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.
Brian F. Havel
Professor of Law;
Associate Dean for Administration;
Director, International Aviation Law Institute
Jerold Friedland
Professor of Law;
Director, Asian Legal Studies Program
Alberto R. Coll
Director, European Legal Studies Program; Professor of Law
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 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 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, 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.
** Please note: not all courses listed in this brochure are offered each semester. For the most current course list, please visit www.law.depaul.edu.
Required Core Courses
All international law graduate 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
In addition to the required core courses, students must complete three additional required courses worth nine (9) credit hours and six (6) credit hours of elective coursework.
Additional Required Courses:
- Private International Aviation Law
- Public International Aviation Law
- Seminar: International Aviation Law & Policy
Elective Courses:
- Elective Courses:
- Externship: International Aviation Law
- International Antitrust & Competition Law
- International Commercial Dispute Resolution
- International Environmental Law
- Law of the European Union
- U.S. Customs Law & International Trade
U.S. Customs Law & International Trade
In addition to the required core courses, students must complete 15 credit hours from the following electives:
Elective Courses:
- Comparative Law
- Externship: International Business, Commercial & Trade Law
- Faculty Supervised Independent Study
- International Antitrust & Competition Law
- International Commercial Dispute Resolution
- International Environmental Law
- International Intellectual Property
- International Tax
- Immigration Law & Policy
- International Sales Law
- Law of the European Union
- Transnational Civil Litigation
- U.S. Customs Law & International Trade
International Human Rights Law & Policy and Criminal Justice
In addition to the required core courses, students must complete two additional required courses worth six (6) credit hours and nine (9) credit hours of elective coursework.
Additional Required Courses:
- International Human Rights Law & Policy I
- International Human Rights Law & Policy II: Regional Protection
Elective Courses:
- Immigration Law & Policy
- The Inter-American Human Rights System
- International Armed Conflicts
- International Environmental Law
- International Protection of Cultural Property
- International Security Law
- Law of the European Union
- Legal Clinic: Asylum/Immigration
- Seminar: International Criminal Law, Procedural
- Seminar: International Criminal Law, Substantive
- Seminar: Law & Terrorism
