Academic Programs
International & Comparative Law
The DePaul International & Comparative Law Program provides students with a comprehensive foundation in the study of the laws, rules and principles that affect the responsibilities and rights of sovereign nations and their citizens, and explores the differences and similarities among the various legal systems of the world. In the present age of internationalism, economic globalization and democratization, the importance of international and comparative law has increased enormously. Courses in the program encompass a wide range of international law areas such as business, criminal justice, human rights and trade. Students benefit immeasurably from working closely with faculty members who are world-renowned experts and leaders in the field. As part of this concentration, students also can study abroad in several countries including China, Costa Rica, Ireland, Mexico and Spain.
International & Comparative Law Certificate
To earn a certificate, a student must complete the 86 semester hours required for the Juris Doctor (JD) and satisfy all JD requirements. Within the elective coursework required for the JD, a student must complete 15 credit hours from the approved international and comparative law curriculum with a minimum GPA of 3.00 in those courses.
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JD/MA in International Studies
The College of Law and College of Liberal Arts & Sciences offer a combined degree program for the JD and Master of Arts in International Studies. The joint program provides students with knowledge of the political, economic and cultural environment in which international law is developing. This strategy is particularly appropriate for law students with a strong foreign language and social science background who wish to present themselves to law firms as international legal specialists.
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Master of Laws (LL.M.) in International Law
The DePaul Master of Laws (LL.M.) in International Law provides an intensive course of study that emphasizes the theoretical background and practical skills lawyers need to excel in international law practice. With concentrations in three key areas of global practice— International Aviation Law & Policy; International Business, Commercial & Trade Law; and 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.
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Asylum/Immigration Legal Clinic
DePaul's Asylum/Immigration Legal Clinic features two educational components: a technical legal assistance program and asylum training and representation. Through the technical legal assistance component, students collaborate with community-based immigration service organizations in the Chicago metropolitan area to address legal concerns. Through the asylum component, they represent asylum applicants before the Asylum Office of the Immigration and Naturalization Service or in hearings before immigration judges. Additionally, students counsel clients, interview and prepare expert witnesses, and secure objective evidence of applicants' cases. Past clients have fled persecution from China, El Salvador, Kosovo, Nigeria, Somalia and Uganda.
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Field Placement Program
The Field Placement Program is another way to obtain valuable experience in international and comparative law. DePaul law students have the opportunity to obtain course credit and practical experience while working in a variety of positions. In recent years, students have worked for the Chicago Immigration Court; Council on American-Islamic Relations, Chicago Chapter; Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights; and Center for Indigenous Development, Costa Rica.
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Special Programs
Institutes & Centers
International Human Rights Law Institute
The International Human Rights Law Institute (IHRLI) is at the forefront of contemporary human rights research, training, publication and advocacy, and specializes in the design and implementation of human rights, capacity-building and governance projects. Since its founding in 1990, IHRLI has received more than $18 million in support from more than 70 grants from private foundations, intergovernmental organizations and government agencies. The Institute has engaged in human rights projects in virtually every region of the world, including the Middle East, Afghanistan, Central and Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Africa, Central America, the Caribbean and South America. IHRLI also sponsors innovative scholarly research on international human rights, international criminal law, international humanitarian law and post-conflict justice.
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International Aviation Law Institute
Established in 2004, the International Aviation Law Institute is the first institute of its kind in the United States. Chicago is a fitting site for this groundbreaking academic venture-it is home to the Chicago Convention on International Aviation, which has regulated international aviation since 1947; the location of two of the nation's busiest airports; a national hub for both United and American Airlines; and the home of Boeing Company’s corporate offices. The Institute offers courses in international aviation law and policy and also has academic links with the aviation programs at Leiden University, Netherlands, and the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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International Weapons Control Center
The International Weapons Control Center, dedicated to advancing the rule of law with regard to counterterrorism and nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction, promotes international peace and security by offering legal answers to policy problems. Through its projects, the Center works with various international organizations including Interpol, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, and the U.N. Counterterrorism Committee. The Center also works closely with the U.S. departments of State, Energy, Justice and Defense. Student involvement in the Center's work, including preparing papers and manuals as well as organizing workshops, has been and continues to be enormously significant.
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Student Organizations
Amnesty International, DePaul Law Student Chapter
Amnesty International is an international human rights organization that seeks the immediate and unconditional release of all prisoners of conscience, fair trials for those properly charged with legitimate criminal offenses, and the complete abolition of torture, forced disappearance and state-sanctioned killing worldwide. The purpose of the DePaul law student chapter of Amnesty International is to encourage students to become active in the struggle to maintain and preserve the balance of human rights.
International Law Society
The International Law Society (ILS) is an association of students dedicated to the study and promotion of international law. ILS hosts a variety of events—guest speakers, student-run forums, question and answer sessions—in furtherance of the interests of its members. Since 2003, DePaul has served as the headquarters of the International Law Students Association (ILSA), the umbrella organization for the College of Law’s student group. ILSA’s flagship is the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition, which boasts participation by over 500 law schools in 80 countries. DePaul international law students actively contribute to ILSA’s three publications and participate in its multifaceted program of cocurricular activities.
Study Abroad Programs
Asian Legal Studies Institute
The Asian Legal Studies Institute, located at Beijing Foreign Studies University, provides an eyeopening introduction to China’s legal system. Content focuses on the legal principles related to international transactions in the Asia-Pacific region, and students earn academic credit while studying with professors from DePaul and Chinese law schools. Tours of China’s legal institutions and major historic and cultural sites also are an integral part of the program
Chiapas Human Rights Practicum
Conducted entirely in Spanish, the Chiapas Human Rights Practicum places student workers in human rights offices in the state of Chiapas, Mexico, where basic human rights violations are an everyday reality. Students meet a variety of indigenous community groups and work side-byside with lawyers and activists to investigate cases of human rights violations.
European Legal Studies Program
Introduced in 2008, the European Legal Studies Program in Madrid, Spain, offers coursework centered on European human rights law and European business and commercial law. Classes are conducted in English at the esteemed Universidad Europea de Madrid, and the program includes a number of tours of Spanish legal, business and political institutions.
Human Rights Law in the Americas
Located in San Jose, Costa Rica, at the prestigious Universidad Nacional, the Human Rights Law in the Americas Summer Program combines an intensive study of international human rights law with an immersion in Latin American culture. It provides an overview of the basic principles of international law and an in-depth discussion of the Inter-American Human Rights System. English-language classes and lectures consider how human rights ideas, advocacy and activist strategies can transform Latin American law, society, politics and economics.
University College Dublin Student Exchange Program
A select number of DePaul students attend University College Dublin (UCD) for academic credit during the spring semester of their second year. In turn, the College of Law hosts students from UCD for one year. The program also features a faculty exchange, adding another dimension to DePaul’s comprehensive international law course offerings.
Full-Time Faculty
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Brian F. Havel M. Cherif Bassiouni Leonard L. Cavise Alberto R. Coll |
Jerold Friedland Michael S. Jacobs Barry Kellman Matthew Sag |
