Program Overview

Program Overview

The LL.M. in Trial Advocacy for International Students program at Chicago-Kent College of Law invites foreign attorneys and law students with divergent trial practice backgrounds to gain exposure to the U.S. adversarial trial system—a system somewhat similar to newly revised “oral trials” being adopted by many other countries.

Program Details

• Program Type: Master's
• Degree: LL.M.
• College: Chicago-Kent College of Law
• Program Location: On Campus
• Meets F-1 Visa Requirements: Yes

Career Opportunities

Graduates of the LL.M. Program in Trial Advocacy for International Students can be found in a wide variety of jobs, including:

• Attorney
• Litigator
• Foreign local counsel to multinational clients
• Legal officer for an international or nongovernmental organization
• In-house counsel
• General counsel
• Judge
• Prosecutor
• Public defender
• Law firm associate or partner
• Solo practitioner
• Legal consultant/adviser to foreign clients on U.S. litigation
• Legislator
• Mediator
• Arbitrator
• Expert witness
• Litigation technology consultant/entrepreneur

Curriculum

The 24-credit-hour course of study required to complete the degree includes 17 credit hours of core curriculum courses with an additional seven credit hours dedicated to a specialized externship.

• Required courses:
  • Trial Advocacy 1
  • Trial Advocacy 2
  • Litigation Ethics and Professionalism
  • Evidence and the Art of Advocacy
  • Litigation Technology
  • Introduction to American Legal Systems
• Externship: Students complete the remaining seven credit hours through an externship with a governmental agency, a dispute resolution/mediation practice, and/or a civil litigation practice.

Admission Requirements

This program is open only to foreign-trained lawyers and law students.

• English language competency is essential in order to participate meaningfully in the advocacy programs and most especially in the externship; otherwise, students may be limited in what they can do within their externships.