In this interview, we hear from Programme Director of the Graduate Entry LLB, Jure Zrilic.
Academic interests and expertise
Can you tell us about your academic and research background?
I joined The City Law School in August 2022 as a Senior Lecturer, having previously held academic posts at the University of Liverpool and earlier at Queen Mary, University of London, where I worked as a Research Fellow in International Arbitration. Before entering academia, I also gained practical experience working at a Hague-based NGO in the justice sector and at the Court of Appeal of Slovenia, which continues to shape how I approach both research and teaching.
My academic background is in public international law, international investment law, and international arbitration. I completed my PhD at the University of Cambridge and my doctoral research formed the basis of my monograph The Protection of Foreign Investment in Times of Armed Conflict (Oxford University Press, 2019).
What inspired you to specialise in your current field of law?
My interest in public international law developed gradually, at the intersection of law, politics, and real-world crises. Early in my career, working in international and judicial institutions exposed me to how legal rules operate under pressure: during conflict, political transition, or moments of profound social change. I became particularly interested in how international legal regimes, such as international investment law, interact with other areas like international humanitarian law and public health.
What continues to motivate my work is the fact that these areas of law shape how states respond to war, pandemics, environmental harm, and social unrest, and they affect individuals and communities as much as governments and corporations. This combination of doctrinal complexity and real-world consequence is what drew me to the field and keeps it intellectually engaging. I try to bring that same sense of relevance and critical curiosity into the classroom, especially when teaching students who are encountering law.
What do you enjoy most about teaching and mentoring students?
What I enjoy most is working with students at moments of transition, particularly those coming into law from other disciplines, as many GE LLB students do. It is rewarding to see students develop confidence in legal reasoning, move from initial uncertainty to structured argument, and begin to think critically about law rather than simply learning rules.
I also value mentoring conversations about career paths and intellectual interests. The GE LLB cohort is typically diverse, with students bringing backgrounds in sciences, humanities, business, or professional life. That diversity enriches classroom discussion and allows for genuinely interdisciplinary engagement. As Programme Director, I see my role not only as overseeing the academic structure of the programme, but also as helping students navigate the intensity of a condensed law degree and make informed decisions about their future, whether that leads to legal practice, further study, or careers beyond the traditional legal professions.
Why this course?
What support is offered on your course to help students transition from undergraduate to postgraduate study?
The GE LLB is academically demanding, but it is carefully designed with transition in mind. From the outset, students are taught core legal skills, such as case analysis, statutory interpretation, legal writing, and research, alongside substantive law. These skills are embedded across modules rather than treated as optional add-ons.
All core modules in the first year are taught exclusively to GE LLB students, which helps foster a strong sense of cohort identity and a supportive learning environment. Each student is also assigned an Academic Advisor, who acts as a consistent point of contact throughout the programme, offering guidance on academic progress, study strategies, wellbeing, and future planning.
In addition, students have access to dedicated academic skills sessions and one-to-one support, focusing on areas such as critical thinking, assessment writing, referencing, and time management, particularly valuable for those returning to study or transitioning from
non-law disciplines. As Programme Director, I work closely with colleagues to ensure consistency across modules and to identify and support students who may benefit from additional guidance early on.
What common misconceptions do students have about this programme, and how would you clarify them?
One misconception is that a conversion-style degree limits academic depth. On the contrary, the GE LLB provides rigorous engagement with the Foundations of Legal Knowledge while also allowing students, particularly in the second year, to pursue specialist electives and even a dissertation. The programme balances efficiency with intellectual ambition. It is demanding, but it is designed to be manageable and academically rewarding.
Are there opportunities for students to tailor the programme based on their specific academic or career interests?
Yes, very much so. While the first year of the GE LLB focuses on the core subjects required for progression and professional recognition, the second year offers significant flexibility. Students can choose from a wide range of elective modules across areas such as international law, human rights, commercial and corporate law, medical law, intellectual property, labour law, and Canadian law, allowing them to shape their studies around particular academic interests or career ambitions.
Students also have the option to replace two taught electives with a dissertation, which is particularly well suited to those considering further academic study or wishing to explore a topic in greater depth under supervision. Alongside formal study, students are encouraged to engage in co-curricular activities such as mooting and pro bono work through City St George’s LawIRL programme. Together, these opportunities enable students to tailor the programme to their interests rather than following a rigid or uniform pathway.
How does studying at The City Law School’s central London location enhance students exposure to the legal profession and institutions?
The central London location is a major asset to the programme. Being based in what is called the City of London, the business and finance district, places students close to courts, arbitral institutions, law firms, chambers, regulatory bodies, and international organisations.
Students benefit from guest lectures, legal professionals-led events, careers panels, and networking opportunities that draw directly on our location. For those new to London or to the UK legal system, this immersion is particularly valuable. It helps students understand how legal institutions function in practice and how different career paths within law and beyond connect to what they study in the classroom.
Career Paths
How does the programme help students develop skills for their future careers?
Beyond substantive legal knowledge, the GE LLB places strong emphasis on transferable skills. Students develop advanced legal research and writing abilities, learn to construct persuasive arguments, and gain experience in problem-solving under time pressure. Advocacy and mooting opportunities help build confidence in oral communication, while group work and projects develop collaboration and professional discipline.
The programme also supports career development through dedicated careers guidance, skills workshops, and exposure to legal professionals. Importantly, students learn how to adapt complex legal analysis for different audiences, an essential skill whether they pursue legal practice, policy work, business, or further study. These skills are deliberately embedded across modules, ensuring that graduates leave not only with a qualifying law degree, but with a toolkit that is valuable across a wide range of careers.
What career paths have graduates from this programme typically followed?
Graduates of the GE LLB have pursued a wide variety of career paths. Many, in particular international students, use the degree as a foundation for qualification in their home jurisdictions, in particular Canada through the NCA process. Others go on to qualify as solicitors or barristers in England and Wales, progressing to the Solicitors’ Practice Programme (SPP) or Bar Vocational Studies (BVS).
Beyond traditional legal practice, graduates can move into roles in government, regulatory bodies, NGOs, international organisations, finance, and business. Some choose to continue into postgraduate study, such as an LLM. The breadth of outcomes reflects both the flexibility of the degree and the diverse backgrounds and ambitions of GE LLB students themselves.
Tips for offer holders
If you could highlight one thing that students should look forward to in this programme, what would it be?
I would highlight the sense of intellectual transformation. Many students arrive unsure of what studying law at this pace will feel like, but leave with a strong sense of achievement and confidence in their abilities. The programme is challenging, but it is also highly engaging, and students often discover new interests and strengths along the way.
Equally important is the cohort experience. GE LLB students form a close academic community, supporting one another through an intensive but rewarding journey. That combination of challenge, support, and intellectual growth is something many graduates look back on as a defining part of their time at City St George’s.
I would also encourage students to make use of the opportunities available beyond the classroom, whether that is attending events, speaking to careers advisors, or getting involved in mooting or pro bono work. Finally, do not hesitate to seek support when needed. The programme is demanding, but you are not expected to navigate it alone.