Master of Laws (LL.M.)

LL.M. Academic Information

The Moritz College of Law LL.M. Program designed to provide foreign lawyers with a basic understanding of the United States legal system through a rigorous program of legal training by the Moritz College of Law faculty. The program integrates foreign LL.M. students into J.D. classes, providing LL.M. students with more than 145 classes and seminars from which to craft the LL.M. that best suits their interests and career goals. Students are required to successfully complete 24 semester credits to earn the LL.M. degree. Courses can be attended on a part-time basis, provided the student is not on an F-1 visa.

There are two courses designed solely for LL.M. students. The U.S. Legal System and Legal Traditions is a 3-credit overview of American law and the U.S. legal profession. It combines an introduction to U.S. common law and statutory law with an in-depth examination of some of the distinctive features of the U.S. legal tradition. Legal Analysis, Research & Writing for International Students is a 2-credit course in research and writing that will build the professional skills that are critical to the practice of law.

There are three ways to structure one's LL.M. studies. First, an LL.M. student may choose to pursue a truly general LL.M. that provides him or her with a broad understanding of the fundamentals of American law, electing to take courses in torts, contracts, constitutional law, etc. Alternatively, an LL.M. student may opt to focus on areas of particular interest or relevance to the student's career. This can be accomplished by tailoring an individual selection of courses. Or, a student may fulfill the requirements for one of the designated LL.M. concentrations.

Regardless of the path chosen, LL.M. students will graduate from this program with new skills to further their career in their home country, as well as with the tools needed to function effectively in an increasingly global economy.

LL.M. Academic Concentrations

At Ohio State, the LL.M. student has an option to enroll in courses that will qualify as a specialization in a selected area of law. By taking a minimum of 12 semester hours of related courses, the student earns a transcript designation for a concentration in the area.

The following six concentration areas are pre-designed to meet the needs of many LL.M. students: Business, Intellectual Property and Information Law, Criminal Law and Procedure, International and Comparative Law, Labor and Employment Law, and Alternative Dispute Resolution. In addition, the LL.M. student may design a customized concentration in consultation with the Assistant Dean or the Faculty Director.

Within each area of concentration, a student may choose from many courses that are regularly offered in the curriculum at the Moritz College of Law.* Representative courses are:

Business Law

• Accounting for Lawyers
• Administrative Law
• Analysis of Financial Instruments
• Banking Law
• Bankruptcy Law
• Business Associations
• Business and Tax Legal Research
• Capital Markets Seminar
• Commercial Leasing
• Commercial Paper
• Contract Drafting
• Contracts
• Corporate Finance
• Federal Antitrust Law
• Federal Income Taxation
• International Business Transactions
• Insurance Law
• International Tax
• International Trade
• Mergers and Acquisitions
• Nonprofit Organizations
• Real Estate Finance
• Sales
• Secured Transactions
• Securities Regulation
• Small Business and Entrepreneurial Finance
• Taxation of Business Enterprises
• Courses taught by Distinguished Practitioners in Residence (see 2009-2010 offerings)

Criminal Law and Procedure

• Criminal Law
• Criminal Law Defenses Seminar
• Criminal Procedure: Adjudication
• Criminal Procedure: Investigation
• Death Penalty
• Evidence
• International Aspects of Criminal Law
• Sexual Violence and the Law Seminar
• White Collar Crime

Intellectual Property and Information Law

• Copyright
• Copyright in the 21st Century
• International Intellectual Property
• Introduction to Intellectual Property
• Patent Law
• Patent Prosecution
• Privacy
• Property
• Telecommunications Law
• Topics in the Law of Cyberspace
• Trademark

International Law

• Comparative Dispute Resolution
• Comparative Employment Law
• Foreign, International, and Comparative Legal Research
• Foreign Relations Law
• Immigration Law
• International Aspects of Criminal Law
• International Business Litigation
• International Business Transactions
• International Dispute Resolution
• International Human Rights
• International Intellectual Property Law
• International Law
• International Tax
• International Trade
• Law in Africa
• Middle East Conflict Seminar

Dispute Resolution

• ADR in the Workplace
• Advanced Studies in Dispute Resolution
• Arbitration
• Comparative Dispute Resolution
• Dispute Resolution: Theory & Practice
• Ethics and ADR
• Inter-Ethnic Conflict Resolution Seminar
• International Dispute Resolution
• Issues in Arbitration Seminar
• Lawyering within Dispute Resolution Processes
• Mediation Practicum
• Middle East Conflict Seminar
• Multiparty Mediation Practicum
• Negotiation

Labor and Employment

• Administrative Law
• ADR in the Workplace
• Arbitration
• Comparative Employment Law
• Employment Discrimination
• Employment Law
• Labor Law
• Law of Disability Discrimination

Customized
This option provides the student with an opportunity to create a customized concentration. The student will work with either the Assistant Dean or Faculty Director to design the concentration; the customized concentration must be approved by the Faculty Director.

*It should be noted that not all classes are offered every year. Additionally, certain upper level courses may necessitate taking pre-requisite course/s.