Penn State University

The University

One of the world's preeminent research universities, The Pennsylvania State University combines strength in traditional academics with a forward thinking approach to interdisciplinary studies and internationalization. Penn State is one of the most popular universities in the United States and is famous for its large, loyal alumni base. With members in every state and most countries around the world, Penn State alumni are well known for their achievements and influence.

The University is home to several thousand international students and scholars annually and its large and efficient international services staff provides a variety of educational, cultural, and social programs that promote cross cultural interaction and preparation for work and life in a global community.

The Law School

Founded in 1834 by Judge John Reed, The Dickinson School of Law is the oldest law school in Pennsylvania and the fifth oldest in the nation. In 2000, the Law School merged with Penn State, and now offers classes both at University Park and in Carlisle. Throughout its history, Penn State Law has trained remarkably distinguished graduates who have gone on to become leaders of the bar, judiciary, government, and business.

The past six years for Penn State Law have been extraordinary: over thirty outstanding new faculty appointments; an investment of over $130 million in new signature facilities; an integrated international curriculum second to none; a dramatic elevation of the academic credentials and diversity of our student body; and substantial ongoing financial support from a university committed to the Law School's recognition as one of the top major research university law schools in the nation.

The Program

Penn State Law is a leader in training international lawyers for the global marketplace. For over 40 years, LL.M. students from around the world have come to advance their careers by studying with our distinguished faculty. The program is designed to provide international lawyers with an introduction to U.S. law while allowing them the opportunity to design a course of study that meets their individual goals. LL.M. students take classes alongside J.D. students and are able to choose from a wide array of course offerings. Typical areas of focus include mergers and acquisitions, corporate/business law, international and comparative law, and arbitration law. Faculty members are available to work with students, and a friendly staff of advisors provides guidance on everything from American life to career services. LL.M. graduates leave the program with an advanced degree in law, a worldwide network of colleagues from every field of endeavor and the global Penn State alumni network.

The Faculty

Penn State Law has an outstanding faculty, comprised of nationally and internationally renowned scholars. Larry Backer is a leading scholar of comparative corporate and constitutional law. William E. Butler is an authority on the legal systems of Russia and other former Soviet republics. Tom Carbonneau is one of the world's foremost scholars of comparative and international arbitration. Louis Del Duca is the former president of the International Academy of Commercial and Consumer Law and a leader in the internationalization of legal education in the United States. Beth Farmer teaches in the fields of U.S. and comparative antitrust, criminal law, and gender and the law. David H. Kaye is widely recognized as the world’s preeminent legal scholar of DNA evidence and an expert on scientific evidence and issues of statistics in law. Laurel S. Terry is internationally known for her expertise in the field of international and inter-jurisdictional regulation of the legal profession. Samuel Thompson is a highly regarded scholar of corporate and international tax, corporate government, and antitrust. Marco Ventoruzzo is a scholar of business law and was recently appointed as a Research Associate of the European Corporate Governance Institute.

Financial Aid

A limited amount of financial aid is available.

Location

Penn State Law is one law school with two great locations, situated ninety miles apart and connected by state of the art audiovisual communications system. All international LL.M. students currently study at the University Park campus.

University Park is Penn State's flagship campus and is located in the town of State College. The campus is within driving distance of Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and New York City. The major university setting is an intense and diverse intellectual community and home to approximately 41,000 undergraduate and graduate students, the Penn State Nittany Lions football team and hundreds of academic, residence, and support buildings. The environment is enhanced by the area’s rich collection of cultural resources, museums, galleries, state parks, recreational activities, galleries, shops, restaurants and more.

In December 2008, the law school moved into its new Lewis Katz Building on the University Park campus. As the first academic facility to be built on the west side of Park Avenue, the Lewis Katz Building is the singularly prominent building at the new front door to Penn State's main campus. The focal point of the Lewis Katz Building is its glass enclosed H. Laddie Montague Jr. Law Library. The law library has a volume capacity of 100,000 and seating for 294 students. It features a third floor reading room overlooking Park Avenue, beaver Stadium, and the Arboretum. Additional building features include the 250-seat Gregg Sutliff Auditorium; a courtroom equipped with the latest in trial technology, including video conferencing and electronic evidence display monitors for judges, counsel, jurors and witnesses; four 75-person classrooms, several intimate seminar rooms, legal clinic and student organization suites; outdoor terraces and reading gardens; and plentiful student study space. The entire building is equipped with advanced videoconferencing technologies allowing for meaningful interaction with faculty and peers around the globe.

Student Life

With over forty student organizations, Penn State Law provides a wide variety of opportunities for students who wish to become involved in the law school community outside of the classroom. Additional opportunities exist on campus for international students to become involved in numerous academic and professional organizations, international student government, nationality clubs, as well as intramural sports like rugby, soccer, or tennis.

Summer Program

Penn State Law offers a three-week summer Legal English Communication course. The certificate program prepares non-native speakers of English, who have been admitted to an LLM program, to actively participate in a U.S. law school classroom. During the program, students will strengthen their English skills in (1) active listening and speaking in class discussions; (2) understanding U.S. legal materials; and (3) clear and effective writing for legal purposes. The course is taught by an experienced law professor who has both taught and practiced law in the United States and internationally. Additionally, the small class size and several student-teacher conferences throughout the session, ensure that each student receives individualized attention.