A global perspective

In this era of instantaneous world-wide communication and convenient transportation 21st century lawyers must prepare for the legal challenges of the international community. Increasingly, the practice of today’s lawyers, whether they work for the government, private law firms, corporations, international organizations, or nonprofit groups, includes international aspects from cross-border transactions to international treaties and international human rights.  Loyola's School of Law provides an environment where a global perspective is respected and encouraged. Students learn about international law not only in theoretical, abstract terms but also in the context of values-based professional practice. All of the law school's areas of expertise - health law, child and family law, advocacy, business and tax, antitrust, dispute resolution and intellectual property - have strong international components. In addition, students can participate during the semester in programs that take them to London, Hong Kong, Vienna, and other foreign cities, and in the summer, they can study in Loyola’s Rome program.

A large percentage of the full-time Loyola faculty regularly offer courses exploring the international aspects of their fields of expertise. The school's curriculum, in Chicago and abroad, continually expands and deepens to respond to developing areas of professional interest. Individual students have the opportunity to focus on topics of particular interest to them through independent research projects or research in close collaboration with the faculty.

The JD students in our International Certificate Program choose from a wide array of international courses to hone their theoretical and practical skills. The school also provides a wide variety of co-curricular activities and opportunities outside the classroom for students to explore their interests in this area and to gain direct experience in it. Lecture series and conferences, international competitions, the International Law Students Association, and the student-run International Law Review help generate an international perspective within the greater professional community.

Degree Programs

We are pleased to offer a Certificate in International Law and Practice that is designed to expose our JD students to international law and practice and provide a global perspective. For JD and foreign law school graduates we offer an LLM for International Lawyers with tracks in U.S. law or international law at Loyola's downtown campus in Chicago. LLM graduates have the option to continue their studies with a Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD) SJD in International and Comparative Law at our Chicago campus. At our Rome campus in Italy we offer an LLM in Rule of Law for Development for JD and foreign law school graduates, and a Master of Jurisprudence (MJ) MJ in Rule of Law for Development for non-lawyers, at our Rome campus in Italy.