UC Davis School of Law LL.M. Program Continues Rapid Growth
In the global economy, the demand for highly trained professionals capable of practicing law in an international setting is growing, and the UC Davis School of Law International Law Program is serving this need by offering unsurpassed training for increasing numbers of attorneys, judges, and legal scholars from all over the world. With 54 students from 11 different countries, the UC Davis School of Law LL.M. Class of 2014 is the largest in the 25-year history of the program.
"This year's LL.M. class was exceptional," said International Law Programs Director Beth Greenwood. "Most of the students came from countries with completely different legal systems from our common law legal system, but they worked extremely hard throughout the year and absorbed the U.S. legal analysis model. Many of these students had such rewarding experiences as LL.M. students that they have applied to continue at King Hall as J.D. students."
Through the one-year LL.M. Program, international law graduates gain a basic knowledge of the U.S. legal system and also have the opportunity to develop special expertise in their areas of interest. Very often, they are enrolled in courses alongside J.D. students. The rapidly growing program has seen enrollment increase from 23 students in 2011-12 to 35 last year and 54 in 2013-14. Members of the most recent class hail from China, Dubai, India, Indonesia, Iran, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, and the United Kingdom.
Lan Ma, who since 2009 has served as head of the Legal Department at Towona Media Holding Company in Beijing, said that as an attorney in China she often deals with multinational corporations and foreign law firms. She was drawn to UC Davis School of Law by the law school's outstanding reputation and by its location in California, where so much of the entertainment industry is based.
"The atmosphere of the School of Law was very good for studying, and the program benefitted from being integrated with the J.D. courses," she said. "Many of the contracts I work on deal with U.S. regulations, and by taking the Contracts class I was able to learn how the U.S. legal system differs with regard to contracts."
Vahid Shahmohammadi, who has practiced law in Iran since 2005, said that several factors influenced his decision to enroll at UC Davis, ranging from safety of the City of Davis to the University of California's strong international reputation. Most important, however, was the excellence of the King Hall faculty and staff.
"UC Davis School of Law is one of the best law schools in the United States, and the professors have great reputations," said Shahmohammadi, who has decided to pursue a J.D. degree at King Hall. "I think the most important thing is the Law School's friendly and knowledgeable professors and staff. The director of the program, Beth Greenwood, really cares about the LL.M. students, and assisted all of us a lot."
"The LL.M. program is growing because the UC Davis School of Law provides such an exceptional educational experience for LL.M. students," said Greenwood. "In addition to providing the opportunity to study with an outstanding faculty of renowned legal scholars, the School of Law offers an excellent support system for each student throughout the year with tremendous faculty involvement and support in a safe, positive, and highly personalized environment."