DEGREES
LL.M. in International Legal Studies
Graduate programs at NYU School of Law enable students who have already earned a first degree in law (a J.D. or LL.B.) develop their professional and scholarly skills to the fullest extent. The LL.M. Program is among the largest and most intellectually diverse in the United States. Recent students come from more than 55 countries, arriving with law degrees from 150 foreign law schools.
Admission to the LL.M. program is selective, based primarily upon previous excellence in legal studies. Standards for admission are high but not arbitrary. Though there are no inflexible rules about class rankings or grade point averages, those admitted to all programs have excellent law school records, and strong recommendations. Evidence of significant professional accomplishment is also taken into consideration.
Graduate students take courses and seminars with J.D. students, and are subject to the same requirements in classwork and assessment, provided certain course requirements specified for the Bar are met. Interaction between LL.M. and J.D. students in the classroom and elsewhere greatly enhances the exchange of ideas and information about global approaches to legal issues. LL.M. students may be given priority in lottery-entry to seminars where numbers are limited. Graduate students in all specialties take a combination of required and elective courses, including traditional classes and seminars. Successful completion of an LL.M. degree qualifies foreign attorneys to take the New York Bar examination.
In addition to the LL.M. in General Studies, the Law School offers a specialized LL.M. program in International Legal Studies. (Other specialized programs are available in corporations law, labor and employment law, public service law, trade regulation, taxation, and international taxation.) Each year around 60 students enroll in the LL.M. in International Legal Studies. Many others in the LL.M. program take international law courses and seminars as part of their specialization in other fields.
The Law School offers more than 40 courses and seminars in the area of international law and assists in the selection from these and other subjects to complement an individual’s interests. Generally, candidates for the LL.M. in International Legal Studies must take at least one basic course in Public International and International Economic Law, and must also take a number of credits in each of the three sub-areas: Comparative and Foreign Law, International Economic Law and Public International Law. Students are also required to take at least two credits in a seminar that requires a research paper of substantial length.
The above description is merely indicative - the definitive requirements and features of the programs are set forth in the Law School's official materials.
