LL.M. in International and Comparative Law

School of Law students get hooded at commencement.

The LL.M. in International Criminal Law is a post-J.D. degree designed for American lawyers who intend to pursue a specialized government career as a federal or state prosecutor or as a private-sector criminal defense lawyer. International students who have a foundation in American Jurisprudence may apply as well.

This LL.M. degree is also appropriate for those lawyers who choose to practice in the areas of federal law enforcement, military law or who liaise with the 17 agencies that make up the intelligence community.

LL.M. Degree Plan

Each of the three LL.M. programs at the St. Mary’s School of Law requires 24 credit hours of coursework, a portion of which can be customized to each individual’s needs. The LL.M. program can be completed in as little as nine months as a full-time student, or over the course of two years as a part-time student.

International Criminal Law LL.M. candidates are required to successfully complete 21 out of 24 credit hours from the specific criminal law courses outlined in the Courses section. Courses taken in fulfillment of J.D. requirements may not be repeated. Students have two years to complete the degree, but can complete the program in two semesters of full-time study.

LL.M. Courses

Required Courses:

Public International Law (Required)
International Criminal Law
Transnational Criminal Law
International White Collar Crime
National Security Law
Terrorism Law
U.S. Intelligence and National Security Law
Comparative Criminal Procedure
Advanced Criminal Law
International Human Rights Law
Thesis and Research (Foreign-trained are exempt)

Other courses and seminars offered in the LL.M. program in International Criminal Law include:

Advanced U.S. Criminal Procedure
Constitutional Criminal Procedure
Wrongful Convictions
Capital Punishment Seminar
Texas Criminal Procedure

LL.M. Course Descriptions

International Students

International students must study on a full-time basis. Foreign nationals who must maintain student visa eligibility must enroll in a minimum of 10 credit hours per semester during the regular academic year (Fall and Spring). Ten hours is also considered full time for purposes of financial aid eligibility.

The School of Law is a member of the International Association of Law Schools and the International Academy of Comparative Law (Académie Internationale de Droit Comparé).

Request Information

More details online:

For more information, please email stmullm@stmarytx.edu or complete the form:

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- LL.M. in American Legal Studies
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Applying to the LL.M.

See application deadlines and processes for applying on the applying to the LL.M. page.