.

Building Your Legal Career

Human rights law is anything but a direct and simple career path. Once you’re qualified, you can go in any number of directions. You could stay in private practice, work for specialist firms, or focus on civil liberties or immigration. And – as we mentioned earlier – many human rights lawyers work directly for charities and organisations in order to ensure their work can do the most direct good.

In fact, these kinds of roles are usually the most competitive. Organisations like Amnesty International and the United Nations attract applicants from all over the world, many of whom already have significant experience.

In terms of salary, human rights law isn’t what you’d call high earning. The work is incredibly intensive and yet early-career solicitors very rarely earn more than £40K and most start below £30K. With experience, it’s possible to build a medium to high income but suffice it to say, this isn’t something you do for the money.

Being a human rights lawyer means working tirelessly to champion the needs of others. It’s a lot of commitment but, for those who are passionate about it, the rewards are beyond measure.