The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy - Tufts University

The University

Founded in 1852, Tufts University is recognized among the premier universities in the United States. Admissions are highly competitive. Recognized for its breadth of research, Tufts has extensive and highly regarded liberal arts, science and engineering programs with top-flight faculty that draw outstanding students from around the world. Its international relations program in particular is top-rated.

More than 98 percent of enrolling students expect to pursue graduate or professional study. Approximately 40 percent of all undergraduates attending Tufts pursue course work outside the United States, which adds a strong international dimension to their field of study. The University's language studies are popular and rigorous. Tufts balances teaching with research, and students are encouraged to develop strong analytical skills. A number of innovative research initiatives and joint degree programs are available for both undergraduate and graduate students.

The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy

As the oldest graduate school of international affairs in the United States, The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy is distinctive for its collaborative, multi-disciplinary approach. Fletcher’s flexible curriculum, distinguished faculty, and accomplished community of students and alumni provide a thorough preparation to meet global challenges that transcend borders, disciplines, and sectors. The aim of The Fletcher School was set out by its founders in 1933: to offer a broad program of professional education in international relations to a select group of graduate students committed to maintaining the stability and prosperity of a complex, challenging, and increasingly global society.

The Program

A traditional legal education is no longer sufficient for literate international lawyers in the arts needed to practice law in the globalized 21st century. Modern international lawyers require a broader contextual understanding ― not only of the law but also of the disparate societies and inter-societal milieu in which it is created, interpreted, and applied. The Fletcher LL.M. in international law provides that understanding.

High Table Colloquium
The international law faculty organizes a continuing "High Table" colloquium for LL.M. students. It focuses on international law research including regular presentation by the faculty, visiting scholars, speakers, and students concerning their research. Examples of relevant discussions led by legal experts include: Global Security, US Defense Policy, and Human Rights and the Rule of Law. LL.M. students regularly participate in the discussions along with MALD/JD joint degree candidates.

For the 2008-2009 school year, guests included Dean Stephen Bosworth, former ambassador to the Phillipines, South Korea and Tanzania; Lon Povich, General Counsel to Fortune 500 company BJ's Wholesake Club; John Burgess, Partner with the Corporate Practice Group of Wilmerhale LLP; Hon. Robert J. Cordy of the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts; Hauwa Ibrahim, Radcliffe Institute Fellow; Jeffrey Bates, Partner with McDermott Will & Emery LLP; and Karl Kaiser, Director of Transatlantic Relations Program, Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard.

Capstone Program in Talloires, France
LL.M. students complete their year in residence with a "capstone" symposium at Tufts University European Center in Talloires, France at the end of the academic year. The Center is located in a former Benedictine priory that dates to the 11th century. Situated on the hills, along the bay of Lake Annecy, Talloires offers a serene atmosphere for discussion and contemplation. Students reflect upon the year's studies as they participate in thoughtful dialogue with legal experts and visiting scholars from Europe. The different perspectives presented encourage the students to examine the year spent at Fletcher, drawing conclusions about the issues they have studied and shedding light in practical applications with future endeavors.

For the 2008-2009 session, our guests of honor will be Mohamed ElBaradei, 2005 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, as well as distinguished Fletcher graduates from Geneva.

The program is one full academic year, with four courses each semester. One of these eight courses is a seminar or independent study project with a substantial writing requirement. A minimum of five from the eight courses and a maximum of six should be in law. At least two courses should be in two other divisions. A thesis is required.

We expect students admitted to be mature professionals who wish to obtain specialized education in a particular area of international law. Therefore, we believe it would be inappropriate to impose required courses. However, we have formulated three optional curricular tracks for LL.M. students to follow within the law curriculum:

The Public International Law Track includes the two course sequence in The International Legal Order and Public International Law, as well as one of either (i) Human Rights Law or (ii) International Organizations. Students following this track are required to take one of either (i) Diplomacy: History, Theory and Practice or (ii) International Relations: Theory and Practice.

The International Business Law Track includes International Business Transactions and one of either (i) International Investment Law or (ii) International Financial and Fiscal Law. Students following this track are also required to take Foundations in Financial Accounting and Corporate Finance, and one of either (i) Fundamentals of Accounting Theory or Application, or (ii) Strategy and Policy for Competitive Advantage.

The International Economic Law Track includes Legal and Institutional Aspects of International Trade and International Business Transactions. Students following this track are also required to take Introduction to Microeconomics and International Trade and Investment.

Students who have already taken equivalent courses are permitted to place out of any of the above courses in order to complete the relevant track.

The Faculty

Taught by a distinguished international law faculty with extensive real-world experience, the program addresses the historical, political, cultural, and economic framework within which contemporary international lawyers operate. Faculty include:

Michael J. Glennon is Professor of International Law and Director of the LL.M. program. He teaches courses on the International Legal Order, Public International Law, United States Foreign Relations and National Security Law, and Legal Aspects of WMD Proliferation. Professor Glennon is former Legal Counsel to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and has been a visiting professor at West Point and the University of Paris II. He has received Woodrow Wilson and Fulbright fellowships and is a frequent commentator on public affairs. Professor Glennon has also testified before various congressional committees, lectured widely within the United States and overseas, and served as a consultant to the U.S. State Department and the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Hurst Hannum is Professor of International Law, teaching courses in international organizations, international human rights law, peacekeeping, and nationalism and ethnicity. Professor Hannum has served as counsel in cases before the European and Inter-American Commissions on Human Rights and the United Nations; he also has been a member of the boards of several international human rights organizations. He has written about and/or participated in meetings concerned with minority rights generally, as well as particular situations in the Russian Federation (Tatarstan and Chechnya), Cyprus, Turkey, Northern Ireland, South Tyrol, India, Sri Lanka, East Timor, Sudan, Georgia (South Ossetia and Abkhazia), Greenland, the Balkans, Tibet, and U.S. dependent territories.

Ian Johnstone is Associate Professor of International Law. He teaches courses on Peace Operations, International Organizations and Non-Proliferation Law and Institutions. Professor Johnstone has seven years professional experience at the United Nations, including five as an aide in the Office of the Secretary-General, one in the Department of Peace-keeping Operations, and one in the Office of Legal Affairs. He has been a Senior Research Associate at the International Peace Academy, a Warren Weaver Fellow in International Security with the Rockefeller Foundation, an Associate in Law at Columbia University, and a Judicial Clerk in the Ontario Court of Appeal.

Jeswald W. Salacuse is Henry J. Braker Professor of Law. Professor Salacuse served as The Fletcher School's Dean for nine years. With broad experience in higher education, international development, and legal practice, he specializes in international negotiation, international business transactions, and law and development. He has been a lecturer in law at Ahmadu Bello University in Nigeria, a lawyer with a Wall Street law firm, a professor of law and director of research at the National School of Administration in the Congo, the Ford Foundation's Middle East advisor on law and development based in Beirut, Lebanon, and later the Foundation's representative in the Sudan. He is also an independent director of several mutual funds, chairman of the India Fund, and president of an international arbitration tribunal under the auspices of the World Bank's International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes.

Joel P. Trachtman is a Professor of International Law. His courses include International Business Transactions, Legal and Institutional Aspects of International Trade, International Financial and Fiscal Law, and a Seminar on the International Legal Aspects of Globalization. Prior to joining the faculty of The Fletcher School, he spent nine years in the private practice of law, in New York and in Hong Kong. Professor Trachtman is a member of the editorial boards of American Journal of International Law, European Journal of International Law and Journal of International Economic Law. He has served as a consultant to the OECD, UNCTAD and APEC.

Entry Requirements

A law degree is required to apply for the program. Applicants are selected on the basis of law school and undergraduate grades, legal and other professional experience, exam scores, TOEFL scores (where applicable), recommendations, and a writing sample. Fluency in English is required.

Application Procedure

We encourage applicants to use our online application form found at the Fletcher Web site fletcher.tufts.edu/llm/admissions.html

Application Checklist
Application for Admission
Application Fee of $70
Official Academic Transcripts
Three Letters of Recommendation
Personal Statement
Supplemental Essay
Resume
Official TOEFL/IELTS test scores: required of international students whose native language
is not English and who have not earned a university degree where English was the primary
language of instruction.
Evaluative Interview (optional)
Scholarship Application (if applicable)

Application Deadlines
November 15 for Early Notification (with notification by January 1st)
January 15 for Regular Notification
March 15 for Late Notification

Tuition and Fees

Tuition is $40,200 for the class entering in September, 2009, and the application fee is $70.

Financial Aid

The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy offers scholarships to help defray tuition costs. Applicants who complete the Fletcher scholarship application are considered for scholarship aid on the basis of both need and merit. In addition, we encourage candidates to seek outside sources of funding including scholarships and loans.

Location

The Fletcher School’s location provides the best of both worlds with the friendliness and tranquility of a classic college town and the urban influence of nearby Boston. Boston is an academic and intellectual center, home to more than 60 distinguished colleges and universities. A truly multi-cultural city, it boasts the largest concentration of international students in the world, providing an unparalleled environment for study and research.

From Fidelity Investments to Oxfam America to over 35 consular offices, Boston offers a wealth of professional opportunities. Many of the world’s leading private, public, and nonprofit organizations maintain their headquarters in Boston, providing Fletcher students with valuable resources to find internships and employment and to establish networks of professional contacts.

In Boston, you will discover one of America's most cultural, historic, stimulating, and livable cities. Recreational activities are abundant and range from historical trails, museums, shopping, sports, theatre and restaurants. Less than two hours away are the beaches of Cape Cod, the trails of New Hampshire and Vermont, and the historic mansions of Newport, Rhode Island.

Accommodation

Fletcher students have the option to live in Blakeley Hall dormitory or in the communities surrounding the University including Medford, Somerville, Arlington, and Cambridge.

Student Life

Fletcher’s many student clubs and organizations are organized and managed by students. Examples include:

International Law Society/Jessup Moot Court Competition
The group's activity revolves around the interests of students concerned with international law. They organize academic events and publicize relevant information on various events related to our specific field of interest.

The Muslim & Arab Club
The Muslim & Arab Club raises awareness and promotes cultural dialogues by having student run events relating to Islam and/or the Middle East.

Mediterranean Group
The Med Club is a cross-national forum for the celebration of all things Mediterranean. Through debates, discussions, and the medium of film, they seek to explore and foster the cultural, social, and political heritage of the myriad peoples populating the Mediterranean basin and its neighboring areas.

International Negotiation and Conflict Resolution Club
The group strives to promote a constructive dialogue between theoreticians and practitioners, improve implementation and evaluation of practices, and contribute to the development of an interdisciplinary approach in the field of negotiation and conflict resolution.

Global Women
The Global Women (GW) group seeks to mainstream gender issues and raise awareness regarding the critical role that women play in international affairs. By sponsoring speakers, student discussions, and working with campus leaders, GW gives a forum within the Fletcher community for dialog about gender. Among Global Women's other initiatives are workshops that address leadership, communication and networking skills, and a mentoring program with Tufts undergraduate students.

Fletcher Futbol (Soccer)
Fletcher Futbol is a co-ed soccer team that plays in the Boston Graduate School league in the fall and the Tufts indoor league in the winter. During outdoor season, practices are on Friday afternoons and games are on Sunday mornings.

Ambassachords
Ambassachords is the informal co-ed a cappella singing group at Fletcher. In the past year they have sung for a retirement community in Cambridge and for a Sudanese refugee group at a community center in Chelsea. Campus performances include special events like UN Day, cultural events like Africa Night, and our holiday and spring benefit concerts. The group rehearses ninety minutes a week, and their objectives are to enjoy the music and each other.

Summer Program

The Fletcher LL.M. is not available part-time or during summers.