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LL.M. Degree

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LL.M. Residential Track & Requirements

The Residential Track is designed for students who wish to pursue their LL.M. in Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law while living in Washington, D.C. This track offers a unique in-person experience, allowing students to fully engage with all that D.C. has to offer—including opportunities to intern/work at leading international organizations and NGOs, attend more than 50 in-person courses on the AUWCL campus, hundreds of events, and learn from world-renowned expert faculty. Students in this track may also qualify to sit for the New York Bar Exam by completing the Bar-required courses and,if eligible, apply for Optional Practical Training (OPT) upon completion of the program. The Residential track is offered only in English and students may be required to meet the English language proficiency requirement (Duolingo, TOEFL, IELTS) https://www.american.edu/wcl/academics/degrees/llm/how-to-apply/instructions.cfm

Students in the Residential Track must attend the Summer term, and, subject to individual visa requirements, have up to five years from the date of enrollment to complete the program.

LL.M. COURSE REQUIREMENTS

The LL.M. degree in International Human Rights and Humanitarian Law requires completion of 24 credits from the designated list of classes, externships, or research projects with a grade point average of 2.0 (C) or higher.

Students are required to take 12 credits in Core Courses in International Human Rights and Humanitarian Law. Depending on experience, students should choose 6 credits from a list of suggested core course credits, and complete the remaining of the credits with other key elective course credits. In addition, students are required to complete credits during the Summer Program of Advanced Studies in Human Rights and Humanitarian Law.

  • LAW-980-001 Advanced International Law and Peace Negotiations
  • LAW-795AL-001 Africana Legal Studies
  • LAW-656-001 Asylum & Refugee Law
  • LAW-659A-001 EU Law, Policy & Diplomacy
  • LAW-725B-001 Gender, Cultural Differences, and International Human Rights Seminar
  • LAW-808-001 International Business & Human Rights 
  • LAW-618-001 International Environmental Law
  • LAW-795MB-002 International Human Rights Law Courts & Monitoring Bodies
  • LAW-620-001 International Humanitarian Law
  • LAW-903-001 International Law Commission Practicum
  • LAW-754 LLM Externship
  • LAW-978-001 Responses of International Law to Conflict-Based Sexual and Gender Violence
  • LAW-997-001 Strategic Litigation and Human Rights
  • LAW-620-001 International Humanitarian Law
  • LAW-626-001 Human Rights
  • LAW-676A-001 Gender & International & Comparative Law
  • LAW-739A-001 Human Rights & Terrorism Seminar
  • LAW-754-012 Human Rights Externship (LLM Only)
  • LAW-850-001 International Criminal Law
  • LAW-927-001 International Trafficking in Persons
  • LAW-956-001 Torture Prohibition in International Law (Permission Only)
  • LAW-980-001 Advanced International Law and Peace Negotiations (Permission Only)
  • LAW-997-001 Strategic Litigation & Human Rights

All LL.M. students who were not trained in a common law country are required to take the following courses:

  • LAW-580-001 American Legal Institutions (2 credits)
  • LAW-580-002 Legal Research & Writing (2 credits)

Experiential and Research Projects (up to 6 credits-optional)

In addition to regular courses, students can earn credits through externships and/or independent studies. Each semester, students are encouraged to seek experiential learning opportunities through externships for credit at international or domestic institutions, NGOs or think tank employers in fields related to international human rights and humanitarian law. Those interested in research skills may complete an independent study for credit supervised by a faculty advisor.

Any remaining credits may be chosen from among the wide variety of WCL courses that are open to LL.M. students. Additionally, students may attend specialized summer programs abroad, including the Geneva Program on Human Rights, Labor, and the International Law Commission and the Summer Program in The Hague on International Criminal Law.

With careful planning, foreign-educated law students can meet the LL.M. degree requirements and the New York bar eligibility requirements at the same time.

Of the 24 credit hours required to earn the LL.M., 12 credits must be in the subject matters required by the New York bar.

New York Bar Courses include:
Required (6 credits)

  • LAW-580-001: American Legal Institutions (2 credits; offered Fall & Spring)

  • LAW-580-002: Legal Research & Writing (2 credits; offered Fall o& Spring), and

  • LAW-550: Legal Ethics (2 credits; offered Spring & Summer)

Plus 6 credits from the following courses:

  • LAW-581-001: U.S. Business Law (3 credits; offered Spring)

  • LAW-504-002: U.S. Contracts Law (3 credits; offered Fall)

  • LAW-503-001: U.S. Constitutional Law (3 credits; offered Spring)

  • LAW-507-001: U.S. Criminal Law (3 credits; offered Fall)

  • LAW-636: Family Law (3 credits; offered Fall & Spring)

LL.M. candidates interested in taking the New York bar exam must complete the degree within 2 years of beginning the LL.M. program, and may only enroll in a maximum of 4 summer credits.

U.S. Bar Exam Information

The LL.M. in International Human Rights and Humanitarian Law is not specifically designed as a U.S. bar exam preparation course; however, after graduating from the program, many of our students sit for the New York bar exam. We urge students interested in taking a U.S. bar exam to review the Comprehensive Guide to Bar Admission Requirements, which lists the bar eligibility requirements of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The guide is published by the National Conference of Bar Examiners.

Students interested in sitting for the D.C. bar exam will be required to take 24 credits. Please review the complete eligibility requirements.

Information about the New York bar is available at www.nybarexam.org. Foreign-trained attorneys should pay particular attention to Rule 520.6 of the Court of Appeals for the Admission of Attorneys and Counselors at Law and to the pre-LL.M. education requirements. Foreign-trained attorneys must submit an evaluation of their foreign credentials up to one year in advance of sitting for the New York bar exam.

FULL-TIME OR PART-TIME:


The LL.M. degree can be completed full time (two or three regular semesters), or part-time (up to 5 years, as long as no visa restrictions apply). Students on an F-1 or J-1 visa must be enrolled in at least 8 credits during the fall and the spring, except for the last semester when students can take a reduced course load for 1-7 credits.