LL.M. in U.S. Legal Studies

Transcription

1 LL.M. in U.S. Legal Studies

2 Dean s Welcome You can be the best judge of the University of Connecticut School of Law when you see our beautiful campus and meet the talented, dedicated people who work and study here. We are bound together by a love for all that the law has contributed to the progress of civilization and an unshakable commitment to the possibility that together we can make laws better still. From your first day on any law school campus, you ll be treated to Shakespearean calumny and a litany of lawyer jokes. Yet your chosen profession is among the highest callings because law remains the tool through which nearly seven billion people seek to pursue justice and live together peacefully. As lawyers you will write, interpret, and apply the rules that enable individuals and institutions to work together to produce more goods and services than anyone ever dreamed imaginable. As we move toward a more integrated global economy, your generation of lawyers will be called upon to build legal structures that can manage daunting environmental challenges, provide health care and life s basic necessities to those who now lack them, and above all to ensure freedom and security to diverse peoples in diverse places. At Connecticut we relish our responsibility of training you for those important missions. We will offer you direct and frequent contact with an accomplished and inspired faculty who will set out for you the basic issues that have confronted lawyers for generations and share with you the latest thinking on how these issues are best resolved. We will encourage you to put what you learn into practice by enrolling in one of our many clinical programs or by publishing a paper under a professor s close supervision. And we will surround you with outstanding fellow students in an ideal setting where you will learn in excellent classrooms, study in a world class library and enjoy the many outdoor and nighttime activities that make Connecticut such a wonderful place to live and work. You will often hear me say that the true wonder of the University of Connecticut School Law is that we have the absolute highest standards and we are nice to each other. Yet when one considers the many advantages of teaching and studying here, it s probably not really a surprise at all. Jeremy Paul

3 The Law School Community The Law School s student body is an invigorating mix of people from all over the globe and every walk of life. Collaboration is an inherent part of the Connecticut Law tradition and curriculum. Our students, of course, do compete and compete strongly, but only where competition will improve their lawyering skills - in the preparation, reasoning, and delivery of legal argument. Connecticut Law students and faculty have an unquenchable desire to excel in the world of law, but not at the expense of collegiality and mutual respect. Located on twentyone acres in the historic West End of Hartford, our size and layout make the campus seem more like a small college than a typical law school. The extraordinary level of student and faculty, and staff interaction in the life of the Law School make that even more apparent. People participate in endeavors well beyond the classroom, whether to work on worthwhile local, national, or international projects or to blow off steam with a run in the historic neighborhood or play a ball game on our athletic fields. Dozens of student-run organizations round out the law school experience for our students. With activities ranging from the Student Bar Association to the International Law Society to four student-run law journals, our students are involved in a variety of interesting organizations. For a complete listing of the many organizations we have on campus please consult our web site.

4 Director s Welcome Each year the LL.M. in U.S. Legal Studies at the University of Connecticut School of Law greets a small number of international students selected from a competitive pool of applicants from around the world. Connecticut offers a broad selection of courses - more than 150- in U.S. law, international law, and comparative law. Through close consultation with the faculty, LL.M. students design a program of study which suits each student s professional interests. Connecticut s Mark Weston Janis directs the LL.M. program in U.S. Legal Studies, while Willajeanne F. McLean directs the Law School s program of international exchanges. program in U.S. Legal Studies is also one of the most affordable LL.M. programs in the United States. The small size of the LL.M. class ensures personalized attention to each international student and easy access to a nationally recognized faculty in a supportive and intellectually challenging environment. It also facilitates the candidates integration into the greater law school and local community. The Connecticut School of Law has one of the lowest studentfaculty ratios of any law school in the United States, with a total teaching staff of more than 70 members. The student to faculty ratio is 12:1. Many of the faculty members hold other graduate degrees in addition to their LL.B. or J.D. degree. Many have studied and taught extensively abroad. In addition to its full-time faculty, the School of Law also draws upon experienced practicing attorneys. Classes are intellectually rigorous and involve discussions and Socratic questioning as well as lectures and seminars, which encourage active participation in class. Indeed, close interaction between faculty and students is a hallmark of legal education in the United States and at the University of Connecticut School of Law. Mark Weston Janis

5 LL.M. in U.S. Legal Studies The LL.M. program in U.S. Legal Studies may be pursued on a full-time basis over two or three consecutive semesters, generally beginning in the fall term which starts in late August. LL.M. students design a course of study in their areas of interest. A major purpose of the U.S. Legal Studies program is enabling students to explore a range of subject areas as well as concentrating in a particular field of law. This flexibility encourages students to study new legal areas for the first time, as well as to further their specialization in particular subjects. Students may obtain a certificate of specialization as part of their LL.M. degree. The School of Law offers certification in four areas: International Human Rights, Intellectual Property, Tax Law, and U.S. Insurance Law. LL.M. students are eligible to graduate with honors for excellent academic performance.

6 Applying for Admission Applicants for admission to the LL.M. Program in US Legal Studies must hold a J.D. or equivalent degree from a law faculty outside the United States. The admissions committee considers the applicant s academic performance, intellectual curiosity, writing ability, professional experience, and letters of recommendation. Connecticut enrolls approximately 30 LL.M. candidates each year; the number of applications and expressions of interest significantly exceed that number. Consequently, admission is selective and limited to those who demonstrate academic excellence as well as the highest degree of fluency in both comprehending and writing English. Courses are taught solely in English and candidates must demonstrate fluency in reading and writing English by achieving a TOEFL score of at least 90 on the internet based exam or its equivalent. All international student applications should be received by June 1 for fall enrollment, or November 15 for spring enrollment. Applications received before these dates will be given priority consideration. Admission decisions are generally made within several weeks upon receipt of the completed application. Application forms may be downloaded from the web site at: llm-program-us-legal-studies/ applying-admission/application-instructions. While you can download the application, due to privacy concerns applicants must mail their application to the Program rather than sending it by .

7 A Great Place to Study Law The Law School s beautiful 21-acre campus is listed on the National Register of Historic Sites. Equally inviting is the campus surrounding area, the splendidly historic West End of Hartford. Beautiful and architecturally interesting homes abound, many of which provide living accommodations for students. The area is rich in tradition, offering widely varied dining and entertainment choices in an historic setting. Just as important to our students is downtown Hartford. Within a 10-minute drive or an easy mass transit trip are the Connecticut Superior, Appellate and Supreme Courts, the State Capitol, virtually all state and federal agencies, and numerous major law firms. Known as the international center of the insurance industry, Hartford is also home to several multinational corporations. Each of these institutions provides opportunities for you to participate in offcampus study, externships, clinical practice, and employment, all within very close proximity to the Law School campus. Hartford is a thriving arts, cultural, and athletic center, hosting many art exhibitions, movies, concerts, athletic events, and dramatic performances. The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts presents major Broadway shows, symphony orchestras, films, and jazz, blues and cabaret performances. Great places to eat abound. Hartford s location in New England is terrific. In less than an hour s drive, one will find excellent hiking trails, ocean views, organic farms, skiing and snowboarding, and quaint villages. Students can drive from Hartford north to Boston or south to New York in about two hours. Additionally, numerous national and international flights are available at Bradley International Airport, which is just twenty-five minutes from the Law School.

8 Office of International Graduate Studies 65 Elizabeth Street Hartford, CT