NKU Chase College of Law to offer advanced LL.M. degree

Program begins this summer

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. (Feb. 24, 2016) — Northern Kentucky University Chase College of Law will become the first law school in Kentucky to offer an advanced law degree when it begins a program this summer that will award the internationally recognized LL.M. degree.

The degree—known by its Latin initials and offered at law schools in the U.S. and Canada—follows the completion of a Juris Doctor law degree and can be awarded in a variety of specialized fields of legal studies.

The program at Chase will allow foreign-trained lawyers to earn an LL.M. in United States Law. Obtaining an advanced degree in U.S. law at an American law school is becoming increasingly important for international lawyers who advise clients on matters involving U.S. laws or who work with U.S. lawyers in a global economy.

“This program will provide a wonderful opportunity for foreign-trained lawyers to learn about the U.S. legal system and to gain knowledge about particular areas of American law,” Chase Dean Jeffrey Standen said. “The program will also benefit current Chase J.D. students, who will have the opportunity to study alongside people from diverse cultures and to learn how law is practiced in other countries.”

The first classes in the LL.M. program will begin in August with introductory sessions on U.S. law and the style of instruction at U.S. law schools. Students will be able to choose either to concentrate their studies in specific areas of U.S. law, such as law and informatics and intellectual property, or to obtain a broad overview of several topics of American law.

“Chase graduates have a reputation for being able to start their law practices with having all the essential skills a lawyer requires,” Standen said. “Lawyers in the LL.M. program will be able to develop the same skills that will enable them to work most effectively with their U.S. counterparts.”

LL.M. in U.S. Law program requires one academic year to complete. The Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education approved the degree program for Chase in a meeting Feb. 12 in Frankfort.