National Security Law

Study mode:On campus Study type:Full-time Languages: English
Local:$ 57.6 k / Year(s) Foreign:$ 57.6 k / Year(s) Deadline: Feb 10, 2025
120 place StudyQA ranking:4094 Duration:1 year

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The National Security Law LL.M. degree is a highly competitive one year advanced degree program, created to give students the opportunity to engage in critical thinking about national security law. Students selected for the National Security Law LL.M. will have the opportunity to work closely with faculty at Georgetown Law, and to further strengthen their understanding of the field.

The National Security Law LL.M. is designed for a wide variety of applicants who hold either a J.D. from a U.S. law school or a first degree in law from a university outside of the U.S., including lawyers looking for vertical advancement or a lateral move or legal professionals interested in gaining a deeper understanding of the field and the opportunity to build their credentials. Students may complete the National Security Law LL.M. on a full-time or part-time basis.

Georgetown Law's expertise in the study of national security law is unparalleled. The depth and breadth of the faculty's experience in the field, including both full-time faculty and visiting and adjunct professors, the range of courses offered, the intellectual life of the institution, the vitality of the Center on National Security and the Law, as well as the Human Rights Institute, provide incredible opportunities for students interested in national security law.

The law school's expertise is bolstered by its position in Washington, D.C., in close proximity to institutions engaged in many different aspects of national security law, such as government institutions and agencies, law firms, private contractors, high technology companies, think tanks, and NGOs.

The school offers a broad range of national security law courses covering topics such as bioterrorism and public health, cyber law, the law of armed conflict, human rights, civil rights and civil liberties, intelligence law, maritime law, national security investigation and prosecution, nonproliferation, procurement, and foreign relations. Many courses include an experiential learning component, allowing students to engage in substantial pieces of writing, sophisticated simulations, judicial proceedings, treaty construction, legislative drafting, and externships.

Students selected for the National Security Law LL.M. take part in a rigorous academic program.  The National Security Law LL.M. requires that students complete the Proseminar in National Security Law, coursework both in national security law and possibly in other fields, and a writing requirement.

Proseminar

The Proseminar in National Security Law serves as the gateway course for National Security Law LL.M. students, and it is one of the distinguishing features of the program.

The three credit Proseminar is taught by a full time faculty member and is composed solely of the National Security Law LL.M. students. Taught in the autumn, the course provides students with a basic foundation in national security law and an opportunity to think more broadly about the field.  The course also serves to bring students together to build cohesion among the class.  In addition, the Proseminar helps ensure that students who leave Georgetown Law to join different parts of the national security dialogue—e.g., civilian and military government agencies, human rights organizations, boutique law firms, in-house at high technology companies, contractors, civil liberties organizations, academic institutions, and the like—have an opportunity to be in direct dialogue with each other.

Additional Coursework Requirements

To obtain the LL.M. in National Security Law degree, graduate students who received their JD degree from a law school in the United States must:

  • Successfully complete 24 academic credits, including 18 academic credits ("specialization credits") in courses listed under National Security Law in the course schedule (listed below), including
  • The Proseminar in National Security Law;
  • Either International Law I or Foreign Relations Law if not completed in the prior law degree. Contact Tina Drake Zimmerman to request a waiver if you have taken a prior course that you think will satisfy this requirement;and
  • Earn a cumulative minimum grade point average of "B‑" in the courses that are counted toward the LL.M. in National Security Law specialization requirements.

To obtain the LL.M. in National Security Law degree, graduate students who received their first law degree from a law school outside the United States ("international students")must:

  • Successfully complete 20 academic credits, including 14 academic credits ("specialization credits") in courses listed under National Security Law in the course schedule (listed below), including
  • The Proseminar in National Security Law;
  • Either International Law I or Foreign Relations Law if not completed in the prior law degree. Contact Tina Drake Zimmerman to request a waiver if you have taken a prior course that you think will satisfy this requirement;
  • Earn a cumulative minimum grade point average of "B‑" in the courses that are counted toward the LL.M. in National Security Law specialization requirements.

While not required, it is strongly recommended that foreign-trained students enroll in U.S. Legal Research, Writing, and Analysis.

  • Application Form;
  • Application Fee;
  • Resume;
  • Personal Statement;
  • Transcripts;
  • Registrar's Certification Form;
  • TOEFL Score (or waiver request);
  • Letters of Recommendation; and
  • Conduct explanation (if applicable).
  • Applicants to the National Security LL.M.,  Global Health LL.M., and Global Health & International Institutions LL.M. are expected to have some background, either professional or academic/research experience, in the relevant area.

Scholarships

Georgetown Law awards a small number of partial merit based scholarships to foreign-educated lawyers who apply to the LL.M. Degree Programs. To be eligible for consideration for a scholarship, applicants must submit a completed LL.M. application no later than the February 10, 2017 regular deadline (although awards may be made on a rolling basis). Georgetown Law will select applicants for awards on the basis of their LL.M. application. No separate application or documentation is necessary.

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