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New York City
LL.M.-J.S.D. in International and Comparative Law
International Legal Studies
The LL.M. in International Legal Studies is designed both to deepen knowledge of fundamental structures in international law and to provide opportunities for students to undertake research and build expertise on cutting-edge issues involving global governance, cross-border transactions, and transnational legal strategies. Students are encouraged, through courses, research, and practical engagement, to develop innovative connections between traditionally separate spheres such as human rights, international economic law, transnational commercial law, the law and institutions of war and post-conflict reconstruction, and theories of international law and global justice. The program takes advantage of NYU's unmatched faculty resources in this area and its New York location. As international law is integrated with other areas of law and practice, the program allows scope for students to take courses in areas of their special interest.
Credit Requirement
Students must complete at least 14 credits from the list of courses under "International Legal Studies" in the course schedules. Courses designated as "related courses" (see below) also count toward the required minimum of 14 credits in this field. Please note, the following requirements are currently in place, but they may be amended prior to the upcoming academic year. Please check for updates on the Law School Web site.
Basic Courses and Distribution Requirement
Students in this program are strongly advised to build
expertise in several different areas of international, comparative,
and global law. Unless students have considerable
academic background in the particular area, they are advised to take at least one basic course in Public
International Law, one in International Economic Law, and
one in Comparative or Global Law. Students who have
taken basic courses such as International Law as part of
their first law degree sometimes choose not to take them
in the LL.M. However, the intellectual approach and material
covered are likely to be different from similarly-titled
courses in other countries, so many students find it valuable to take these courses at NYU.
Related Courses
All of the courses listed in the International Legal Studies
section of the course schedule can be counted towards
the 14-credit requirement. In addition, there are certain
courses which are designated as "related courses" for the
International Legal Studies degree. Prospective students
are encouraged to consult the International Legal Studies
Web site,
for examples of the types of courses which have been designated
as "related" for purposes of this program.
Exam Requirement
Students are advised to complete at least 8 credits of the
LL.M. degree in courses which are graded on the basis of
examinations.
Writing Requirement
Students are strongly advised to take at least 2 credits in a
seminar, course, or Directed Research which would
require a paper of substantial length. A single substantial paper (at least 20 pages) should be a minimum objective.
This objective cannot adequately be met by writing a
series of shorter papers.