The Master of Laws, LL.M, (Legum Magister) is an advanced law degree that allows to specialize in a particular area of law.
To gain specialized knowledge in a particular area of law, you can continue your studies in an LL.M program. There are a wide range of programs available worldwide, allowing LL.M. students to focus on almost any area of law they choose. It is usually obtained by completing a one-year full-time program.
The LL.M. is a higher academic degree, comparable to an MBA in business and management. Law students and professionals frequently pursue the LL.M. to gain expertise in a specialized field of law, for example in the area of tax law or international law. Other common programs include environmental law, human rights law, commercial law, intellectual property law. Many law firms prefer job candidates with an LL.M. degree because it indicates that a lawyer has acquired advanced, specialized legal training, and is qualified to work in a multinational legal environment.
LL.M. programs are usually only open to those students who have first obtained the professional law degree. Thus, it is an advanced degree for persons who are already lawyers, rather than for persons wishing to become lawyers.
Pursuing an LL.M., also allows law students to build a professional network. Some associations are providing LL.M. degree holders with a permanent structure to strenghten their connections among peers and to access a competitive business environment.
Prospective students should be aware that there is no universal definition for the term LL.M. It is used in different ways by institutions around the world. Particularly in the United States and Germany, LL.M. programs are often designed to teach foreign lawyers the basic legal principles of the host country. In this regard, the LL.M. can help lawyers seeking to relocate and practice in another country, or expand their area of practice to multinational issues.
Students should choose to study for an LLM either because they have a desire to study further through a general interest in law, or because they wish to obtain or enhance an expertise in a specific area of law.
For some students, taking an LLM in a foreign jurisdiction offers the additional benefits of comparative study and the acquisition of an international perspective of law, together with the opportunity of immersing themselves in a different culture during the time of their study.
List of schools launching graduate studies in law;
Macquarie University
University of Calgary
Abraham Lincoln University
University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law
University of Leicester, Faculty of Law
San Jose State University, Department of Justice Studies
Boise State University
Vytautas Magnus University
Titu Maiorescu University
Salve Regina University
Richard Stockton College of NJ
National University |
