New edition of the ‘UIA Business and Human Rights Forum for Legal Practitioners’

On July 10-12,2023, IE Law School hosted the 3rd Edition of the ‘UIA Business and Human Rights Forum for Legal Practitioners’ in Madrid. Organized by Union Internationale des Avocats (UIA) with the International Human Rights Committee of the American Bar Association (ABA) International Law Section and IE Law School, is an intensive Summer School Course which offers a unique opportunity for an in-depth analysis and update on this area of the law. 

The event gathered top experts’ panelist in the field like Baroness Helena Ann Kennedy, current member of the House of Lords; Lene Wendland, Chief of the Business and Human Rights Unit in UN Human Rights, Irit Tamir, Director of Oxfam America's Private Sector Department; Steven M. Richman, UIA Deputy Chief Editor, Jurist International & Senior Advisor of ABA International Human Rights Committee; or Anita Ramasastry, former Member of the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights & Henry M. Jackson Professor of Law at University of Washington; and members of the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights, among others.

The program covered the evolution and key developments of BHR at the international level and an overview of the legislative and regulatory requirements in key countries in Europe, Japan, the USA and China, with an update of the developments within the European Union — the CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive); the Taxonomy Regulation; the SFDR (Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation); and the latest developments on the EU Commission Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive proposal.

Human rights are attracting growing attention by legal practitioners, who are becoming increasingly aware of their critical roles and responsibilities to play in providing responsible advice and assistance to their corporate clients as well as representing clients in the related litigation. 

For these reason, our Master in International Legal Studies (LL.M.) is designed to provide a comprehensive overview, as broad as it is deep, of the international context of law. Its study plan is structured to ensure students gain a solid foundation in all key aspects of international legal contexts, before taking a deep dive into one of the two major fields of specialization with the greatest potential for international impact and professional career opportunities.

Based on the knowledge acquired in their bachelor’s degrees, students will spend the first semester (September-December) learning more specifically about the foundations of international law. Having built this solid foundation, they will then choose between two specializations during the second semester (January-April): International Economic Law or Human Rights (students will be guided in making this choice in accordance with their profile and interests).