LLM Group

LLM in International Law - Curriculum

Full-time students complete the requirements for the LLM degree in one academic year (fall and spring). Candidates for the LLM degree must satisfactorily complete 24-30 hours of academic credit and will normally take no more than four classes per semester. Most courses require three hours of class attendance per week and award three hours of academic credit.

Most required courses are scheduled during the normal work day, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Some elective courses are scheduled after 5 p.m. Some courses may be offered in Tampa or other off-campus locations, although no commitments can be made in advance for such remote site offerings.

  • All students enrolled in the LLM Program may enroll on a part-time or full-time basis.
  • All F-1 and J-1 students must enroll on a full-time basis.

FULL-TIME STATUS:

Full-time students must take no less than 12 and no more than 15 credit hours per semester. Full-time students are scheduled to complete the requirements for the LLM degree within one year.

PART-TIME STATUS:

Part-time students may enroll in as few as one course per semester and as many as three courses per semester. Part-time students must complete the same required curriculum prescribed for full-time students, although the sequence and timing of such courses obviously will vary for the part-timer. To the extent possible, part-time students must take required courses before taking elective courses. An individual curriculum plan will be developed for each part-timer upon admission. Part-time students are allowed a full three-year period to complete all requirements of the degree.

LLM in International Law
Public or Private International Law

The required core curriculum stresses those subjects of fundamental importance to all international lawyers, and a diverse elective curriculum allows students a wide range of choices to pursue their own individual career interests in public as well as in private international law. The curriculum includes a practical skills requirement in the international area. Additionally, it features special courses designed exclusively for foreign-educated attorneys. Stetson offers a mandatory two-week introductory course for foreign-educated students enrolled in the LLM program designed to facilitate the process of understanding and overcoming the challenges of the study of law in different legal and educational systems.

Required Courses

Summer (3 credits):

  • U.S. Legal Systems* (3 credits)

Fall (12-13 credits):

  • U.S. Legal Research and Writing* (3 credits)
  • International Law (3 credits)
  • International Environmental Law (3 credits) or International Security Law and Policy (3 credits)
  • Elective (3 or 4 credits)

*These two courses are required exclusively for foreign-trained students. Students that possess an American JD must enroll in elective courses in lieu of them and shall comply with the writing requirement through Independent Research or enrollment in a seminar.

Spring (12-13 credits):

  • International Business Transactions (3 credits)
  • International Litigation and Arbitration (3 credits)
  • Professional Responsibility (3 credits)
  • Elective (3 or 4 credits)

LLM in International Law
General Studies 

Foreign LLM students who plan to apply for admission to the New York State Bar must satisfy one of five pathways under Section 520.18 of the Court of Appeal's Rules for the Admission of Attorneys and Counselors at Law regarding skills competency and professional values.

Pathway #1: Certification of Competency for the International LLM Program Skills and Values Competency Requirement

For Pathway 1, the LLM student must enroll in our LLM in International Law - General Studies track.  This track, which focuses on U.S. law and legal methods, is designed to allow the Law School to certify that the LLM student has the basic competence and the ability to participate ethically in the legal profession. LLM students who chose the LLM in International Law - General Studies track will automatically fulfill the eligibility requirements of Section 520.6 to sit for the N.Y. bar exam. Choosing the LLM in International Law - General Studies will result in the student being automatically enrolled in a specified curriculum along with the ability to select a limited number of electives.  

Under the LLM in International Law – General Studies track, the student must successfully complete the following classes:

Summer Semester (3 credits):

  • U.S. Legal Systems* (3 credits)

Fall Semester (14-15 credits):

  • U.S. Legal Research and Writing (3 credits)
  • Civil Procedure (4 credits)
  • Contracts (4 credits)
  • Elective (3 or 4 credits) *

Spring Semester (14-15 credits):

  • Interviewing and Counseling (2 credits) **
  • Negotiation and Mediation (2 credits) **
  • Professional Responsibility (3 credits)
  • Constitutional Law (4 credits)
  • Elective (3 or 4 credits) *

* In addition to the required courses set out above, the LLM student may select two electives from the following list of courses:

  • Multistate Strategies (Spring Semester only)
  • Criminal Procedure: Investigation
  • Criminal Procedure: Adjudication
  • Business Entities
  • Commercial Transactions
  • Torts
  • Property 
  • Trusts & Estates

Experiential Requirement:

Foreign LLM students in the LLM in International Law - General Studies must complete 4 credits of the experiential/simulation classes as set forth in the required LL.M General Studies curriculum. The LLM student may substitute a three or four-credit clinic or field placement for the experiential classes with the approval of the Director of Clinics and Experiential Education and the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.

Course Descriptions

See Course Descriptions for more details on above courses.

Grades

Students in the LLM in International Law are graded on an honors basis. Possible grades include High Honors, Honors, Pass, Credit and Fail. For informational purposes, on a 4.0 scale, High Honors is equivalent of grades 3.5 and higher, Honors is 3.0-3.25, Pass is 2.0-2.75, Credit is .75-1.75, and Fail is a grade below .75.

Grading and Academic Standards

See Grading, Academic Exclusion and Readmission and Honors for LL.M Students for more information on policies for LLM students.