We now live in a global economy, an increasingly multicultural society and a world where we can be in touch with other countries almost instantly. So it is no wonder that the practice – and study – of international law has grown in recent years. In its simplest form, international law is the formulation and application of legislation that applies across international boundaries and does not favour one particular state or group of countries. So it is used in place of (for example) UK law or US law to resolve a dispute or set up a contract when international interests are at stake.
These legal processes may originally have grown out of custom or good practice, as is the case with business transactions, or they may be based on agreed ethical principles, particularly relating to issues of criminal justice and human rights. In many instances, they are enshrined in treaties and agreements at the highest level, such as those put forward by international conventions or by bodies like the World Trade Organization.
International law also responds to major social and economic factors that have a worldwide impact, such as terrorism, conflict, the environment, development, and, in this electronic age, copyright and intellectual property. The aim is to uphold high principles, not to support major world powers above smaller states, and to protect the public interest.
So studying international law means understanding a huge and constantly changing field. Apart from the features noted above, LLMs in international law also cover:
• the historical, philosophical and moral background to the subject, and
• comparative law, through evaluating the legislation and legal framework of different countries.
Your difficulty, when it comes to deciding on a master’s in international law, is which to choose and whether to specialise. There are approximately 70 courses of this type across the UK and several universities run more than one LLM in this area. There are about 20 ‘pure’ LLMs in international law or international legal studies, ie those that give a broad overview of the topic, plus 5–10 courses that combine international and European law. The rest concentrate more particularly on elements like international trade and business, international public law, international human rights, international public law or international justice/criminal law.
All these master’s in international law are ‘taught’ courses, where students learn through a combination of lectures, tutorials and their own research, although research degrees are run at a few universities. All LLMs require a dissertation: for international law, this ranges from 10,000 words (University of Edinburgh) to 20,000 words (University of Kent). Contact with teaching staff is also variable – from 4 hours per week at some colleges to 12 hours at, for example, City University.
Some master’s in international law specify a first degree in law, although elsewhere it is possible to apply if your original qualification was in a related subject, such as politics.
International law LLMs entail a lot of in-depth reading plus lengthy written assignments, so graduates without English as a first language are asked for IELTS scores (or equivalent) of between 6.5 and 7.0.
The majority of international law LLMs or master’s in international legal studies (ie those that do not state a specialist area in the title) commence in September/or October for one year: Dundee University (International Law) and Aberdeen University (International and European Law) have a January start. Part-time courses are run at most universities for two years, although London Metropolitan, Bristol University of the West of England (UWE) and City allow between three and five years’ part-time study. Distance learning for this LLM can only be done through the University of London’s External Programme, although online courses in trade and business areas of international law are offered at a small number of institutions.
The following universities are amongst those whose LLMs in international law/international legal studies give an overview of key topics rather than focusing on one area like human rights or trade:
• Bristol
• University of the West of England (UWE), Bristol
• Dundee
• East London
• Edinburgh
• Glasgow
• Hertfordshire
• Leeds
• London Metropolitan
• Newcastle
• Reading
• Sheffield
• Surrey
• Westminster.
Careful research is still required as even these programmes can vary in content and may be slanted towards commercial or other interests. A few courses look at international law in a wider context – International Law and World Order (Reading); International Law; Rights and Responsibilities (Sussex), International Law and Politics (Hull); International Law and International Relations (Lancaster). The School of Oriental and African Studies has options in Chinese, Middle Eastern and Asian law. Perhaps the most unusual of the specialist LLMs is Anglia Ruskin University and its Master’s in International Sports Law.
If you need some new ideas, take a look at European law/European legal studies LLMs and also at the University of East London’s LLM in Islamic and Middle East Studies. A ‘Trans-Manche’ (cross-Channel) LLM in International Mobility, Globalisation and the Law at the University of Kent, linked with colleges in France and Belgium, is a further possibility, as is Dundee University’s LLM in International Contracting.
In many countries, the LLM qualification demonstrates that you have achieved high academic standing alongside specific legal knowledge. A master’s in international law could be the first step to a role in international legal practice or with government agencies, corporate firms, charities and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). It does not lead to practising law in the United Kingdom. This requires either qualified lawyer status in your country of origin or taking the Legal Practice Course/Bar Vocational Course in England and Wales (or the Scottish equivalents).
International Law, M Shaw
The Nature of International Law, G Simpson
The Politics of International Law, C Reus-Smit
Gillian Sharp
