The University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law

Introduction

Founded in 1915, the James E. Rogers College of Law is the oldest law school in Arizona and has a rich and distinguished history. The college is an integral part of the University of Arizona, one of the nation’s leading research institutions and most spirited campuses. Arizona Law has a national reputation for providing its students with an exceptional, individualized education in a collegial and intellectually challenging atmosphere. The college is located in Tucson, a vibrant, environmentally unique, and culturally rich city of one million people that is home to an active legal and judicial community. The college is approved by the ABA, has been a member of the AALS since 1931, and has a chapter of the Order of the Coif. It offers certificate programs in Criminal Law and Policy, Environmental and Natural Resources Law, Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy, and International Trade and Business Law.

Housing

The university provides apartments in La Aldea, a graduate student housing complex. Many private homes and apartments located within a few miles of the university are also available for lease; see the Off-Campus Housing website for more information.

LLM Programs/Areas of Specialization

The James E. Rogers College of Law offers two LLM programs—International Trade and Business Law and Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy. The International Trade and Business Law program, now in its 19th year, provides a rigorous curriculum and training for lawyers, academics, and government officials seeking legal careers. Subjects covered include international trade law, international commercial transactions, investment law, and business associations. Small class groups (a dozen or less per year) assure close working relationships with professors. The Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy program, now in its 13th year, is designed to prepare lawyers to meet the unique and difficult set of challenges confronting law reform and policymaking in indigenous peoples’ rights in the twenty-first century. The program’s small size (no more than 20 students in any given year) provides students an opportunity to work closely with the faculty.

International Trade and Business Law

The International Trade and Business Law program at the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law offers the Master of Laws (LLM) and the Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD) degrees.

The application deadline as LLM candidates begin their studies only in the fall term, though early applications are encouraged and accepted year-round. The program begins one week in advance of fall term with an intensive program in legal and academic orientation.

The LLM program, in cooperation with the National Law Center for Inter-American Free Trade, is designed to provide candidates with the theoretical and practical knowledge required to understand current developments in the areas of international trade and commercial law.

The implementation of a complex web of international agreements, rules, regulations, and international arbitral decisions indicates a clear need for rigorous graduate-level legal education in the area of international trade law, international commercial law, and international investment, which this program seeks to meet.

Foreign LLM candidates receive an introduction to American Law, as well as US research and writing techniques, as a part of fall term. All LLM candidates complete a thesis, requiring extensive legal research and analysis under the guidance of Professors Kozolchyk and Gantz, or other faculty members, and may focus on any area of interest within the broad context of international trade and commercial law.

Recent research projects include the development of an electronic commercial registry, comparison of and suggestions for harmonization of banking law, transportation documentation, environmental legislation, customs law and procedures, common rules for recognition of judgments, dispute settlement at the WTO and under NAFTA Chapter 11, industrial incentives legislation in Central America, and comparative real estate law—but this is by no means an exhaustive list. The National Law Center’s methodology contemplates analysis of the various laws and regulations as written, the “living law” (how the law operates in practice), consultation with government and private practitioners as to what changes are needed, and drafting of recommendations, new legislation, regulations, or uniform rules. Other dissertations have taken a more theoretical approach. It is our expectation that graduates of the program will be well prepared for future careers in private practice, law teaching, and government service.

Contact Information

For further details, please visit the International Trade and Business Law website or contact:

David A. Gantz
Director and Professor of Law
Graduate Legal Studies
PO BOX 210176
Tucson, AZ 85721-0176
USA

Phone: 520.621.1801
Fax: 520.621.9140
Email: TradeLaw@law.arizona.edu

Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy

The Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy (IPLP) program is unique not only because it is the only law school in the world offering all three law degrees (JD, LLM, and SJD) with a concentration in Indian and indigenous peoples law, but also because of its approach to education. Students are educated both in the classroom and in the real world by a diverse group of faculty who are leaders both in their academic field and in the community. IPLP faculty literally wrote the book in all three areas of the field: federal Indian law, tribal law, and the international law relating to indigenous peoples. All six IPLP faculty also work “on the ground” translating their academic work into cutting-edge representation of indigenous groups in tribal and federal courts, and before international tribunals.

The LLM (Masters of Law) program in Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy (IPLP) is designed to provide those who have already completed the basic law degree with an intensive one-year course specializing in Indian and indigenous peoples’ law. The program provides both academic and practical training in all three areas of the field—international law relating to indigenous peoples, federal Indian law, and tribal law. Students in the program may choose to pursue a general course of study or may choose one of three concentrations: critical race theory, cultural resources, or human rights.

Graduation Requirements

The LLM is a full-time, two-semester program requiring 24 credit hours of coursework. Students in the program must complete Federal Indian Law and either International Human Rights and Indigenous Peoples or International Human Rights. Students, in consultation with the IPLP director, can select from a wide array of classes to design a course of study shaped around their interests and career goals.

Criteria for Admission

All LLM candidates must be a JD graduate of an ABA-approved law school in the United States, or possess the first law degree from a foreign law school approved by the government or other accrediting authority in the nation in which it is located. Candidates for whom English is not their first language must demonstrate fluency in English (generally, TOEFL test scores of 600 or better are expected). The University of Arizona offers excellent short courses in English, which may be arranged at the student’s cost prior to enrolling if a student’s TOEFL score is under the required level.

Contact Information

For further details, please visit the Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy Program website, or contact:

Melissa Tatum
IPLP Director and Research Professor of Law
PO BOX 210176
Tucson, AZ 85721-0176
USA

Phone: 520.626.6497
Fax: 520.626.2172
Email: law-iplp@email.arizona.edu