LL.M. (Master of Laws)
The LL.M. (Master of Laws) is an internationally recognized
postgraduate law degree. 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. 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.
In most countries, lawyers are not required to hold an LL.M.
degree, and many do not choose to obtain one. An LL.M. degree
by itself generally does not qualify graduates to practice law.
In most cases, LL.M. students must first obtain a professional
degree in law, e.g. the Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) in the United
Kingdom or the Juris Doctor (J.D.) in the United States, and
pass a bar exam or the equivalent exam in other countries, such
as the Zweites Staatsexamen in Germany. While the general curriculum
of the LL.B. and J.D. is designed to give students the basic
skills and knowledge to become lawyers, law students wishing
to specialize in a particular area can continue their studies
with an LL.M. program. Some universities also consider students
for their LL.M. program who hold degrees in other related areas,
or have expertise in a specific area of law.
Graduation requirements for an LL.M. program vary depending
on the respective university guidelines. Some programs are research-oriented
and require students to write a thesis, while others only offer
a number of classes that students must take to complete the
course of study. Many LL.M. programs combine both coursework
and research. Part-time programs are also available for professionals
wishing to complete their LL.M. while working full-time.
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. The completion of an LL.M. program, however, does not
automatically qualify foreign students to take the bar exam
in their host country. In the U.S., for example, some states
allow foreign lawyers to seek admission to the bar upon completion
of an LL.M., while in other states, a J.D. is required.
Course Structure
Each of the named pathways requires students to take three
core modules and one optional module, plus a dissertation and
the Legal Research Theory and Methodology module.
Please note that this is an indicative list of modules
and is not intended as a definitive list.
Business Law
- Insolvency Law
- Legal Aspects of Business Finance
- Legal Research Theory and Methodology
- One optional module
- Dissertation
Dispute Resolution
- Alternative Dispute Resolution
- Civil Procedure
- Legal Research Theory and Methodology
- One optional module
- Dissertation
Employment Law
- Labour Law in the Global Economy
- Termination of Employment
- Legal Research Theory and Methodology
- One optional module
- Dissertation
International Commercial Law
- Arbitration
- International Sale of Goods and E-Commerce
- Law of International Trade
- Legal Research Theory and Methodology
- One optional module
- Dissertation
General LLM
- Legal Research Theory and Methodology
- Four optional modules
- Dissertation
Option modules
- Arbitration
- Civil Procedure
- Company Law
- Evidence and Arbitral Awards
- Family Mediation
- Individual Employment Law
- Insolvency Law
- International Sale of Goods and E-Commerce
- Labour Law in the Global Economy
- Law of International Trade
- Legal Aspects of Business Finance
- Termination of Employment
- The Single European Market