CMPINT-LLM - Comparative and International Law

Program Website

The graduate program for foreign law school graduates is rooted in the efforts of SMUs School of Law in the early 1950s to make the school a leading international legal center. More than 2000 international graduates of the school from more than 80 countries now occupy prominent positions in government, legal practice, business, the judiciary and legal education around the world.

The primary goal of the program is to enhance the international students legal skills so that they may become a more effective lawyer and member of society. In this respect, the program seeks to develop:

• An appreciation of the role of law in national and international development.

• The ability to identify, through comparative and international studies, policy considerations of various legal rules.

• An appreciation of the role of the lawyer in social and economic change

• .Legal analysis and problem-solving abilities to enable the student to meet the complex needs of the modern world.

• A basic understanding of the U.S. legal system, as studied from a comparative perspective.

• A frame of reference for dealing with business and legal interests in a transnational setting.

This LL.M. degree can also qualify a person to take the bar examination in Texas, New York and California, if the student meets certain curricular requirements and otherwise complies with the regulations of such states.

Additional Information
LL.M. students enroll in many classes offered to the JD students in the rich law school curriculum, with a few exceptions. Students desiring to qualify for the Texas or New York or other state bar exams enroll in some courses that are tested on relevant bar exams, in accordance with such state’s bar exam requirements. Formal concentrations are offered in some areas of law. Students interested in concentrations should consult with the Assistant Dean for Graduate and International Programs.