To Current 2L J.D. Students Interested in Further Studies In International Law:
J.D.-LL.M. Program in International Law
Applications due by 12:00pm on Monday, March 22, 2010.
The New York University School of Law’s Institute for International Law and Justice (IILJ) invites applications from current second-year J.D. students wishing to join the Law School’s four-year J.D.-LL.M. Program in International Law. Successful applicants will become IILJ Scholars during their 3L and LL.M. years. The program aims to provide close mentoring and specialist training for a small number of outstanding students who will go on to make a significant contribution to scholarship, teaching, and innovative practice in the field of international law. IILJ Scholars will have the opportunity to develop a substantial research agenda and publication record in international law, supported by opportunities for practical engagement and field research. The three-year J.D. program is followed by a one-year Master of Laws degree (LL.M.) that combines research and writing with some coursework. Throughout the program IILJ Scholars will participate in academic colloquia, including presentation of their own scholarship during the LL.M. year, and in special seminars with leading scholars and practitioners in international law. Individual mentoring by international law faculty is a key component of the program.
This program is designed to overcome the growing challenge in a three-year J.D. program of obtaining both an outstanding general legal education and the depth of specialist expertise and proven publication record that is required for success in the academic and public sector job markets in international law. International law is a specialized and complex field. For the academic and international organizations job markets in particular, where a portfolio of high-quality written work is required, J.D. graduates are increasingly seeking not only clerkships and practical experience, but also post-graduate research and course work in international law. The NYU J.D.-LL.M. offers an integrated program of specialized training that is made possible by the Law School’s unique range and depth in international law faculty, courses, and programmatic resources.
Graduating IILJ Scholars have already received numerous prestigious federal court clerkships. Two now have permanent positions in the U.S. State Department; one has clerked with the International Court of Justice, others have obtained judicial clerkships in the United States, and yet others have gone into major law firms, NGOs, and further fellowships.
Program Details
For the J.D. component of the program, normal NYU School of Law scholarship and financial aid criteria apply. The Law School will meet the entire tuition charge for the LL.M. year. Living expenses in that year are the responsibility of the Scholar. The IILJ and the Law School are seeking ways to assist with these expenses, on a general or case by case basis, but cannot give definite assurances of support at present.
During their third year of J.D. studies, IILJ Scholars will participate in the IILJ Seminar (offered in the Fall) as well as in the IILJ Colloquium (offered in the Spring). In the LL.M. year, Scholars take individually-tailored course schedules, including an International Law Thesis course, and write one or more substantial supervised research papers on topics relating to international law. The LL.M. is normally undertaken immediately following the J.D., but deferrals may be considered in special cases for clerkships.
Applications should include a letter explaining reasons for interest in the program and future career aspirations, academic transcripts from NYU and pre-Law School studies (informal transcripts are accepted), a description of the applicant’s involvement in relevant activities prior to and during J.D. studies, and an indication of areas of particular research interest. Students whose research interests cross over between international law and other areas of law, or between international law and other disciplines, are also encouraged to apply.
Further information about the program is available on this site, including a list of current IILJ Scholars and their research interests, and examples of the programs in which IILJ Scholars may become involved, ranging from research on Global Administrative Law to providing legal advice to the Republic of Palau’s mission to the United Nations or to the Afghanistan’s mission to the United States.
Applications should be submitted by 12:00pm on Monday, March 22, 2010 to Alma Fuentes, Institute for International Law and Justice, 110 West 3rd Street, Room 219, New York, NY 10012-1099, Tel: (212) 998-6710, Fax: (212) 995-3825, email: iilj@exchange.law.nyu.edu.
The Director of the J.D.-LL.M. Program in International Law is Professor Robert Howse. The IILJ Director is Professor Robert Howse; Professors Philip Alston and Joseph Weiler are Co-Directors. Professors Philip Alston, Kevin Davis, David Golove, Mattias Kumm, Smita Narula, Margaret Satterthwaite, Richard Stewart and Katrina Wyman are among those also involved with this Program.