Legislative Studies and Practice Programme Blog: Committees
The Legislative Studies and Practice
Programme was established in 2009 to provide university graduates with the
opportunity to experience working in the Assembly and get a peek behind the
curtain of political life in Northern Ireland. The Programme runs in
partnership with Queen’s University Belfast and is part of a Master’s
qualification in Legislative Studies and Practice. Students contribute fully to
the work of their placement office and use their experience to undertake
original research leading to the development of a dissertation.
Now in its eighth
year, this series is taking a look at the current
group of students, finding out how they are getting on and what they are
making of their experiences in the heart of the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Having already learned how Ross
Graham is finding life in the Bill Office, we now catch up with the
students working in the Committees – Zoe Rogers, Brendan Corr and Daniel Lowe.
Zoe Rogers – Committee for Agriculture,
Environment and Rural Affairs
Law student
Zoe developed a keen interest in social justice and human rights law during her
studies. During internships with faith-based charities, CARE and Evangelical Alliance in Northern
Ireland, Zoe also gained an interest in the process of law-making, the role
of civic engagement and the impact of public policy on wider society. With
these interests, the LSP Programme provided a perfect opportunity to further
develop Zoe’s skills, gaining first-hand experience of a working legislature
combined with further study and a chance to undertake original research.
Brendan Corr – Committee for the Economy
Having
studied History and Politics at Queen’s, Brendan has always had an enthusiasm
for all things political. Through his studies and an internship at political
lobbying company Stratagem, Brendan
also gained a first-hand perspective of political matters and an interest in
how policies and legislation are actually developed. After learning about the
LSP Programme from a friend, a little further research told him that this was a
course he’d love to do.
Daniel Lowe – Committee for Infrastructure
Daniel has
studied Theology in Queens and Business at Maryville College, Tennessee through
the British Council’s Study USA programme, eventually graduating with a QUB
Certificate in American Business Practice. After learning about the LSP
Programme, Daniel recognised the opportunity to gain first-hand experience of
the political process and to be in such close proximity to the people and the
procedures behind law-making.
No comments: