LLM and Concentrations in International Topics

Director: R. Celorio

Faculty Advisers: P. S. Berman, F. Bignami, K. Brown, S. Charnovitz, D. Clarke, L. Dickinson, D. Fontana, S. Murphy, R. Steinhardt, E. Swaine


Programs of study are offered in International & Comparative Law and in one specialized field—International Environmental Law. Course requirements for each field are provided below.

For more information, please contact Associate Dean Rosa Celorio at [email protected].

All candidates for the LLM degree must complete a total of 24 credit hours, including course work that satisfies the written work requirement. Those working towards a specialized degree must complete the minimum required number of hours in courses listed below for that program. Related courses are recommended for the remaining course work.

LLM in International & Comparative Law

A minimum of 12 credits from the following courses is required,* including 2 credits graded on the basis of research paper. The research paper must be at least 8,000 words in length, and U.S. law school graduates must achieve a minimum grade of B+. For students who choose to write a thesis, Thesis (6690-91) and a minimum of 12 credits from the following courses are required.

Courses

  • International Taxation (6312)
  • Immigration Criminal Enforcement (6367)
  • Trade and Sustainable Development (6435)
  • International Environmental Law (6454)
  • International Climate Change Law (6455)
  • International Copyright Law (6473)
  • Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights in the U.S. International Trade Commission (6489)
  • International and Comparative Patent Law (6490)
  • International Intellectual Property (6491)
  • Comparative Public Procurement (6508)
  • Procurement in International Development (6516)
  • International Law (6520)
  • International Money Laundering, Corruption, and Terrorism (6521)
  • International Business Transactions (6522)
  • International Commercial Law (6524)
  • International Trade Law (6526)
  • Advanced International Trade Law (6527)
  • International Litigation (6528)
  • International Organizations (6530)
  • Comparative Law (6532)
  • International Family Law (6533)
  • Law of the European Union (6534)
  • Islamic Law (6535)
  • Immigration Law I (6538)
  • Immigration Law II (6539)
  • Refugee and Asylum Law (6540)
  • International Finance (6541)
  • International Banking and Investment Law (6542)
  • Chinese Law and Legal Institutions (6543)
  • International Investment Law and Arbitration (6544)
  • International Project Finance (6545)
  • International Law of Human Rights (6546)
  • Regional Protection of Human Rights (6547)
  • Space Law (6548)
  • Chinese Business Law (6549)
  • Law of the Sea (6550)
  • Law of War (6552)
  • U.S. Export Control Law and Regulation (6553)
  • International Criminal Law (6554)
  • Comparative Constitutional Law (6555)
  • International Arbitration (6556)
  • Introduction to Transactional Islamic Law (6557)
  • International Negotiations (6558)
  • Nation Building and the Rule of Law (6559)
  • Public International Law Seminar (6562)
  • International Business Transactions Seminar (6564)
  • Comparative Law Seminar (6565)
  • Human Rights Lawyering (6568)
  • International Human Rights of Women (6570)
  • Field Placement (6668)**
  • International Dispute Resolution (6682)
  • U.S. Foreign Relations Law (6871)
  • Counterterrorism Law (6875)
  • Nuclear Nonproliferation Law and Policy (6877)
  • International Women's Rights Lawyering Practicum (6574)**
  • International Arbitration in Latin America (6581)*

*Conflict of Laws (6234) also will be available; only students with a non-U.S. law degree who plan to take the New York bar examination may count this course toward the 12 credits required in the field.

**With the permission of the program director

View Courses

LLM in International Environmental Law

A minimum of 16 credit hours from the following courses is required,* including completion of: (1) Environmental Law (6430) unless the student has previously completed a survey course in U.S. environmental law; (2) one of the following three courses: Air Pollution Control (6432), Water Pollution Control (6434), or Control of Solid and Hazardous Wastes (RCRA & CERCLA) (6442); (3) either International Business Transactions (6522) or International Organizations (6530); and (4) the written work requirement. For the written work requirement, U.S. law school graduates are required to complete 4 credits graded on the basis of Thesis (6690-91) or two research papers, each of which is written in connection with a separate 2-credit course. For the written work requirement, non-U.S. law school graduates are required to complete at least 2 credits graded on the basis of a single research paper or Thesis (6690-91). Any research paper must be at least 8,000 words in length. U.S. law school graduates must achieve a minimum grade of B+ and graduates from non-U.S. law schools must achieve a passing grade for their research paper. Students are encouraged to write a thesis.

Courses

  • Environmental Law (6430)
  • Air Pollution Control (6432)
  • Water Pollution Control (6434)
  • Trade and Sustainable Development (6435)
  • Control of Solid and Hazardous Wastes (RCRA & CERCLA) (6442)
  • International Environmental Law (6454)
  • International Climate Change Law (6455)
  • Selected Topics in Environmental Law (6461)†
  • Environmental Law Seminar (6466)†
  • International Law (6520)
  • International Trade Law (6526)
  • Advanced International Trade Law (6527)
  • International Business Transactions (6522) or International Organizations (6530)
  • Law of the Sea (6550)
  • Graduate Independent Legal Writing (6696) (International Environmental Law topic)

*Torts (6206) and Property (6208) also will be available; only students with a non-U.S. law degree who plan to take the New York bar examination may count these courses toward the 16 credits required in the field.

† Approval of program director required. The seminar or practicum project must be related to international environmental law.

A minimum of 16 credit hours from the following courses is required,* including completion of: (1) Environmental Law (6430) unless the student has previously completed a survey course in U.S. environmental law; (2) one of the following three courses: Air Pollution Control (6432), Water Pollution Control (6434), or Control of Solid and Hazardous Wastes (RCRA & CERCLA) (6442); (3) either International Business Transactions (6522) or International Organizations (6530); and (4) the written work requirement. For the written work requirement, U.S. law school graduates are required to complete 4 credits graded on the basis of Thesis (6690-91) or two research papers, each of which is written in connection with a separate 2-credit course. For the written work requirement, non-U.S. law school graduates are required to complete at least 2 credits graded on the basis of a single research paper or Thesis (6690-91). Any research paper must be at least 8,000 words in length. U.S. law school graduates must achieve a minimum grade of B+ and graduates from non-U.S. law schools must achieve a passing grade for their research paper. Students are encouraged to write a thesis.

Courses

  • Environmental Law (6430)
  • Air Pollution Control (6432)
  • Water Pollution Control (6434)
  • Trade and Sustainable Development (6435)
  • Control of Solid and Hazardous Wastes (RCRA & CERCLA) (6442)
  • International Environmental Law (6454)
  • International Climate Change Law (6455)
  • Selected Topics in Environmental Law (6461)†
  • Environmental Law Seminar (6466)†
  • International Law (6520)
  • International Trade Law (6526)
  • Advanced International Trade Law (6527)
  • International Business Transactions (6522)
  • or International Organizations (6530)
  • Law of the Sea (6550)
  • Graduate Independent Legal Writing (6696) (International Environmental Law topic)

*Torts (6206) and Property (6208) also will be available; only students with a non-U.S. law degree who plan to take the New York bar examination may count these courses toward the 16 credits required in the field.

† Approval of program director required. The seminar or practicum project must be related to international environmental law.

LLM students pursuing a degree in International and Comparative Law can concentrate on the following areas:

LLM Concentration in International Human Rights

Employers in the United States and around the world are in high demand for students that graduate with a level of expertise in international human rights. GW Law offers a wide range of courses in this area, offering solid instruction on the content and scope of civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights. Washington, DC, is also a prime location to explore coursework in human rights.Our campus is located next to the Human Rights Commission of the Organization of American States, the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, the State Department, and many of the main non-profit organizations doing human rights litigation and advocacy.

LLM students wishing to pursue a concentration in International Human Rights must select International and Comparative Law as their designated specialty during their LLM studies. A student must also complete 10 credits specifically in this area of study. A list of eligible courses has been included below. These credits should be a part of (and not in addition to) the credits required to complete the LLM program in International and Comparative Legal Studies. Within these ten credits, two credits of experiential learning are required, which can be obtained by pursuing related experiential courses, Field Placement (6668), Moot Court (6644), or Human Rights Lawyering (6568). Students also need to complete a writing requirement on a topic related to international human rights. A journal note, seminar paper, thesis, or independent writing assignment can count towards the concentration.

For more information, please contact Associate Dean Rosa Celorio at [email protected].

Courses

  • Immigration Law I (6538)
  • Immigration Law II (6539)
  • Refugee and Asylum Law (6540)
  • International Law of Human Rights (6546)
  • Regional Protection of Human Rights (6547)
  • Nation Building and Rule of Law (6559)
  • Public International Law Seminar (6562)
  • Selected Topics in Public International Law (6561)
  • Human Rights Lawyering (6568)
  • Graduate Programs 37 International Human Rights of Women (6570)
  • Human Rights and Environmental Protection (6571)
  • Individual and Group Rights (6580)
  • International Women's Rights Lawyering Practicum (6574)**
LLM Concentration in International Arbitration, Mediation, and Other Forms of Dispute Resolution

GW Law offers LLM students the opportunity to specialize in international arbitration, mediation, and other forms of dispute resolution. GW Law also offers courses that focus on international arbitration, investor-state dispute settlement, international litigation, negotiation, and mediation, and other related areas. Our students can be exposed not only to the theoretical aspects of this field in international law, but also to practice.  Many globally known arbitrators and arbitration law firms practice in Washington, DC, as well as the International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes.  

LLM students wishing to pursue a concentration in International Arbitration, Mediation, and Other Forms of Dispute Resolution must select International and Comparative Law as their designated specialty during their LLM studies. A student must complete 10 credits specifically in this area of study. A list of eligible courses has been included below. These credits should be a part of (and not in addition to) the credits required to complete the LLM program in International and Comparative Legal Studies. Within these ten credits, two credits of experiential learning are required, which can be obtained pursuing related experiential courses, Field Placement (6668), Moot Court (6644), Graduate Clinical Studies (6697), or Legal Practicum (6695). Students also need to complete a writing requirement on a topic related to international arbitration, mediation, or other forms of dispute resolution. A journal note, seminar paper, thesis, or independent writing assignment can count towards the concentration.

For more information, please contact Associate Dean Rosa Celorio at [email protected].

Courses

  • Conflicts of Laws (6234)
  • Commercial Arbitration (6279)
  • International Litigation (6528)
  • International Investment Law and Arbitration (6544)
  • International Arbitration (6556)
  • International Negotiations (6558)
  • Mediation (6646)
  • Alternative Dispute Resolution (6647)
  • Negotiations (6648)
  • Mediation and Alternative Dispute Resolution (6676)
  • International Dispute Resolution (6682)
  • Arbitration (6685)
  • International Arbitration in Latin America (6581)*

GW Law offers LLM students the opportunity to specialize in international arbitration, mediation, and other forms of dispute resolution. GW Law also offers courses that focus on international arbitration, investor-state dispute settlement, international litigation, negotiation, and mediation, and other related areas. Our students can be exposed not only to the theoretical aspects of this field in international law, but also to practice.  Many globally known arbitrators and arbitration law firms practice in Washington, DC, as well as the International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes.  

LLM students wishing to pursue a concentration in International Arbitration, Mediation, and Other Forms of Dispute Resolution must select International and Comparative Law as their designated specialty during their LLM studies. A student must complete 10 credits specifically in this area of study. A list of eligible courses has been included below. These credits should be a part of (and not in addition to) the credits required to complete the LLM program in International and Comparative Legal Studies. Within these ten credits, two credits of experiential learning are required, which can be obtained pursuing related experiential courses, Field Placement (6668), Moot Court (6644), Graduate Clinical Studies (6697), or Legal Practicum (6695). Students also need to complete a writing requirement on a topic related to international arbitration, mediation, or other forms of dispute resolution. A journal note, seminar paper, thesis, or independent writing assignment can count towards the concentration.

For more information, please contact Associate Dean Rosa Celorio at [email protected].

Courses

  • Conflicts of Laws (6234)
  • Commercial Arbitration (6279)
  • International Litigation (6528)
  • International Investment Law and Arbitration (6544)
  • International Arbitration (6556)
  • International Negotiations (6558)
  • Mediation (6646)
  • Alternative Dispute Resolution (6647)
  • Negotiations (6648)
  • Mediation and Alternative Dispute Resolution (6676)
  • International Dispute Resolution (6682)
  • Arbitration (6685)