
Academic Programs
Master of Laws in International Law
The DePaul Master of Laws (LL.M.) in International Law provides an intensive one-year course of full-time study* that emphasizes the theoretical background and practical skills lawyers need to excel in international law practice.
With concentrations in five key areas of global practice:
- International Aviation Law & Policy
- International Business, Commercial & Trade Law
- International Cultural Heritage Law
- International Governance & Rule of Law
- International Human Rights Law & Policy and Criminal Justice
The DePaul international law program is designed for both experienced attorneys and recent law school graduates from the United States and abroad who wish to:
- Earn an advanced law degree to assist in the pursuit of a career with law firms, governmental and nongovernmental agencies, and academic institutions worldwide
- Obtain practical and theoretical knowledge of international law and its interaction with the laws of the United States and other countries
- Learn the research, analytical and communication skills required to succeed in international law practice
- Represent clients engaged in international transactions and relationships
- Establish a network of professional international contacts and clients
- Work with faculty experts in international and U.S. law
- Interact with students from diverse legal cultures
Additionally, foreign lawyers and graduates will:
- Improve English language skills and gain an understanding of the U.S. legal system
- Earn an advanced law degree from an ABA-accredited U.S. law school, which may allow them to take the bar examination in several U.S. jurisdictions.**
** Lawyers with a foreign law degree who wish to take a U.S. bar examination after graduating from the DePaul program should familiarize themselves with the eligibility and general requirements of the particular bar exam they wish to take.
Curriculum and Degree Requirements
The Master of Laws program begins with an orientation that introduces graduate students to DePaul's faculty, staff, library, and computer and research facilities. Students who received legal training outside the United States also will participate in a special course introducing them to the Socratic teaching method, the differences between civil and common law, and other differences that may be encountered as a student at a U.S. law school.
The LL.M. in International Law is a rigorous, two-semester program* requiring satisfactory completion of 24 credit hours of coursework.** Students must successfully complete nine (9) credit hours of required core coursework and an additional 15 credit hours in one of the following areas of concentration:
- International Aviation Law & Policy
- International Business, Commercial & Trade Law
- International Cultural Heritage Law
- International Governance & Rule of Law
- International Human Rights Law & Policy and Criminal Justice
All graduate students must take 24 credit hours at DePaul in order to fulfill the degree requirements. At the discretion of the program director, students may receive credit for courses previously taken during the JD program or foreign equivalent. Additionally, in certain programs, with a faculty director's approval, a supervised master's thesis may be accepted in lieu of additional coursework.
To be awarded the LL.M. in International Law, students must achieve a cumulative GPA of at least 2.5 on a 4.0 scale.
* ABA-approved U.S. law school graduates may complete the program on a part-time basis.
International Law Required Courses
All International Law LL.M. students must successfully complete the following core courses worth a total of nine (9) credit hours:
- International Business Transactions
- International Trade Law
- Public International Law
Areas of Concentration
International Aviation Law & Policy
Elective Courses
- Arbitration of International Commercial Disputes
- Aviation Law
- Comparative Law
- Field Placement Program
- International Trade Law
- Private International Aviation Law
- Seminar: Law & International Security
- U.S. Foreign Relations Law
- Study Abroad: Beijing, China
- Study Abroad: Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Study Abroad: Heredia, Costa Rica
- Study Abroad: Madrid, Spain
- Study Abroad: Prague, Czech Republic
*Course offerings and listings vary per semester. The College of Law reserves the right to change course listings.
International Business, Commercial & Trade Law
Elective Courses
- Arbitration of International Commercial
- Commercial Arbitration
- Comparative Law
- Field Placement Program (suggested second semester)
- Independent Study
- International Criminal Law
- International Intellectual Property
- International Taxation
- Private International Aviation Law
- Seminar: Law & International Security
- U.S. Foreign Relations Law
- Study Abroad: Beijing, China
- Study Abroad: Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Study Abroad: Madrid, Spain
- Study Abroad: Prague, Czech Republic
*Course offerings and listings vary per semester. The College of Law reserves the right to change course listings.
International Cultural Heritage Law
Elective Courses
- Comparative Law
- Field Placement Program (with permission of the faculty director)
- International Human Rights Law & Policy Colloquium
- International Intellectual Property Law
- International Protection of Human Rights
- International Sales
- International Trade Law
- U.S. Foreign Relations Law
*Course offerings and listings vary per semester. The College of Law reserves the right to change course listings.
International Governance & Rule of Law
Elective Courses
- Comparative Law
- International Human Rights Law & Policy Colloquium
- International Protection of Human Rights
- U.S. Foreign Relations Law
- Study Abroad: Beijing, China
- Study Abroad: Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Study Abroad: Madrid, Spain
- Study Abroad: Prague, Czech Republic
*Course offerings and listings vary per semester. The College of Law reserves the right to change course listings.
International Human Rights Law & Policy and Criminal Justice
Elective Courses
- Asylum & Refugee Law & Policy
- Comparative Law
- Human Rights Practicum: Chiapas
- Immigration Law & Policy
- Legal Clinic: Advanced Immigrant Detainee
- Legal Clinic: Asylum/Immigration
- Seminar: International Criminal Law, Procedural
- Seminar: International Criminal Law, Substantive
- Seminar: International Law & the War on Terror
- Seminar: Law & International Security
- Seminar: Terrorism
- U.S. Foreign Relations Law
- Study Abroad: Beijing, China
- Study Abroad: Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Study Abroad: Heredia, Costa Rica
- Study Abroad: Madrid, Spain
- Study Abroad: Prague, Czech Republic
*Course offerings and listings vary per semester. The College of Law reserves the right to change course listings.