Program Details - American Law School Graduates
Please note
This information is subject to change and/or expansion. Please check
back regularly for updates.
Students earn an LLM while studying one semester in Los Angeles (Fall), at Loyola Law School, and one semester (Spring) in Bologna, at the Università degli Studi di Bologna.
Loyola’s International LLM program provides American law graduates and practicing attorneys the opportunity to specialize in international legal practice. It provides an advanced knowledge of international law, civil law legal systems, and European Union law, skills essential to the modern global legal practitioner. In Bologna, American law graduates will have the opportunity to form significant and long-lasting relationships with lawyers from around the world, as well as benefit from exposure to a foreign legal environment, while still taking classes taught in English.
Click here for the program brochure.
Loyola Law School (Fall semester)
Located in downtown Los Angeles –a national legal, financial, media and entertainment capital-, Loyola Law School’s modern campus was designed by world-renowned architect Frank Gehry. Loyola Law School is home to prominent faculty, dedicated students and cutting-edge programs. The first ABA-approved law school in California with a pro bono requirement for graduation, Loyola Law is committed to legal ethics and the public interest, and has produced top attorneys for nearly a century.
The 2008 Princeton Review ranked Loyola #1 nationally for “Best Classroom Experience” and #4 for “Professors Rock (Legally Speaking)”. In 2007, it was ranked #17 among Lawdragon’s top 25 leading law schools in the United States.
University of Bologna (Spring semester)
The University of Bologna "Alma Mater Studiorum" (i.e. the “mother of all Universities”) is the western world’s oldest university, having been founded in 1088 AD. A unique heritage of medieval art, exemplified by the illuminated manuscripts and jurists' tombs produced in the city from the thirteenth to the fifteenth century, provides a cultural backdrop to the renown of the medieval institution. At the same time, the University of Bologna is also the second largest university in Italy and has state-of-the-art facilities and libraries.
The city of Bologna ranks as one of the top cities for quality of life in Italy, being ranked 5th in 2006 and 12th in 2007 out of 103 Italian cities. The city’s very vibrant music, cultural, sports and art scene, and its large University, give it a very youthful flavor. An industrial and legal capital, it is superbly located on the gentle slopes of the Apennines and at the crossing of the most important highways and railways in the country, within a short train or car ride to Milan, Venice, Florence and Rome and the Adriatic coast.”
Students have the opportunity to immerse themselves in Italian culture while enriching their professional preparation through the intellectual exchange between students and faculty from diverse legal backgrounds. Faculty consists of some of the finest scholars from both American and European law schools with expertise in a wide variety of legal issues. All classes are taught in English.
Classes are held only on Fridays and Saturdays, leaving students the opportunity to study, travel around Italy, or take advantage of part-time internship opportunities in Bologna, Milan or Rome. The program must be completed within one year.
IMPORTANT NOTICE TO AMERICAN STUDENTS ABOUT MCLE CREDITS:
American JD degree holders admitted to the Bar can obtain MCLE credits from this program. For more information on this, please contact: Mark Weiner.
Enrollment is limited to applicants who have received a JD degree from an American Bar Association (ABA)-accredited American law school.
Applications for the 2009-2010 academic year will continue to be accepted until the class is filled. Space is limited and applicants are encouraged to submit their applications early to ensure maximum consideration.
Please click here to apply.
The law school reserves the right to cancel the program in the unlikely event of insufficient enrollment or other unforeseen circumstances. If the program is cancelled, all fees, deposits and tuition will be refunded.
DEGREE REQUIREMENTS[top]
The degree of Master of Laws in American Law and International Legal Practice will be awarded upon the satisfactory completion of at least 24 units of coursework in the program.
Fall Semester
In the Fall, American Law school graduates attend classes at the Loyola Law School campus in Los Angeles. They must complete twelve credits by selecting amongst several international and comparative law classes usually offered, such as: (typically 3 credits each)
- International Law
- European Union Law
- Introduction to Civil Law Legal Systems
- International Environmental Law
- Law and Climate Change
- Comparative Law
- International Protection of Human Rights
- International Banking & Finance
- International TradeU.S. Foreign Relations Law
- Laws of War
Please, note, course offerings may vary from year to year as well as the number of units assigned to each required course. A course listing for the 2009-2010 academic year will be available soon.
Spring Semester
During the spring semester, American students from Los Angeles join the international students in Bologna and attend advanced program classes together. To date, international students have included lawyers from such diverse countries as Italy, Sweden, France, Japan, Dominican Republic, Rwanda, Congo, Burkina Faso, Sudan, Egypt, Romania, Russia, and Georgia.
A number of public and private international law courses are regularly offered. Actual course offerings and number of units will vary by semester and are subject to enrollment. Students should check Course Listings for 2009-2010 for updated information on courses offered during the next academic year.
As in the Fall semester, students must take up to 12 credits for courses (for a total maximum of 4 courses) in public and private international law, with particular emphasis on legal practice. Classes offered in Bologna, which vary by semester and are subject to enrollment, usually include:
- International Business Transactions
- International Civil Litigation
- American and International Conflict of Law
- International Commercial Arbitration
- International Mergers and Acquisitions
Students who have previously taken equivalent coursework at Loyola Law School or another ABA-accredited law school may petition to be excused from taking a required LLM course. Such students are expected to complete the 24-unit requirement for the LLM by substituting an advanced course for each required course from which they have been excused.
All students must complete the program within one year. Under special circumstances, with prior approval of the Director, a student may be allowed to complete required units in any Loyola Law School-sponsored summer program.
During the Spring semester, classes are held only on Fridays and Saturdays, leaving students the opportunity to study, travel around Italy, or take advantage of part-time internship opportunities in Bologna, Milan or Rome.
TUITION FOR 2009-2010 [top]
The cost of attendance for 2009-2010 for a JD graduate American student is $29,085. At least half of the tuition is due on June 30, 2009. There is a $125.00 graduation fee for the commencement ceremony in Los Angeles.
Students who are U.S. citizens or permanent U.S. residents may apply for federal student loans to assist with their tuition and living expenses. All students who wish to borrow these loans must complete the Federal Application for Financial Aid (FAFSA) to begin the process.
Note: The 2009-2010 FAFSA will be available beginning January 2, 2009. Detailed information regarding how to apply for financial aid, priority deadlines and the loan certification process will be provided once the FAFSA is available.
Assistance in the form of private student loans may be available under certain conditions. There are several different lenders and private loan programs available. As such, the terms and conditions of the loans can vary. In general, interest rates range from 7% to 12%, repayment is deferred while enrolled in the LLM degree program, and students may borrow up to the cost of attendance.
Listed below are links to some of the more prominent lenders who offer loan programs for international students. This is not an all inclusive list, nor is it a recommendation of these lenders and their loan programs. The list is being provided as a reference for students who would like additional information on these types of loan programs. Access Group Comprehensive or Sponsored Loan
http://www.accessgroup.org/Student-Loans/international-student-loans.htm
Citibank Citi-Assist Law Loan
http://studentloan.citibank.com/slcsite/fr_apnow.htm
Nellie Mae Law Excel Loan
http://www.nelliemae.com/loancenter/index.html
Wells Fargo Graduate Loan
https://www.wellsfargo.com/student/loans/graduate
Questions regarding the process for applying these loan programs, should be directed to Debbie.Esparza@lls.edu.
Some organizations offer scholarships for international studies such as The Rotary Foundation.
HOUSING[top]
Loyola Law School provides a roommate matching service, as well as listings of apartments available in Los Angeles. For more information, contact the Law School Information Center at (213) 736-1001 or info@lls.edu.
Please contact italian.co-director@email.it for assistance with finding accommodations in Bologna.