In recognition of the increasing internationalization of the legal profession, since 1985, the Law School has offered select JD candidates the opportunity to pursue a Master of Laws (LLM) degree in international and comparative law contemporaneously with their study for the JD degree. Students accepted to this joint degree program commence their studies in the summer, undertaking part of the regular first-year curriculum with students who are enrolled in the joint JD/MA program. During the remaining six semesters of law study and in a four-week period at one of Duke's summer programs JD/LLM students complete requirements for both degrees. The summer programs include the Duke-Geneva Institute in Transnational Law and the Asia-America Institute in Transnational Law.
Students in the Geneva summer institute.
Over the course of six semesters and two summers students in the JD/ LLM program are required to complete twenty additional credit hours of approved classes, which must include International Law, Comparative Law, Research Methodology in International, Foreign, and Comparative law, and course work or an independent study for which a significant piece of writing is required. Candidates must maintain a minimum grade point average of 2.5 in these courses. Students must also show competency in at least one foreign language.
Beyond the required courses, the courses applied toward the LLM consist primarily of those in international, comparative, and foreign law at the Law School and at one of the Institutes of Transnational Law. However, they may also include courses taken in related fields in other divisions of the university. Six of the twenty hours required for the LLM degree may be taken in the Graduate School or in upper-level undergraduate course work, including advanced language study. The Duke University Area Studies Program is particularly rich in courses dealing with Canada, China, Germany, and Japan, and the Political Science Department provides one of the world’s strongest programs in international relations.