Top 10 LL.M. Programs in Global Law

Edinburgh runs an International Law LL.M.  program that is ideally suited to students who want to specialize in public international law. Taught in both a one and two-year format, the program offers a firm foundation in the fundamentals of the global legal system as well as international relations. The course also offers an opportunity for students to specialize according to their professional and personal interests, choosing from a wide array of course offerings in such subjects as climate change law, European media law, and diplomatic law.

The University of San Diego has won an award for campus internationalization. Students study alongside attorneys, judges and government officials from around the globe. The law school puts on the LL.M. in International Law program that is highly customizable. The modules, focused on legal transactions in the US and across the world, emphasize practical as well as theoretical knowledge. Students can apply to join study abroad programs, which are sponsored by the school and count as credit towards the LL.M. degree.

NYU Law, a respected institution, offers the LL.M. in International Legal Studies program. The curriculum is broad, covering human rights and international humanitarian law, alongside trade, finance and investment, as well as global environmental and energy law, plus United Nations and World Bank practice. Students learn from recognized leaders in these fields. Students benefit from being located in New York, so close to international institutions. The school attracts a number of high-level visitors.

The University of Houston Law Center runs the International Law LL.M. program. Students on this course will develop an understanding of the global implications of various public and private sector activities. The city of Houston itself has substantial global connections. The law school recently established the Center for US and Mexican Law. Initiatives such as this enable students to study international and comparative law and its role in domestic legal processes.

Miami School of Law offers an LL.M. Specialization in International Law that attracts both US and foreign law students who wish to specialize in Latin American practice in particular. The city of Miami is considered the gateway to Latin America. Students can take the specialization on a full-time or part-time basis. The program provides students with the knowledge and skills to understand and manage problems arising in the international legal order, including trade, investment, business, human rights and environmental issues.

Students on the Public International Law LL.M. program at Queen Mary study the role and place of law in global affairs, which are an increasingly important component of domestic litigation across most jurisdictions. Students come from the UK and more than 80 countries, enriching the learning experience with their diverse perspectives, backgrounds and experiences. Modules on this program cover a wide range of issues such as climate change law, terrorism, migration, and human rights. Students also take a series of lectures in critical thinking and legal writing.

Loyola of the US runs an LL.M. for International Lawyers. They can choose either a track in American law or international law. The latter is designed for students who want to understand private and public sector global law. All of the courses include strong international and comparative components such as arbitration, mediation, negotiation, competition, health or trade and tax law. Over the last six years, 45 countries have been represented in the cohort, with 88 percent going on to pass a US bar exam.

Duke Law puts on an LL.M. in International and Comparative Law that’s also available to JD students. The program combines rigorous legal training with the study of global issues. There are also opportunities to work and study abroad along with mentoring, networking and other career development opportunities. These include an international legal clinic. The program prepares students for careers in the US and abroad, in private practice, in business, or the public sector.

The University of Texas at Austin offers an LL.M. Concentration in Latin American and International Law. A multi-disciplinary program, it helps students to see the full economic, political and social context of international and comparative law issues. There are several legal clinics specializing in civil rights, human rights, immigration, and transnational worker rights, giving students the opportunity to put legal theory into practice, often with a focus on social justice. Students can also take a Certificate in Latin American Studies through the university’s Teresa Lozano Long Institute for Latin American Studies.

The LL.M. program in International Law and Justice at Fordham University offers students the chance to gain a deep understanding of human rights protection. The degree is primarily designed for lawyers who work in the public sector (or those who want to work in that field), including government attorneys, leaders of NGOs, even academics. The program is run out of Fordham’s Leitner Center for International Law and Justice, which manages one of the biggest human rights programs in America. The school’s Vivian Leitner Global South LLM Scholars Program offers generous scholarships and stipends for select graduate students from the developing world.