Overview

The Master of Laws (LLM) in International Economic Law, Business & Policy (IELBP) offers rigorous academic and professional training in subjects relating to international economic law, business, and related policy issues.

This specialized program seeks to provide foreign international business lawyers, as well as aspiring policymakers and academics, with a broad base of expertise in such areas as international trade, international dispute resolution, international business transactions, international investment law, international environmental law, international finance, international corporate and securities issues, and international intellectual property law.

As with other LLM programs, students interested in the IELBP program must have a primary law degree earned outside the United States. Except under unusual circumstances, candidates must have at least two years of professional legal experience before commencing the program.

Candidates admitted to the program will undertake an individually tailored sequence of courses selected primarily from the regular Law School curriculum (and, to a limited extent, from other Stanford University Departments or Programs). LLM students are required to be in residence at Stanford during the full (nine-month) academic year, and must take a minimum of 35 credit units (and a maximum of 42 credit units).

Courses

Candidates admitted to the IELBP program undertake an individually tailored sequence of courses drawn from the law school's international curriculum, from other corporate and business-related courses and, in some cases, from courses in other departments or professional schools. All LLM students must take a minimum of 35 credit units (and a maximum of 42 units). Most courses are three or four units, so the normal course load is three or four courses per quarter.

To meet the program's requirements, students are required to take the following courses:

1. An introductory course in American and common law (see below);
2. A colloquium on select current topics related to the specialization (see below); and
3. A practical writing course.

In addition, students must take approximately half of their remaining coursework in four general areas:

• Public international economic law, including international trade law (WTO, NAFTA, etc.), international intellectual property law (TRIPS, the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works, etc.), international investment law (BITs, etc.), international environmental law (the Kyoto Protocol and its successors, etc.), international tax law, economic aspects of the law of the sea, and international financial regulation;
• International dispute resolution, including international arbitration, international conflict resolution and conflicts of law;
• International transactional work; and
• Comparative business law.

Core-course options outside the law school include offerings related to international relations, international political economy, international economics and international monetary economics. Students may also wish to enrich their perspective with courses in microeconomics, statistics and finance. Beyond the core, students may select from a vast array of courses, including those pertaining to antitrust, banking, bankruptcy, corporations, corporate finance, intellectual property, international law, securities, taxation and telecommunications.

Each student's proposed course of study will be reviewed and approved by the teaching fellow for the IELBP program.

Introduction to American Law

Stanford Law School offers international graduate students an intensive two-week Introduction to American Law course in early September, before regular classes begin. This course is required for all students in the IELBP program. The purpose of this course is to:

• Introduce internationally-trained graduate students to basic concepts of American law and provide an overview of U.S. legal process and institutions.
• Teach students how to read and analyze judicial opinions from U.S. courts.
• Prepare international students to participate in regular Stanford Law School courses.

IELBP Colloquium

All students in the IELBP program also participate in a weekly colloquium that is directed by a teaching fellow in collaboration with the program director. During the course of the year, students produce a research paper in connection with the colloquium. The course extends over two quarters (autumn and winter), and students are required to take both quarters in order to satisfy the program requirements. In the autumn quarter, the colloquium includes an overview and discussion of selected issues in international economic law and business, with a view toward enabling students to select topics for their papers. In the winter quarter, the colloquium focuses on the completion and presentation of the students' research. Students are also encouraged to attend other relevant seminars and colloquiums that are held on campus.

Faculty

The faculty for the IELBP LLM program includes professors recognized nationally and internationally for their expertise in international law, international environmental law, and international economics, business and policy.

Kyle Bagwell (PhD '86)
Affiliated Faculty
Department of Economics

Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar (MA '96, PhD '00)
Professor of Law and Deane F. Johnson Faculty Scholar

Paul Goldstein
Stella W. and Ira S. Lillick Professor of Law

Jonathan D. Greenberg
Lecturer in Law

Thomas C. Heller
Lewis Talbot and Nadine Hearn Shelton Professor of International Legal Studies, Emeritus

Janet Martinez
Senior Lecturer in Law

Jenny S. Martinez
Professor of Law and Justin M. Roach, Jr., Faculty Scholar

Pamela N. Phan
Teaching Fellow in International Economic Law, Business & Policy and Lecturer in Law

Helen Stacy
Senior Lecturer in Law

Alan O. Sykes
James and Patricia Kowal Professor of Law

Related Programs

IELBP students have opportunities for relevant coursework outside the law school in the Stanford University's departments of Economics and Political Science, and the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

In addition, IELBP LLM candidates may participate in several law school programs of academic and professional interest. The Program in Law, Economics & Business builds upon the strengths of two of Stanford Law School's most respected programs: the John M. Olin Program in Law and Economics and the Arthur and Toni Rembe Rock Center for Corporate Governance. The Olin Program plays an active role in the law school, and more generally in the university, in promoting interest in the economic analysis of law. Its activities include the Law and Economics Seminar and an ongoing Law and Economics lunch discussion series.

Admissions

The IELBP program seeks students with strong academic credentials, a clearly evident interest in public and private international law relating to international commerce, and excellent English-speaking abilities. Promising candidates may be interviewed briefly by telephone prior to admission. Admission is limited to students with a primary law degree earned outside the United States. Except under unusual circumstances, candidates must have at least two years of professional legal experience before commencing the program.