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How to specialise in employment law

Anna

| 0 Posts

29 May, 2019 12:56

Hi there,

First post.

I have a HR Generalist background over the last eight years and have just completed my Level 5 CIPD diploma. I really enjoyed the Employment Law module and would like to specialise in this area of HR.

Can anyone advise me what job titles incorporates employment law and what further qualifications I may require to specialise in this area?

Any help or advise apperciated.

Thanks

Anna

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  • Keith

    | 0 Posts

    31 May, 2019 07:30

    Welcome to active membership of the communities.

    Employment law is a relatively small niche area. Very big organisations are as likely to employ an employment lawyer as a HR law specialist. More common, I think, would be those in this area being in ER roles dealing with D&G activity or large scale projects such as TUPEs. Alternatively some of the bigger outsourcing specialists offer opportunities.

    However a very strong foundation in employment law is useful for almost any HR generalist.

    In terms of further study the CIPD fo s certificate in employment law or there are sone very good part time /distance learning degrees if they rock your boat

    But I would be clear first where you want to go and ensure this would help.
  • David Perry

    | 0 Posts

    31 May, 2019 07:54

    Get yourself a HR job in a large company there there are likely to be many issues which are employment law related. Make yourself THE employment law expert.

    Reading employment law books such as Selwyn's, subscribing to Croner's law publications or the vast amount of info on the internet etc., I believe there's also an LLM in Employment Law, but I don't know much about it and many of the people who post answers on here may not have it - so I can't comment.

    This is possible even if the company employees solicitors, lawyers and/or HR law specialists. Once the company sees you as having the ability to do away with them they will no longer need them!
  • Peter Stanway

    | 0 Posts

    31 May, 2019 13:23

    In reply to David Perry:

    The immediate answer is level 7
    The ultimate answer is to study for a Masters in Employment law (LLM)

    it is best done locally but Leicester do it half remotely and partly at residential weekends

    These days there is so much you can acquire on the internet (if you are selective and can distinguish Australian and American cases/legislation? Good publications like IDS are helpful if you can gain access but the internet and solicitor newsletters and breakfasts not to mention the fact that most CIPD branches will do at least an annual legal update. There is no shortage. It also helps if you are lucky! enough to have to research and apply.
  • Nina Waters

    | 0 Posts

    31 May, 2019 13:54

    In reply to Peter Stanway:

    I'm currently looking at an Employment Law masters at Kingston university - evenings I believe, over two years.
  • Peter Stanway

    | 0 Posts

    31 May, 2019 14:29

    In reply to Nina Waters:

    Go for it
  • Alys Martin

    | 0 Posts

    31 May, 2019 15:43

    In reply to Nina Waters:

    Nina, is this the LLM course but just taking the Employment Law modules? I'd love to do something like this; it'd be incredibly interesting.
  • Nina Waters

    | 0 Posts

    31 May, 2019 15:51

    In reply to Alys Martin:

    To be honest I will know more in a couple of weeks as I'm going to an open day (evening) on 19th June - but my intention as you say is to do the LLM and choose the employment law modules - which from what I can understand from their website, results in the LLM Employment Law.

    I'm drawn to it obviously because of the subject matter, and also because it's all assessed by coursework rather than exams. After my graduate diploma in law, I swore I'd never do postgraduate study again that required that kind of cramming/exams. Not just because my hand had turned into a claw by the end of the exams (though it was a factor) but because the quality of my learning was so much less than studying through coursework.
  • Ray

    | 0 Posts

    31 May, 2019 18:02

    Hi Anna and welcome to the forums. You've had lots of good advice about acquiring the specialist knowledge... the challenge will be finding a job focusing exclusively on this area. Even on the ER side in a very large company, the focus is likely to be on TUPE and IR issues, unless the company has a strong track record of being taken to court by its staff.
    In my experience, the only jobs that will regularly cover a larger range of legal HR issuers are with the big legal firms. Have you considered this?
  • Anna

    | 0 Posts

    31 May, 2019 18:07

    In reply to Ray:

    Hi all.

    Many thanks for all your advise.

    I have experience of Tupe transfers within my 8 years of HR.

    I have found a post grad certificate in employment law and practice at my local university in Northern Ireland which I am currently looking into.

    I have never even considered approaching a law firm so this is something I will have a think about.

    Many thanks.
  • Peter Stanway

    | 0 Posts

    3 Jun, 2019 07:03

    In reply to Anna :

    Be wary
    There is a difference between a certificate and a Masters
    ideally you should find one that does its assessments via essays/assignments.
  • David

    | 0 Posts

    3 Jun, 2019 08:38

    In reply to Peter Stanway:

    See too eg

    www.northumbria.ac.uk/.../

    - Peter is entirely correct. From memory, passing three modules / one academic year results in the postgrad certificate; you can add a second year and more taught modules to qualify for the postgrad diploma and if you reach a good standard of assessment on the taught modules you’re eligible to add a dissertation project to the taught diploma and if that passes muster you get an LLM. It’s possible to do all of this Northumbria Uni course by distance learning but they strongly encourage optional weekend study day attendance at the Law School in central Newcastle upon Tyne. I completed the LLM a few years ago and it was one of the best things I’ve ever done.
  • David

    | 0 Posts

    3 Jun, 2019 08:57

    In reply to David:

    PS
    For something completely different to Employment Law, I’ve just with some trepidation signed up for the first running this year of Cumbria University’s MA in ‘ Literature, Romanticism and the English Lake District’ . This isn’t entirely distance learning although it can be done part time over two years with a few regular weekly termtime visits to Ambleside. Forgive me for the blatant and entirely off topic plug, but do feel that it’s a most innovative and aptly located course that deserves to succeed and someone on here might just possibly be interested. Course organiser at Ambleside is Dr Penny Bradshaw who I’m sure would welcome informal enquiries.

  • Catherine

    | 0 Posts

    16 Apr, 2020 00:17

    In reply to David:

    Good luck David
  • David

    | 0 Posts

    16 Apr, 2020 05:04

    In reply to Catherine:

    Thanks so much for the good wishes, Catherine - and your first post on here too!
  • David Perry

    | 0 Posts

    16 Apr, 2020 06:10

    In reply to Catherine:

    Welcome to the community Catherine.