ICAB opens registration for its Postgraduate in European Law and International Human Rights Defence, with placements in Strasbourg

The Barcelona Bar Association (ICAB) has opened the registration period for the 2027 edition of its Postgraduate Expert in European Law and International Human Rights Defence, the bar announced on 19 October.

The programme, theoretical and practical in nature, runs from 18 January to July 2027, on Mondays and Wednesdays from 18:30 to 20:30, in person or online, with limited places. It is aimed at legal professionals and those in related disciplines who want to specialise in the European and international mechanisms for protecting fundamental rights.

Content and international added value

The postgraduate reviews the functioning of international courts and institutions and provides legal tools for the defence of human rights. Its two differentiating elements have a European projection:

• A partially subsidised institutional trip to Brussels and Strasbourg, with planned visits to the European Commission, the Brussels Bar and the Spanish Legal Profession's General Council Delegation to the EU, among other institutions. Dates and final programme pending confirmation.
• The possibility of competing for two four-week placements at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg, planned for autumn 2027 and reserved for postgraduate students, with a C1 level requirement in English or French and its own selection process. Enrolment does not guarantee allocation.

Who may be interested

The international defence of human rights is a specialisation path with real prospects for the profession: appeals before the ECHR, United Nations mechanisms, asylum and international protection, and the growing dialogue between Spanish courts and European standards. A programme with direct access to the Strasbourg institutions is an uncommon option in the Spanish training offer.

For students combining work and study, the online modality and the evening schedule make it compatible with professional practice.

A specialisation with growing demand

Interest in this subject is not only vocational: asylum, international protection, ECHR appeals and compliance with European standards by companies and administrations generate real work for firms, NGOs, institutions and legal departments. Training with access to the institutions that apply those standards is an advantage difficult to replicate in a conventional classroom.

Requirements and registration

The programme is open to graduates in Law and related disciplines, and the organisation notes that places are limited and allocated by order of registration once requirements are met. Language level is especially relevant for those aspiring to the ECHR placements, which require accrediting a C1 in English or French and passing a selection process once the postgraduate has begun.

The sources for this report are the official programme page of the Barcelona Bar and the bar's announcement of 19 October, both linked below.

Methodology and faculty

The programme combines theoretical sessions with the analysis of real cases before European and international bodies, taught by professionals with practice in the field. The dual modality, in person in Barcelona or online, opens the programme to graduates from all over Spain, a format the bars have consolidated after the experience of recent academic years.

More training from the bars

The call adds to the bars' programming for the 2026-2027 academic year, among which the ICAB Master's in Real Estate Law and the offer of autumn 2026 courses for lawyers stand out. For those starting out, our guide on how to choose the access master's. All training news, in the Training section.

Registration is now open on the ICAB website, with limited places.