The LL.M program includes a comprehensive curriculum covering a core of traditional legal studies, courses in environmental law, public-interest law and alternative dispute resolution, as well as hands-on training through clinical legal work and opportunities for study abroad at the St. Mary's Institute on World Legal Problems in Innsbruck, Austria. The curriculum reflects our attempt to guide our students toward a mastery of traditional principles of substantive and procedural law, and to prepare students to function in a changing legal environment. It also reflects our belief that our students should be encouraged to engage in theoretical inquiry into the nature of law and its role in society.

American Legal Studies

St. Mary's University School of Law seeks to create an intellectually stimulating environment for a student body composed of persons with diverse backgrounds who share a desire for academic excellence and accomplishment in the practice of law. In 1996, the School of Law established a Master of Laws Degree in American Legal Studies. The LL.M. program is designed for graduates of foreign law schools who wish to enhance their understanding of the American legal system and the English common law from which it evolved. The program, open to a small number of foreign students, offers a broad overview of the American legal system and exposure to specialized areas of American law. The small class size facilitates the integration of the students into the regular J.D. program, and permits the faculty to respond to the students' interests and needs.

Course Requirements

Prior to the beginning of the fall semester, students enrolled in the LL.M. program will be required to attend an orientation program. LL.M. students are expected to obtain the 24 credit-hours required for graduation in nine months of full-time academic work. Among the required courses, foreign students will enroll in are Introduction to the American Legal System, Constitutional Law and Legal Research and Writing. Each student must also write a three-credit thesis of publishable quality. Tuition for the 2007-2008 academic year is $740 per credit hour.

Sample Courses and Seminars Offered in the LL.M. Program in American Legal Studies:

• American Legal History
• Business Associations
• Civil and Common Law Systems
• Contracts
• Criminal Law
• Environmental Law
• International Arbitration
• Jurisprudence
• Law and Economics
• Legal Philosophy
• Mediation
• Patent and Copyright Law
• Procedure
• Property
• Torts
• U.S. Anti-trust Law

How To Apply

To apply for admission to the LL.M. Program in American Legal Studies, you must have obtained a law degree, with high academic standing, from a recognized foreign university. If your primary language is not English, you must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). In addition, you must complete and submit an application form by August 1 for Fall and by December 1 for Spring. Application forms may be obtained by writing to LL.M. Programs, St. Mary's University School of Law, One Camino Santa Maria, San Antonio, TX 78228-8603. Additional information about the program may be obtained by call (210) 431-4285.

A complete application file consists of:

• A completed application form (contained in our general Application Bulletin)
• A non-refundable application fee of $55
• A final law school transcript from your degree-granting institution
• A personal statement describing your educational background, your reasons for enrolling in an LL.M. program, the planned course of study, and your career goals
• Two (2) letters of recommendation (one letter should be from one of your former law professors); and your TOEFL score (reported directly to St. Mary's University School of Law)

International and Comparative Law

St. Mary's University School of Law, located in San Antonio, Texas - a gateway to Mexico - is committed to providing its students with a broad understanding of global issues and the role that law can play in their peaceful resolution. In 1996, St. Mary's established a Master's Degree in International and Comparative Law. The LL.M. program is designed for U.S. lawyers and law school graduates who wish to gain specialized training in international or comparative law. Lawyers who represent clients doing business in Mexico or Latin America will find courses that provide a grounding in civil law.

Students who plan to focus their legal practices on commercial transactions involving the European Union or Eastern Europe will be interested in participating in the St. Mary's summer program in Innsbruck, Austria. Law graduates who are drawn to international human rights will find strong offerings in that area. In short, students enrolled in the LL.M. program will have a wide array of programs, courses and seminars in international and comparative law from which to choose.

Course Requirements

Prior to the beginning of the fall semester, students admitted to the LL.M. program will be required to attend an orientation program. Students enrolled in the program are expected to obtain the 24 credit-hours required for graduation in nine months of full-time academic work. Students are required to take courses in both public international law and basic comparative law, unless they completed such courses in fulfillment of their J.D. requirements. In addition, each student must write a three-credit thesis of publishable quality. Sixteen of the 24 required credits must be earned in the area of international and comparative law. Up to six credits may be earned through the St. Mary's World Institute on Legal Problems, in Innsbruck, Austria. Tuition for the 2007-2008 academic year is $740 per credit hour.

Sample Courses and Seminars Offered in the LL.M. Program in International and Comparative Law:

• Civil and Common Law Systems
• Comparative Criminal Procedure
• Conflicts of Law
• Doing Business with Mexico
• European Union Law
• Gender Issues: An International and Comparative Perspective
• Human Rights in the Americas
• Immigration Consequences of Criminal Convictions
• Immigration Law
• International Arbitration
• International Business Transactions
• International Environmental Law
• International Law
• International Legal Research
• International Trade - NAFTA
• International Taxation
• Law in Radically Different Societies
• North American Legal Systems

How To Apply

To apply for admission to the LL.M. Program in International and Comparative Law, you must have graduated, in good academic standing, from an ABA-accredited law school, and you must complete and submit an application form by August 1 for Fall and December 1 for Spring. Application forms may be obtained by writing to LL.M. Programs, St. Mary's University School of Law, One Camino Santa Maria, San Antonio, TX 78228-8603. Additional information about the program may be obtained by calling (210) 431-4285.

A complete application file consists of:

• A completed application form (contained in our general Application Bulletin)
• A non-refundable application fee of $55
• A final transcript from the institution which granted your J.D. degree
• A Letter of Good Standing from that institution
• A personal statement describing your educational background, your reasons for enrolling in an LL.M. program, the planned course of study, and your career goals
• Two (2) letters of recommendation (one letter should be from one of your former law professors); and a copy of your LSDAS report (contact the Student Records Office of your law school).