"
Thanks to my LL.M at UM I had the opportunity to meet incredible people from all around the world. It opened the door to a great professional network."
Rita Chertorivski, LL.M. '13, University of Miami School of Law
Mexican University, Ibero-American University
Director of Business and Legal Affairs, NBC Universal HIspanic Group, Telemundo
In the program, students engage in a comparative study of the U.S. legal system with that of the region where they earned their law degree and those of their classmates and colleagues. Students must complete 24 credits with a minimum grade point average of 2.30/4.00 in order to receive the Masters of Law in International Law degree with specialization in U.S. and Transnational Law for Foreign Lawyers. Many students pursue different paths in reaching this goal.
Most students will take an additional two courses in the fall semester and four courses in the spring semester. Students must have 24 credits to graduate, and the exact number of courses taken depends on how many credits are associated with each course. Students studying on less than a full time basis should begin with the two required courses in the fall semester.
Required CoursesThese courses are intended to give a foundation in American common law doctrine as well as the approach to written analysis in this system.
- Introduction to U.S. Law (this requirement may also be satisfied with Constitutional Law I)
- Legal Communication and Research
U.S. Law CoursesSome students are particularly interested in taking courses that will introduce them to the American Legal System. One approach would be to register for some of the first year required courses for J.D. students. First year students at UM are required to take: Contracts, Torts, Civil Procedure, Property Law, Constitutional Law I, and Criminal Procedure.
In addition, many of our foreign students will take upper-level courses such as Business Associations and those that relate to individual, long-term professional interests.
New York Bar SubjectsIn addition, a Master of Laws allows foreign trained attorneys to sit for the Bar Exam in several states, the most common being New York. With the New York Bar, students can practice Federal Law in any of the 50 states and serve as Corporate Counsel within a corporation. Foreign law graduates wishing to pursue the NY Bar exam upon completion of the LL.M. program, should consult the New York State Board of Law Examiners website.
For LL.M. students pursuing the New York Bar, required coursework at Miami Law would include:
- Professional Responsibility;
- Legal Communication and Research;
- Introduction to US Law and
- A minimum of six credits hours in other course subjects tested on the New York State Bar Examination. Courses include: Business Associations, Civil Procedure I, Civil Procedure II, Conflict of Laws, U.S. Constitutional Law I, Constitutional Law II, Contracts, Criminal Procedure, Criminal Procedure Adjudication, Substantive Criminal Law, Evidence, Family Law, Property, Real Estate Transactions Workshop, Torts, Trusts & Estates, Commercial Law I
Other International and Comparative Law Courses: