International Studies
Duke Law's LLM, SJD, and Overseas Exchange programs attract top lawyers and students from around the world. In 2012, more than 90 international lawyers representing 35 countries earned a Duke Law LLM degree.
International Studies
Duke Law’s curriculum is designed to be flexible, giving you the opportunity to design much of your course schedule to meet your intellectual and career goals. Below are the academic fields for which Duke Law is best known and in which we offer the largest array of courses, programs, and resources.
Business & Entrepreneurial Law | Constitutional & Public Law | Criminal Law | Environmental Law | Intellectual Property | International Law | Public Interest
News highlights
Learn about the Duke Law LLM experience
Watch and read testimony from past and present LLM students who describe life in Durham and at Duke, both in and out of the classroom.
Duke Law celebrates the careers of Donald and Judy Horowitz
Lauding the careers and contributions of Professor Donald Horowitz and Associate Dean for International Studies Judy Horowitz on Nov. 11, Dean David F. Levi noted, “There is Don. And there is Judy. And then there is ‘Don and Judy.’” Make a gift to the Judy Horowitz Scholarship Fund
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News
- Celebrating the Class of 2013
- Zhang ’93 meets with LLM students
- Osterman defends SJD dissertation on mass digitization projects
- Duke Law salutes graduating pro bono leaders
- Bradley, Farahany, and Rai elected to membership in American Law Institute
- 5 Questions for Kailun Li LLM '13
- Tatiana Sainati '13
- Learn about the Duke Law LLM experience
- Planning for the future: Katharina Riedl LLM '13
- Life outside the classroom: Alberto Gutierrez Pier LLM '13
"Duke was a transformational experience for me in many ways. It helped me transition from corporate practice to dispute resolution and built up my resume to make it look attractive for potential employers in international arbitration. I want to specially thank you for the personal attention you gave to each one of us in the LLM program and also for helping me with my job search in the U.S."
— Aditya Kurian LLM'12
clerked with the Secretariat of the ICC International Court of Arbitration in Hong Kong before accepting a position as counsel with the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC).
"Lectures that I took at Duke were so interesting and intellectually engaging that, for the first time in my life, I was sad when the school year ended. I thought I would never say this, but school can be fun."
— Dragan Gajin
Serbia
"Duke Law’s professors are very knowledgeable and patient with students’ questions. They give not only answers, but also the means to develop answers by ourselves. That’s very useful for lawyers who will face all kinds of different challenges today."
— WenYu Chia
Taiwan
"Duke Law is a great school — not only is it highly ranked and prestigious, but it is also very welcoming of its students. Students have the flexibility to make selections from a large number of courses. This ensures that a student is able to develop the expertise she desires in fields of law of her choice."
— Simone Reis
India
"The Law School building is amazing, and it is a pleasure to come to every day for your courses and to meet your classmates. The library is very spacious, you have incredible resources and facilities, and many people are there to assist you if you need some help. There is also a great dynamism in everyday life: many events are organized every week, and you can always go to talks given by professionals and professors at lunchtime."
— Marie-Amelie Simon
France
"Professors are the best in their fields and really enjoy passing on their knowledge, inside and outside the classroom."
— Javier Carrizo
Panama
"I edited Professor Paul Carrington’s upcoming book about great lawyers throughout the history of the United States. It was a fruitful experience as I had to understand the three governmental branches in a way that advanced my own research, which covers the interplay between the three. I learned a lot from his experience during our long formal and informal talks."
— Nir Shnaiderman
Israel
Why Duke Law?
Curriculum
Duke Law’s curriculum is designed to deepen your legal skills and strengthen your understanding of the American legal system, both through the courses you take and the interactions you have with faculty and JD students. With the exception of two required LLM courses, Distinctive Aspects of American Law and Legal Analysis, Research and Writing for International Students, you will take all your courses with Duke Law JD students.
Faculty
Duke Law faculty value knowledge in the service of society. They tackle complex, real-world problems in the scholarship and teaching, they serve as government advisors and legal commentators, and they invite students to participate fully in their exploration of the law. They keep an open-door policy with students and an open-communication policy with far-flung alumni. Duke professors are colleagues, mentors, and friends to students — during your time at Duke Law and long afterward.
Students
Recent Duke Law LLM students have been judges, lawyers, professors, students, stock traders, authors, musicians, Fulbright scholars and athletes, and each class typically represents more than 30 countries. Add to the mix our JD students — with whom our LLM students take most courses — and you’ll find an unparalleled diversity of experience and perspective that enriches our courses and our community.
Living In Durham
Many LLM students find that Durham is a wonderful place to live for a year. The city offers affordable and spacious housing options, plentiful outdoor and sporting activities, excellent restaurants and farmer’s markets, and easy access to weekend recreation in North Carolina’s coastal and mountain communities. If you are bringing your family along, you’ll also appreciate Durham’s many kid-friendly entertainment opportunities.
Extracurricular
You will work hard as a student at Duke Law, but you’ll also find time to enjoy your time in the United States. LLM students participate in Duke Law student organizations, join JD students for Thursday “Bar Review” sessions (outings to local pubs), and often organize trips to tourist destinations. And many take advantage of the excitement of Duke athletics programs, particularly our nationally ranked men’s basketball team.
Facilities
Thanks to recent renovations and additions, Duke Law School is housed in a spacious and technologically advanced building. The beautiful Star Commons and the adjacent café are favorite gathering spots for our community; our library is large, light-filled, and state-of-the-art. From classrooms to gardens, you’ll find comfortable places to learn, collaborate, and study.
Alumni
More than 10 percent of Duke Law alumni work and live outside the United States, which means we have wonderful and loyal alumni in just about every region and country of the world. Many international students come to Duke to launch careers in the United States as well. Wherever they go, Duke Law alumni serve as mentors and advisors to students, regularly return to campus for events, and welcome Duke colleagues into their homes and offices around the world.
Interested in Duke Law?