Ohio Northern University LL.M. Program

The Ohio Northern University College of Law offers a unique program for a limited number of highly qualified students with a strong background or interest in working for rule of law, human rights, and development in transitional countries around the world. The selected students will spend three years sharing experiences with the international graduate students while earning both the J.D. and LL.M. degrees.

Graduates of the Concurrent Program are working in international organizations in the U.S. and abroad. Placements have included the International Finance Corporation, a Fulbright Scholarship to do research in Kosovo, a judicial clerkship, and the general counsel’s office of a multinational corporation.

The seven-year old Democratic Governance and Rule of Law LL.M. at Ohio Northern University has achieved great success and recognition in bringing young lawyers from transitional nations to ONU for a year of intensive study. Concurrent students have the opportunity to work with three different classes of international students. This year’s class includes students from Afghanistan, Georgia, Iceland, Liberia, The Maldives, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, South Sudan, and Tanzania.

The fifth class of concurrent students enrolled in Fall 2012 and will begin taking courses with the international LL.M. students from their second semester in law school. Concurrent students also participate in many of the international LL.M. social and cultural activities as well as joint studies.

The concurrent students must complete two summer externships and two three-week January term courses to receive both degrees. The Program guarantees placements in the externships.

The two summer externships, one in the United States and one overseas, with governmental and non-governmental international organizations, provide unique, practical exposure to the field and allow the students to make valuable contacts. Because the LL.M. Program arranges for the placements, the students will have access to opportunities otherwise unavailable to them.

Overseas extern placements have included human rights and judicial reform projects in Georgia, a legal profession training project in Liberia, legislative and regulatory review projects in Rwanda, business environment reform and refugee projects as well as the Ministry of Justice in Kosovo, and the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Reform in Uganda.

Domestic externships have been in New York City, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Georgia and other cities around the U.S. Placements have been at partner organizations such as the United Nations Development Programme, the World Bank, the Urban Institute’s Center on International Development and Governance, Transparency International, CARE USA, Save the Children, and Free the Slaves.

The concurrent students receive both degrees at the end of their third year, unlike other joint degree programs where students must return after the bar exam to complete another semester to get the LL.M. The additional cost for the LL.M. is tuition for the two summer externships and the two special January term courses.

The concurrent degree and summer externships provide a unique education in international democracy and the rule of law. The global contacts and experience of the LL.M. faculty, staff, and alumni will help with placement opportunities for the graduates that would be difficult to duplicate at another law school.

Click here to view the concurrent course schedule