Pace University - Elisabeth Haub School of Law

LLM in Environmental Law

Pace Law School's Environmental Law Program has been consistently ranked by US News & World Report among the very best environmental law programs in the United States. Students may choose from over forty specialized courses in the field. They also have the opportunity to participate in major research projects under the supervision of Pace's internationally recognized faculty.

Pace offers unique environmental law courses available at no other law school. For example, Pace Environmental LLM students can take the UN Environmental Diplomacy Practicum, where each student provides legal support to a Permanent Mission to the United Nations, often with a focus on climate change and sustainability issues. They may also choose the Brazil Comparative Environmental Law course, which offers a unique combination of classroom and field training at Pace and in Brazil.

The LLM in Environmental Law is open to law graduates from around the world, including graduates of US law schools. Students may take a broad range of environmental courses or they may choose to specialize in one of three topics of interest.

Environmental Specialization: Climate Change Law

Global climate change is one of the most important issues facing lawyers and policymakers today. Students in this specialization learn about the many aspects of climate change law, including mitigation and adaptation strategies that businesses and governments can use to lessen the effects of climate change. Students in the Climate Change specialization undertake coursework designed to prepare them to deal effectively with these issues.

Environmental Specialization: Land Use and Sustainable Development Law

With the first and most active Land Use Law Center in the United States, Pace Law School brings together leading scholars, teachers and policy experts in various areas of land use, green development, climate change, and sustainability law. The Land Use and Sustainable Development specialization allows LLM students to explore issues of transit-oriented development, climate change, local land use and governance, environmental dispute resolution, stakeholder development, environmental equity and jurisprudence, all intended to prepare lawyers to overcome challenges arising from the urgent need to develop and redevelop domestic and international human settlements in an environmentally sensitive, commercially viable, and ecologically sustainable manner.

Environmental Specialization: Global Environmental Law

Pace is known worldwide for its Center for Environmental Legal Studies, a voting member of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. As such, it is a great place to learn international and comparative environmental law. In addition to the UN Environmental Diplomacy course and the Brazil Comparative Environmental Law field course, students may study International Environmental Law, Comparative Environmental Law, Human Rights and the Environment, the International Human Right to Water, Ocean and Coastal Law, and may write research papers comparing two or more countries' approaches to such issues as land use, energy development, environmental impact assessment, climate change, animal law, and many others.

LLM in Comparative Legal Studies

The LLM degree in Comparative Legal Studies is intended for students who received their first degree in law outside the United States, and who are seeking the opportunity to expand their knowledge of US law and the US legal system, or who would like to explore a specific advanced field of law. The LLM program begins with an introduction to the principles of the US legal system, as well as the fundamentals of legal research and writing. Then students may choose their courses in specialized areas of US law, including business law, criminal law and procedure, intellectual property or litigation and dispute resolution.

Comparative Legal Studies Specialization: International Business Law

Within the LLM in Comparative Legal Studies, students may choose the optional specialization in International Business Law. After choosing this specialization, students enroll in courses focusing on international business, cross-border deals and other transactional work. They are required to complete a fundamental course in International Business Transactions. After this, students may choose from a wide variety of elective courses in subjects as diverse as Securities Regulation, Banking Law, Accounting for Lawyers, International Commercial Arbitration, or White Collar and Corporate Crime.

Comparative Legal Studies Specialization: US Legal Practice

Students in the LLM in Comparative Legal Studies may opt for the specialization in US Legal Practice, which allows graduates of a non-US law school to qualify for the New York bar examination under amended Rule 520.6. When students choose this specialization, they must first complete introductory courses on the American legal system and US legal research, followed by a mandatory course in Professional Responsibility and at least 6 academic credits in subjects pre-approved by the New York Court of Appeals. They are also strongly encouraged to take a course in Advanced Analytical Skills, which is specifically designed to help students prepare for the bar exam.

Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD) in Environmental Law

The Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD) in Environmental Law at Pace prepares legal scholars to conduct research and to teach environmental law in the United States and abroad. Admission is highly competitive, with only a very few places available each year. Admission to the SJD program requires that candidates have first completed an LLM in Environmental Law, either at Pace or in a comparable program at another law school.

The primary focus of the SJD is preparation of an original research thesis (dissertation) of publishable quality. SJD candidates prepare their theses under the direct guidance of our environmental law faculty, who engage candidates in a close, collegial relationship. We expect SJD candidates to be in full-time residence at Pace for at least one year. After completion of the initial SJD coursework and approval of a research plan and outline, students are not required to remain on campus to complete their theses. As publishable quality is expected, it is normal for the research, writing and revision process to take several years. Once a satisfactory thesis has been submitted, the student must then defend his or her thesis before a faculty panel as the final step before graduation.

Located between the excitement of New York City and the natural beauty of the Hudson River Valley, Pace Law School is an innovative institution with a worldwide reputation in environmental and international law. Pace is also known as a founding sponsor of the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot and the International Criminal Court Moot Competition, as well as the host institution of the Albert H. Kritzer CISG Database.

Pace students benefit from individualized attention from a faculty and staff with diverse professional backgrounds and scholarly interests. Graduate students from all over the world come to Pace to enhance their law practice or to develop scholarship in a specialized area of interest. Each of the major LLM degrees (Environmental Law and Comparative Legal Studies) offers a range of optional specializations for students who have a particular area of interest.

Please see our brochure for more information. 

From their experience as attorneys, judges, litigators, regulators, clerks, and counselors, the Pace Law School faculty brings diverse and unique perspectives to the theoretical principles of law and the practical skills of lawyering. Of primary importance to students, all faculty members at Pace Law School love to teach. They are eager to share their broad knowledge and unique methodologies with students both in and out of the classroom, and they offer an extensive variety of courses and hands-on learning experiences. In addition to teaching, Pace Law School professors publish articles, papers, and books, frequently lecture at home and abroad, and serve as advisers, board members, and fellows for a range of prestigious organizations. They are also instrumental in attracting other accomplished and influential visiting scholars to the Pace campus.

The Graduate Admissions Committee reviews all applications for the LLM and SJD programs, evaluating candidates primarily on the strength of their academic record. If a candidate has prior work experience, for example in a law firm, company, NGO or other organization, the Committee will also consider this in its evaluation. Environmental law candidates are also evaluated for a demonstrated commitment to pursuing a career in the environmental field.

At its discretion, the Office of Graduate Programs may schedule a personal, telephone or video-conference interview with applicants to the LLM or SJD programs.

LLM candidates must have completed a first degree in law (JD, LLB or the equivalent) by the time of their enrollment in the program. SJD candidates must have completed an LLM degree in environmental law by the time of their enrollment.

Candidates who are non-native speakers of English must demonstrate a sufficient level of written and spoken English before enrolling. The Graduate Admissions Committee strongly prefers TOEFL scores of at least 90 or IELTS scores of at least 6.5. Candidates with lower scores will be considered by the Committee, although they may be required to complete a course of instruction at the Pace English Language Institute before enrollment in the LLM or SJD.

Candidates choosing to fulfill the English proficiency requirement by studying at the Pace English Language Institute will be allowed to enroll in the LLM or SJD program upon completion of their English course to the satisfaction of the Institute's Director. The duration of such a course will vary depending on each candidate's initial level of English.

Candidates whose native language is not English, but who have completed university courses in which English was the language of instruction, may apply for a waiver of the English proficiency requirement.

Pace Law School operates a rolling admissions process. This means there is no official deadline for applications. However, candidates are encouraged to apply as early as possible to ensure that places are available for the program of their choice. International students are particularly advised to apply early in order to have enough time to obtain the required visa.

Candidates are encouraged to apply through the LSAC LLM Service, although alternative arrangements may be made for those unable to do so. For more information visit how to apply.

Supporting documents required with each application are:

• Official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions
   
• A personal statement
   
• Two letters of recommendation
   
• A legal writing sample
   
• Resume or curriculum vitae
   
• Proof of English proficiency, if applicable

Applicants to the SJD program must also submit a 5-page thesis proposal.

Full-time tuition of USD 22,500 per semester applies to enrollment in 12 academic credits or more. Part-time tuition of USD 1,875 per credit applies when a student enrolls in less than 12 academic credits in a semester.

Please note that the tuition amounts above do not include travel or living expenses while attending Pace Law School. Nor do they include the cost of books and study materials.

Additional fees may also apply for items such as university health insurance, student activities, or continuation of studies by SJD students in the dissertation stage.

Please check our web site for updated information.

Each year, Pace Law School makes a limited number of partial scholarships available to exceptionally qualified LLM and SJD students. A small number of research assistantships may also be available. 

LLM and SJD students are encouraged to explore all possibilities of obtaining external scholarships, loans or grants. Some students are sponsored by their employers; others have received scholarships from the governments of their home countries.

Candidates with US citizenship or permanent residence should contact the Pace Law School Financial Aid Office for specific information.

Our students report that Pace Law School offers an ideal combination: a quiet campus on beautiful grounds, ideal for undistracted study and learning, plus easy access to New York City.

Pace Law School is located in the City of White Plains, which was recently named one of the top 50 small cities in the United States. Law students find White Plains a friendly city, with abundant on-campus and off-campus housing opportunities and good public transportation. In their free time, students enjoy its young and vibrant social scene, with bars, restaurants, shopping, cinemas and fitness clubs all within walking distance of the Pace Law School campus.

New York City is easily accessible via the MetroNorth railroad. Some students choose to live in the City, while others commute on a regular basis to internship locations there. Local and express trains run frequently from White Plains to Manhattan's Grand Central Terminal in as little as 33 minutes. A free shuttle service connects the law school with the White Plains railroad station, located just 2 km from the Pace campus.

Pace Law School is pleased to offer on-campus housing opportunities to its LLM and SJD students. Dannat Hall is located on the campus and houses up to 104 residents in single furnished rooms. Men and women are housed in separate sections of the building. Residents share single-sex bathrooms on each floor. Dannat Hall is also equipped with wireless internet, a lounge on every floor, a kitchen, barbecue grill, laundry facility, recreation room, and fitness center. Free parking and an outdoor tennis/volleyball/basketball court are available to all students.

The PACE PRE-LAW CERTIFICATE PROGRAM is a three-week, New York City-based comprehensive certificate program taking place July 9- July 27 2018 in Pace NYC Downtown Manhattan. For more information contact Dr. John Meletiadis, Assistant Dean, at jmeletiadis@pace.edu. For registration assistance, please contact Trish Temmerman at ptemmerman@pace.edu .

The Pace English Language Institute offers intensive language programs, including English for Lawyers, designed to provide international LLM students with the language and academic skills necessary for success in the US law school environment. Subjects include Legal Writing, Reading Legal Materials, Listening and Speaking Skills for Law School and US Law and Legal Education.