QUB School of Law

Apprentice Solicitor Opportunity open for application!

The Business Services Organisation (BSO) Legal Services Department is seeking applications for its Apprentice Solicitor Training Scheme, commencing September 2026.
This is an excellent opportunity for aspiring solicitors to gain experience delivering legal services to Health and Social Care organisations across Northern Ireland.

To be eligible, applicants must:
•hold an offer (or conditional offer dependent only on degree classification) for the Institute of Professional Legal Studies (IPLS) Solicitor Trainee Programme starting September 2026;
•be prepared to travel throughout Northern Ireland;
•submit a copy of their IPLS offer letter with their application.

The application deadline is Friday, 19th June 2026 at 6pm.

For full details and to apply, visit the BSO website via the link below, or scan the QR code:
https://buff.ly/5UC5emi

Law Students – Showcase Your Voice in Human Rights Law!

Entries are now open for the Lord Kerr Essay Competition 2026.
Honouring Lord Kerr of Tonaghmore - former Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland and UK Supreme Court Justice - this competition celebrates his legacy as a passionate advocate for human rights and individual freedoms.
This competition is open to undergraduates, LLM, BPTC, SQE and GDL students, as well as recent graduates without a training contract or pupillage offer.

Why apply?
• Develop your legal writing and critical analysis
• Engage with important human rights issues
• Gain recognition for your work
• Prizes include: £300 main prize; £100 for two runners-up; more to be announced!

Submissions need to be a maximum of 2,000 words (excluding references) and will be anonymised for blind marking. The submission deadline is 19th June 2026 at 11:59pm.

See full details and rules at: https://buff.ly/Si1xj7j

Last week, June 4th, saw a FRIF-funded, open to the public hybrid guest seminar and roundtable discussion in the School of Law on 'Tracing Origins' delivered by two guest speakers/discussants:

Dr Márcio da Cunha Vilar (Institute of Social and Cultural Anthropology, Freie Universität, Berlin) - discussing his research in Brazil and Europe on the challenges of kin-tracing (alongside his lived experiences as an adoptee) (recent publication: https://buff.ly/xy4tb9n)

Marie Therese Rodgers- Moloney, Belfast, Nazareth House survivor, and author of 'For the Sins of My Mother' (2014) https://buff.ly/DPEbWXY

In attendance were members of AdoptNI (a charity which supports all members of the adoption triad/constellation including adoptee diaspora in other jurisdictions), PhD and LLM students, and academic staff, alongside online participants.

The event was chaired by Dr Alice Diver, School of Law, and is the latest in a series of international events on Origin Deprivation/Adoptee rights
(May, 2023, https://buff.ly/lQBhnRC; October 2024, https://buff.ly/BBI1SaA)

A further hybrid roundtable event is planned for October 2026, involving adoptee academics and Indigenous rights NGOs from Ecuador and Canada.

🔎 How do you monitor the judiciary?

A new UK Constitutional Law Association piece by Dr Conor McCormick proposes a 14-question checklist for identifying signs of judicial activism, restraint and self-protection, drawing on recent research into the UK and US Supreme Courts.

Read more: https://buff.ly/CZjkFyz

The Law School is pleased to announce that Miss Diana Ortega Torres passed her PhD viva with minor corrections on Friday, 5 June 2026. Many congratulations Diana.

Diana's thesis was entitled “Women, Justice, and Ongoing Conflict: An Intersectional Feminist Study of Transitional Justice in Mexico’s War on Drugs”.

Thank you to Professor Jelke Boesten (King's College London) acting as External Examiner, Professor Aoife O'Donoghue acting as Internal Examiner and Professor Luke Moffett acting as Chair.

Diana's supervisors were Professor Louise Mallinder, Dr Yassin Brunger and Professor Marsha Henry (HAPP).

🔎Your Scholarship Search Starts Here - Explore Funding for Postgraduate Law!

Postgraduate study can be a big step; let funding help you get there. The School of Law is offering prestigious scholarships to support your journey and back your ambitions in Law.

Scholarships available:
🔴 County Antrim Grand Jury Bursary Award
🔴 James MacQuitty Law Scholarship
🔴 Stephen Livingstone Memorial Fund

Each scholarship has its own eligibility criteria and application process, so be sure to explore your options and find the best fit.

Learn more about eligibility, deadlines, and how to apply here: https://buff.ly/hwcifHw

Don't miss out and apply now!

From the classroom to the global courtroom

Our talented mooting team: Joel Hames, Ciara O'Hagan, Tom McIlroy, Ben Logan, and Emma Faulkner, has qualified for the oral rounds of the ICLR Nuremberg Moot Court Competition 2026, one of the world's foremost international criminal law competitions.

Among the 40 teams worldwide to qualify, the QUB Law team is one of only two from UK universities.

Under the guidance of Dr Sarah Zarmsky, the team will present its case in the historic Courtroom 600, where the original Nuremberg Trials were held.

https://buff.ly/YnH18MP

Trainee Solicitor Opportunity – Apply Now!

The Attorney General for Northern Ireland is offering a Trainee Solicitor opportunity within her office.

This is a fantastic chance to undertake a 2-year traineeship and gain valuable experience at the heart of legal practice.

✅ Open to applicants holding an offer (or wait list place) from IPLS
📅 Deadline: Monday, 12 June 2026 by 12noon
🔗 Full details and application form available here: https://buff.ly/p6ZO6x6

Don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity to start your legal career!

📢 One week to go to the Northern Ireland Graduate Recruitment Fair!

Whether you're graduating this summer or have recently completed your studies, this event is designed to help you take the next step in your career.

The Northern Ireland Graduate Recruitment Fair brings together over 50 leading employers, offering you a unique opportunity to:

• Explore graduate job opportunities
• Network with top employers
• Discover a range of career pathways

📆 Tuesday 02 June 11am-3pm
📍Ulster University, Belfast campus

Find out more and register now 🔗 https://buff.ly/CbDZCdG

This event is delivered in partnership by Ulster University and Queen's University Belfast and is sponsored by Bank of America and supported by media partner nijobfinder.co.uk.

Ulster University Student & Graduate Talent

✨ Empower Your Future: Apply for the James MacQuitty Law Scholarship ✨

Are you ready to take the next step in your academic journey? The James MacQuitty Law Scholarship is here to unlock your potential and advance your career in law!

This prestigious scholarship supports law graduates from Northern Ireland who wish to pursue a Master's degree at the School of Law, Queen's University Belfast, in any law or law‑related field.

🔴Covers full course fees
🔴Includes a generous stipend
🔴Tenable for one academic year

Applications should be submitted to the designated contact within the School of Law by Monday, 20th July 2026, at 4pm.

For more details and how to apply, visit: https://buff.ly/NE18y2A

Don't miss out on this outstanding opportunity to advance your legal studies at QUB.