Academics. Washington college of law LL.M. Programs

1.

ACADEMICS
WASHINGTON COLLEGE OF LAW LL.M. PROGRAMS
Tra Pham, Ph.D.
Associate Director & Academic Advisor
International Legal Studies Program (ILSP)

2.

LLM Programs
In-residence Programs
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International Legal Studies
International Business & Trade
International Arbitration &
Business
Gender, Intl Law &
Comparative Law
Human Rights & Humanitarian
Law
Law & Government; Legislation
Intellectual Property Law
Trial Advocacy
Online/Hybrid Programs
• International Arbitration & Business
LL.M.
• Human Rights & Humanitarian
Law

3.

ILSP LL.M. specializations:
• International Business Law
• International Environmental Law
• International Trade or/and Investment Law
• International Dispute Resolution/International Arbitration
• International Criminal Law

4.

Law & Government LLM: specializations or concentrations:
• Administrative Law & Regulatory Policy
Energy Law & Policy
Environmental Law & Policy
Health Law & Policy
Immigration Law & Policy
IP & Information Justice
Labor and Employment Law & Policy
National Security Law & Policy
• Civil & Constitutional Rights
Criminal Law
Disability Rights
Gender & the Law
Law, Politics, & Legislation
• Business & Financial Regulation
• IP & Information Justice
• Securities Law & Policy

5.

IP and Technology LLM, Specializations:
• Copyright
• Trademark
• Patent
• Technology
Trial Advocacy specializations:
• Criminal Trial Advocacy
• Civil Trial Advocacy
• Alternative Dispute Resolution

6.

Academic Calendar
• Orientation for new LLM students: Tuesday, August 17,
2021
• First day of classes: Friday, August 20, 2021
• Last day of course registration: Monday, August 30,
2021.
• View Fall 2021 Academic Calendar here.

7.

Duration
• Study in the US on F1 or J1 visa: Must enroll full-time:
• Min. 8 credits/semester; can do less than 8 credits in last semester
• Full time = 2 or 3 regular semesters (summer is not considered a
regular semester)
• Non-F1/J1 visa students:
• Can enroll part time (less than 8 credits/semester)
• Must complete within 5 years BUT 2 years if taking NY Bar exam

8.

Degree Requirements
• Min. 24 credits with GPA of 2.0
• Non-common law trained students in the first semester:
• American Legal Institutions – LAW-580 (2 credits)
• LL.M. Legal Research and Writing – LAW-580L (2 credits):
IP LLM: also required for common law students without US J.D.
degree.
• Note: These two classes are mandatory to qualify to
sit for the New York bar exam, regardless of legal
traditions.
• Up to 6 credits (Trial Ad. 8 credits) can be earned in:
externships, independent study, and non-WCL classes.

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Degree Requirements (cont.)
• Required courses:
Trade; Arbitration; Gender; and Human Rights: min. 12 credits in
specialized subjects.
IP: min. 12 credits in intellectual property and information law
courses, including at least one foundational IP course.
Trial Advocacy: Ethics for Trial Lawyers & one Advanced Trial
Advocacy Course.
• Specializations (ILSP; and L&G): 12 out of 24 credits in
the area of specialization.

10.

Graduation Tracks
• OPTION 1: Research Track:
• 2 papers (Trial Ad.: 1 paper)
• OPTION 2: Practical Skills Track:
• 1 externship & 1 paper (Trial Ad.: no paper)
• Paper length requirements:
3,500 words each
One 7000-word paper in lieu of 2 papers
Exception for L&G: Paper length 20-25 pages each
• Thesis is not required

11.

What Counts as a Paper?
• Memo for LL.M. Legal Research and Writing
• Exception for L&G: Memo does not count
• A final paper written for a class (instead of final exam)
• Hint: letter “U” on course schedule
• Independent Study (1-6 credits)
A paper on a topic of your own choosing under faculty supervision, or
extension of a paper of a class
1 credit= 3,500 words
• Notes:
• An independent study credit costs the same as any other
credit.
• Independent Study credits are not accepted by the New York
bar towards the 24 required credits
• Contact your academic advisor about steps to register for
independent study

12.

Externship
• Off-campus work for credit: typically 1- 2 credits
• Must register for the externship course to earn credits
• F1 visa students:
• Not allowed in first semester
• Must apply for Curricular Practical Training (CPT).
• Must have secured an externship offer before applying for CPT.
• Application for CPT may take up to 10 business days.
• Need advice related to externships?
LLM Career Counselor: Shanza Qureshi
Externship Advisors: Melanija Radnovic (ILSP, Trade, Arbitration,
Gender, Human Rights, and IP), or Julie Swaney (L&G, Trial
Advocacy).

13.

Course Registration
• Registration period: April 9 – August 30, 2021
• Full Fall 2021 course listing:
https://www.wcl.american.edu/registrar/coursesapp/searc
hcourse2.cfm?time=fall_2021
• Approved Courses for ILSP LLMs:
https://www.wcl.american.edu/registrar/coursesapp/searc
hcourse2.cfm?prog=ilsp&time=fall_2021
• Can’t register for classes with overlapping schedules. No
exception, even with permission from the professor
• After add/drop period (Aug. 30)
CANNOT add courses
CAN withdraw; depending on the timing there may be a penalty:
“W” on transcript and partial tuition charge

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Course Registration (cont.)
• Waitlists:
• Add your name to waitlist of a course.
• As spaces open up, you will receive e-mails from the registrar’s
office letting you know you they can register.
• If you do not register within 24 hours of the e-mail being sent to
you, you will be removed from the course. Make sure to check
your AU e-mail address every day!!!
• You can only be on the waitlist for 3 courses, and can’t be
waitlisted for different sections of the same class.
• Tip: attend first class and speak with the professor – he/she may
open up the class to admit more.

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Course Registration (cont.)
• Only students who have paid the seat deposit to confirm their
attendance may register.
• Register online at myau.american.edu/Eagle Service.
• Step-by-Step Guide to Course Registration:
https://www.wcl.american.edu/index.cfm?LinkServID=0CA5752
C-DE3E-133E-8BC8628A7DA6089F
• Tips:
• Have your course names, course numbers, and professor names
ready
• Refer to the Full Fall 2021 course listing or ILSP approved course
listing (courses are more updated than on the Catalogue via Eagle
Service)
• Must add a section number to be able to complete the registration
(e.g. LAW-(course number)-xxx (the last three digits are section
number)
• Questions: [email protected] or contact Academic Advisor

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Course Management Platforms
• Access course announcements and materials (syllabus,
required book(s), reading assignments) on MyWCL or
Canvas, using your myAU credentials.
• Access not open immediately after registration. Check regularly.
• MyWCL: http://my.wcl.american.edu/
• Canvas: http://canvas.american.edu/: Canvas is used
when classes have asynchronous materials
• Professors will use either myWCL or Canvas, not both

17.

NY Bar Exam – Eligibility Requirements
These requirements are for law graduates from both common law and
civil law backgrounds, if they are required to do an LLM to cure the
deficiency of their first law degree:
• LL.M. with 24 credits. No online credits are accepted Hybrid
and Online Students not Eligible
• Max. 4 summer credits; externship credits accepted; independent
study credits not accepted.
• Must complete within 2 years of beginning the LLM
• Course requirements:
Mandatory:
• American Legal Institutions (2 credits; fall & spring)
• LLM Legal Research and Writing (2 credits; fall & spring)
• Legal Ethics (2 credits; spring & summer)

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• Elective: Min. 6 credits on subjects tested on the NY bar,
such as:
• US Contracts (3 credits; fall)
• US Constitutional Law (3 credits; spring)
• US Criminal Law (3 credits; fall)
• US Business Law (3 credits; spring)
• Family Law (3 credits; fall & spring)
• Administrative Law (3 credits; all semesters)
• Constitutional Law: 1st Amendment (3 credits; spring)
• Wills, Trusts and Estate; Secured Transactions; Evidence – prior
approval

19.

Advanced Evaluation of Foreign
Credentials
• ALL foreign students, regardless of legal background, are
required to submit advanced evaluation of eligibility.
Lengthy process that may take up to 6 months.
Documents must be sent directly from home
countries to NY bar. File Form ASAP! Visit NY Bar
website: https://www.nybarevaluation.org/Intro.aspx for
more information.
• Request Deadline: May 1 for Feb bar exam; October 1
for July bar exam.
• Still submit even if you have slightly passed the deadline!
• Required documentation:
http://www.nybarexam.org/Foreign/ForeignLegalEducatio
n.htm

20.

English and Writing Resources
1. Improve your English skills:
• English for Lawyers (not for credit)
Cost for one semester is approximately $2,800
Required for students with TOEFL scores below 93; and IELTS: 6.5
• Volunteer English tutors
• Online tool: newsela.com – a self-study/improvement resource
(free app): excellent for building up reading speed, vocabulary, and
background knowledge (real news articles)
2. Improve your writing and research skills:
• Writing tutor (free; individual appointments) – Erica Balanc @
[email protected]
• Legal Research and Writing course (if not required)

21.

Academic Advising
• ILSP; Trade; Arbitration; Gender
• Tra Pham: [email protected]
• Human Rights:
• Claudia Blount: [email protected]
• Law & Government; Legislation
• Guarina Lopez-Davis: [email protected]
• Trial Advocacy
• Cynthia Jones: [email protected]
• Intellectual Property
• Tahniat Saulat: [email protected]
• Advising on eligibility and resources for bar exams: Tra Pham at
[email protected]

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Other resources
• Career Counseling: Shanza Qureshi (OCPD)
• Student Support:
Programs’ faculty and staff
LL.M. Board
David Jaffe, Dean of WCL Student Affairs
• Visa and Scholarships: Alberto Lopez:
[email protected]

23.

Academic Programs
• Business Law Program: Prof. Snyder and Prof. Jerry Comizio
• Commercial Arbitration Center: Professor Horacio Grigera, Susana
Castiglione & Bjorn Arp
Trade, Investment and Development Program: Prof. Padideh Ala’i
(Director), Tra Pham, & Bjorn Arp
Environmental Law: Prof. David Hunter and Prof. Leiter
Gender and the Law: Prof. Daniela Kraiem
Human Rights Center: Prof. Macarena Saez; Prof. Goldman; Prof.
Grossman; Prof. Mendez
Academy of Human Rights: Prof. Claudia Martin & Prof. Diego
Rodriguez-Pinzon
War Crime Office (ICL): Prof. Susana Sacouto
L& G: Prof. Steve Wermiel
Trial Ad: Prof. Cynthia Jones;
IP : Prof. Michael Carroll; Prof. Christine Farley; Prof. Sean Flynn
Tech, Security, Law: Prof. Alex Joel and Gary Corn

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• Book an appointment for individual advising with Tra
Pham:
https://calendly.com/internationalllms/academic-andstudent-advising
• Zoom link to join the call:
https://auwcl.zoom.us/j/98892971934