Master of Laws: Master of Laws in International Legal Studies
The LLM in International Law program offers in-depth coverage of specialized areas of international and comparative law. The program explores the interaction among the legal, cultural, sociological, and business activities of the various regions of the world.
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
Golden Gate University School of Law (GGU Law) offers a wide array of courses in public and private international law, comparative legal systems, international economic law, international investment law, international organizations, international human rights law, and dispute resolution.
The LLM in International Legal Studies program is both academic and practical. At its core, the LLM program provides students with knowledge of the fundamental principles of international law and the current rules that govern their application. The curriculum reaches beyond rules, however, to examine the effects of various cultural practices and national policies on international trade, human rights, and the environment. In addition, courses trace the development of international and regional organizations and treaties that govern multinational issues. Students are exposed to practical applications of negotiating skills and to different methods of international dispute settlement.
Every April, GGU Law hosts the Annual Fulbright Symposium on Current International Legal Issues concurrently with the Regional Meeting of the American Society of International Law.
CURRICULUM
To earn the LLM in International Legal Studies degree, students must complete 24 units. Classes are offered during the day as well as during the evening to accommodate working professionals. Students may attend full-time and complete the program in as few as two semesters. Alternatively, students may attend part-time. All students must finish the degree requirements within four years of matriculation. LLM students must maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.5 on a 4.0 scale each semester.
REQUIRED COURSES (6 UNITS)
International students are highly recommended to take Introduction to US Legal Studies (3) and Graduate Legal Research (2) to help lay a foundation for reading cases and for writing academic papers.
Students must take courses from two of the five core areas listed below. In addition a student is required to take at least one seminar that entails the satisfactory completion of a substantial paper.
International Law
- International Law (3 units)
- International Organizations (3 units)
- Law of International Armed Conflicts (3 units)
Private International Law/Conflict of Laws
- Transnational Litigation (3 units)
Comparative Legal Systems
- Comparative Legal Systems (3 units)
- European Union Law (3 units)
International Economic Law
- International Business Transactions (3 units)
- International Investment Law (3 units)
- International Trade Regulation (3 units)
International Dispute Resolution
- International Dispute Resolution (3 units)
- Pacific Settlements of Disputes Between States (3 units)
- Alternative Dispute Resolution (3 units)
ELECTIVE COURSES (18 UNITS)
- Advanced Legal Research: eSearch
- Business Immigration Law
- Comparative Issues in International Tax
- Competition: Jessup Int'l Law Moot Court
- Curricular Practical Training
- Directed Study
- Gender, Children, and International Law
- Graduate Legal Research and Writing
- Immigration Law
- Immigration and Refugee Policy Seminar
- Intra-State Conflict and Peace Building
- Introduction to the US Legal System
- International Taxation
- Multinational Estate Planning
- Public International Law
- Thesis
- Value Added Tax
WRITING REQUIREMENT
To complete the LLM program, each student is required to take at least one seminar that entails the satisfactory completion of a substantial paper.
LLM students may choose to earn up to 6 elective units for the successful completion of a thesis prepared under faculty supervision.