SMU Dedman School of Law, LL.M Degree Program - Dallas, TX

Hello y'all,

Já estudo na SMU faz dois anos e ainda não havia escrito nada sobre a minha Universidade. Let me introduce you to the school I go to and tell you why you should give SMU a shot :) 

Esse post vai em inglês ...

SMU DEDMAN SCHOOL OF LAW

SMU Dedman School of Law was founded in 1925 and it is located on a magnificent tree-lined campus, ten minutes from downtown Dallas, Texas, and situated in a beautiful residential community (bairro também conhecido como "Highland Park"). Dallas is an expanding global center, ranking second in the country in corporate headquarters of Fortune 500 and Fortune 1000 companies. It is also a great place to study law and live, with a strong legal community and a low cost of living.

THE INTERNATIONAL LL.M. PROGRAM

The program for international students, established in the early 1950's, was among the first in the country. Today the school is a leading international legal center with more than 2,000 international graduates from more than 80 countries (Eu mesma fiz amizade e estudei com pessoas da China, Japão, Vietnam, Uganda, Ruanda, Congo, Filipinas, Tailândia, Arábia Saudita, Iran, Rússia, Argentina, Colômbia, México, Suécia, Venezuela, Camarões, Egito, Coréia do Sul, e outros). SMU Dedman School of Law graduates 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 student's legal skills so that he or she 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 our 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

ADMISSION CRITERIA

An applicant for admission to this LL.M. degree program must be a graduate of a recognized foreign law school. The applicant's undergraduate record must demonstrate scholarly legal aptitude. An applicant for whom English is a second language must present evidence of a TOEFL English language proficiency test, with a computer-based score of 233 or written score of 575. U.S.-trained law students may not apply to this degree program.

LL.M. TUITION & EXPENSES

Full-time LL.M.
2014-2015 Estimates

Tuition     $43,627

Fees         $5,172

Estimated Expenses

Books                   $2,000

Living Expenses  $15,500

Miscellaneous      $2,738

Total Expenses    $69,037

Note: If you are bringing family to the US, you are required to show proof of an additional $6,000 for one dependent. If you are bringing more than one dependent, in addition to the $6,000, you are required to show proof of $3,000 per dependent.

SCHOLARSHIPS

The school has a limited number of Dean's scholarships for international students. There is not a separate application for LL.M. Scholarships. Your application for LL.M. admission serves as your scholarship application.

Available scholarships include:

• The Helmut Sohmen Scholarships, which provide full tuition, dees and a monthly living stipend for up to 5 students from China;
• In addition to the above scholarships, a limited number of tuition remission scholarships may be available to full-time students. (Eu recebi $15,000 de bolsa quando fiz meu Mestrado. As vezes eles dão inclusive mais, dependendo dos seus credenciais). If you are applying for financial aid, you will automatically be considered for a scholarship.

International applicants should note that the School of Law has no funds to grant for travel expenses, either to or from the United States or within the United States, nor does it have any administrative influence through which governmental or private agencies can be persuaded to assist in travel.

BAR EXAM ELIGIBILITY

International students who wish to practice law in the U.S. and qualify for admission to the bar in one of the states or the District of Columbia should familiarize themselves with the bar admission requirements in the particular jurisdiction where they plan to practice. Bar admission requirements vary from state to state. Some states require applicants to have a J.D. degree, and others will require only a certain huber of course credits from a law school in this country. The degree of LL.M. does not qualify a person to take the bar examination in Texas YET, or in most other U.S. jurisdictions.

Para mais informações sobre as recentes modificações na admissão do Bar no Texas, favor visitar: http://www.haynesboone.com/texas-supreme-court-issues-order-on-changes-to-international-law-practice-06-11-2014/

SPECIALIZED COURSES

The following listing illustrates the diversity and depth of courses offered at the Dedman School of Law in comparative and international law. Applicants should note, however, that the law school does not offer all of these courses and seminars each term or even each year. Other related courses not listed below may also be offered each year on a onetime only basis.

• Comparative Law I and II
• Constitutional Law (for international LL.M. students)
• Globalization and the Law
• Immigration Law
• International Banking and Finance
• International Business Transactions
• International Commercial Arbitration
• International Crimes
• International Environmental Law
• International Intellectual Property
• International Law (Public)
• International Litigation and Arbitration
• International Organizations Law
• International Protection of Human Rights
• International Tax I and II
• International Telecommunications Transactions
• Japanese Legal System
• Oil and Gas Contracts: Domestic and International
• Perspectives of American Business Laws
• Perspectives of the American Legal System

Para mais classes, visitem: http://www.law.smu.edu/Registrar/App/Upper-Class-Courses.aspx?Term=Spring-2014&Year=2 & http://www.law.smu.edu/Registrar/App/Upper-Class-Courses.aspx?Term=Fall-2014&Year=2

APPLICATION TO THE J.D. PROGRAM

The J.D. is the basic law degree for U.S. law students.  For this reason, the School of Law does not normally consider the degree appropriate for international students already possessing basic law degrees within their home countries.  However, in a limited number of instances, international students who have graduated with distinction in the LL.M. program of the Dedman School of Law and who can demonstrate legitimate graduate study objectives for furthering their careers in their home countries may be considered for admission to the J.D. program.  These students are not required to take the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT).  Admission under such conditions will normally entail an additional study of 72-87 credit hours.  Advanced credit, if any, is based upon the student’s foreign law study, not on the LL.M. credit.

LL.M DEGREE REQUIREMENTS 

Except with special permission of the Committee on Graduate Legal Studies, all students in this program must begin their studies in the fall term. In addition, they must participate in an extensive orientation program held at the School of Law in mid-August of each year before the start of classes in the fall term.

Students pursuing the LL.M. degree for foreign law school graduates must complete 24 hours of credit from courses or seminars selected in consultation with the student's faculty advisor who is assigned during orientation. Faculty members advising candidates for this degree will make every effort to tailor a student's study plan to his or her specific graduate objectives. However, all students are required to take the course on Perspectives of the American Legal System. They will normally also take one basic J.D. course such as Contracts. In addition, many students take Perspectives of American Business Laws and/or International Business Transactions.

The School of Law awards the degree to those students who complete their course work with an average grade in all courses equivalent to a C­ or 1.70. A student will not receive credit for a course or seminar in which his or her grade is below D or 1.00. Students for whom English is a second language are allowed additional time to complete written final examinations.

Espero que esse post tenha ajudado. Para mais perguntas e informações, liguem ou enviem um email para:

Bobbye Heine

Assistant Director Of Graduate Legal Studies

lawadmit@mail.smu.edu

Phone: 214-768-2658

Até a próxima!

KEEP CALM & LAWYER UP!

Uanna Alves