IE Law School

The University

IE Law School was founded in 1973 by a group of entrepreneurs, and has quickly earned itself a reputation for innovation and quality. IE’s unique approach to legal education, powered by its focus on the entrepreneurial spirit and coupled with its dedication to the corporate world at large, have turned IE into an international center of education. With more than 70 nationalities represented on its Madrid central campus, as well as a global network of alumni, the IE Experience is a truly international one.

IE has some thirty years of experience in graduate legal education, with alumni practicing in the most prestigious law firms and company legal departments in Spain, Latin America and increasingly in the rest of the world. The IE Law School’s flagship program in international law is its Master of Laws (LL.M.) in International Legal Practice. More recently, IE has entered into a partnership with Northwestern University School of Law to offer an Executive LL.M. program geared towards the working lawyer who can’t take a year away from work to earn the LL.M. degree from one of the top US law schools, with a Certificate in Business Administration from IE Law School.

The Program

The Master of Laws (LL.M.) in International Legal Practice

The Master of Laws (LL.M.) in International Legal Practice is a full-time program which runs for ten months. All classes are held in Madrid.

The program combines general coursework in legal and business areas with a broad offering of international electives. The program is structured in three trimesters, plus a preparatory pre-program and optional exchange semester.

The two language tracks offered by the Master of Laws (LL.M.) in International Legal Practice affords you the opportunity not only to choose your language of instruction, but also the emphasis of the program content itself. The English track focuses more on European and comparative law, along with international transactions, whilst the Bilingual (English and Spanish) track devotes a greater amount of time to issues of domestic Spanish law.

Program Structure

The Pre-program opens both tracks, and serves to prepare you for the challenges presented during the remainder of the program and to familiarize you with Campus Online, IE’s digital platform that will be used throughout the program.

The first period begins the program by covering fundamental concepts of European and Spanish law, common law systems, arbitration, intellectual property, and contracts. The MBA Module also begins in the first period, giving you the chance to combine a legal education with business classes in economics, accounting, and communication skills.

The second period introduces courses in international law, competition law and banking law, with the MBA Module continuing to hone your soft skills in the areas of communication and negotiation, along with your general business skills.

The third period is divided into three parts: core courses, the World Affairs Seminar, and an Electives Period. The core classes focus on international transactions, ranging from competition law to international taxation and international trade, whilst the elective period offers you the chance to personalize your studies in what ever area is of most interest and import to you.

World Affairs Seminar

Once the regular courses are completed, the World Affairs Seminar is a one-week series of lectures by renowned international figures in the fields of diplomacy, international relations and politics. The topics are not specifically legal, though all of them do affect the economic, business and cultural environment in which the international lawyer must work.

Electives Period

The third trimester concludes with an Electives Period, in which students choose the elective courses to be offered, and from among these, the ones they wish to take. Students in the English version of the program are expected to take two elective courses from those offered by the International MBA program.

LL.M. Thesis and Oral Defense

Students in the English version of the program are required to complete a thesis under faculty supervision. This yearlong project includes development of a research proposal, research and writing of the thesis, and its oral defense before a faculty panel.

International Internship

International lawyers choosing the English language track are offered a pre-program internship opportunity at a law firm or company legal department, so that they may gather some hands-on experience before the program itself begins.

Exchange Programs

Students in either track may opt for one of our exchange programs with top law schools in North America, South America and Asia. Regardless of the school chosen, the exchange is an opportunity to spend an additional semester at Northwestern University (Chicago), College of William and Mary (Virginia), National University of Singapore or Fundaçao Getulio Vargas (Sao Paolo, Brazil). Incoming exchange students from these schools also enrich the learning experience of students at IE.

Method

The IE Case Method used in our LL.M. programs is probably unlike anything you have experienced before in a law classroom. Instead of listening passively to lectures, you will be faced with more than 500 practical case problems over the duration of the program, each one of which requires you and your team to solve a range of legal and business problems and then draft the documents needed to achieve the objectives of your hypothetical client.

The IE Case Method is designed to replicate some three years of professional practice in just 10 intensive months. In most cases, the case problems are inspired by the professional experience of our faculty.

The Master of International Legal Practice bridges the gap between legal and business studies, providing the highest of legal educations as well as nurturing the transferable skills essential to success in the business world. With more than 65 nationalities represented on campus, students also gain the international perspective only available through study in a culturally diverse environment such as that at IE.

IE – Northwestern Law Executive LLM Program

IE Law School and Northwestern University School of Law have created a pioneering program for the experienced lawyer who wants to earn the LL.M. degree from a top US law school, along with a Certificate in Business Administration from IE, without having to take a year away from work to do so.

Program content centers on the US legal system, based on the Anglo-American common law, as well as its application in European practice and beyond. Participants also study business administration subjects vital to international lawyers at this stage of their careers, including financial accounting, corporate finance, negotiation, marketing and business strategy.

This program represents a partnership between two of the world’s leading institutions for law and business education, both committed to providing participants with the knowledge and skills needed to take the next step up the ladder of professional success.

The Executive LLM Program was launched in September 2006, and the inaugural class was graduated on May 13, 2007.

The Timeframe and Structure

The Executive LLM Program runs from September to May, and offers candidates maximum flexibility in the form of two structural options.

The first option combines three intensive on-campus periods (each roughly two weeks in duration). Two of these periods are held in Madrid on the IE campus (September and November/December), and the third and final period is held at the Northwestern Law campus in Chicago (April/May). In between the on-campus periods, participants continue their studies on line, using our Campus Online courseware platform. This option is specifically designed for the working lawyer who cannot take an extended period away from his or her firm or company.

The second option is ideal for candidates who can take more time away from their professional and personal obligations to spend the Spring semester at Northwestern Law in Chicago. In this case, participants will complete the first two on-campus periods in Madrid, along with the intervening online period. Then, from early January to mid-May, participants travel to Chicago for the Spring semester in residence at Northwestern Law, where they may choose courses from among the wide variety of subjects offered to Northwestern JD and LLM students.

Regardless of the option chosen, the Executive LLM program culminates with the Northwestern Law all-campus graduation ceremony, held in Chicago at the end of the third on-campus period.

On-Campus and On-Line Education

The combination of traditional classroom instruction and interactive online education makes it possible to offer the learning experience of a full-time residential LL.M. program in one academic year without extended periods away from your career.

On campus sessions are intensive, to let you get the most out of your precious time with professors and colleagues in Madrid and Chicago. Then the learning community continues to grow and develop on line, even though participants may be scattered across several continents. The Campus Online platform becomes the fundamental point of reference for group work and virtual discussion teaching led by the professors.

Participants report spending some 15 hours per week during these computer-based periods, including both online work and off-line study. The asynchronous nature of the on-line periods means that participants can take part in the online sessions at their convenience – evenings, weekends, lunch hours – and don’t have to connect to the courses at specified times.

Whether on campus or on line, all courses in the Executive LLM Program are taught by faculty of distinction from both Northwestern Law and IE Business School. These top scholars, teachers and practitioners draw on their own extensive experience, as well as the diversity and background of the class members themselves, to create a unique and innovative learning experience

IE and Northwestern Law have joined forces to provide this unique LL.M. program for experienced lawyers, in recognition of the increasingly global legal profession and its growing convergence with the world of international business. This pioneering program provides the participants with unsurpassed legal knowledge as well as the skills required for success in the international legal and business worlds.

The Faculty

Any LLM program is only as good as the professors that make up its faculty.

At IE, our faculty provides a unique learning experience which combines hands-on practice with the depth of cutting-edge research and scholarship.

Our full-time faculty is a core group of scholars, researchers and teachers dedicated to developing and transmitting knowledge on a variety of legal and business issues.

A significant part of our faculty includes top practitioners from major law firms and company legal departments, as well as other legal professionals. These professors bring their practical experience into the classroom directly from their work in the offices, boardrooms, courts and arbitration hearings of the legal and business community.

Entry Requirements

Master of Laws (LL.M.) in International Legal Practice

- First degree in law (LLB or equivalent)
- Application form + 2 letters of recommendation + 3 essays
- GMAT (average: 680), LSAT, or IE Admission Test
- Personal interview
- Demonstrated proficiency in English and/or Spanish, depending on language track chosen: for example, TOEFL, IELTS, DELE, or personal interview

Executive LLM

- First degree in law (LLB or equivalent)
- An applicant without a first degree in law may be admitted as a candidate for the MSL (Master of Science in Law) degree on proof of bar membership or substantial work experience directly dealing with legal or regulatory matters. These applicants will be subject to evaluation on a case-by-case basis
- At least three years of professional experience
- Application form + letter of recommendation + personal statement
- Curriculum vitae or resumé
- Personal interview
- Demonstrated proficiency in the English language: for example, TOEFL, IELTS, or personal interview

Application Procedure

IE has a rolling admissions process. As such there are no specific deadlines by which we must receive applications. However, due to the sheer number of applicants, we do strongly recommend that you apply well in advance of the program intake of your choice to avoid disappointment.

Candidates who meet all the above requirements and whose application presents an impressive candidature will be called to interview, after which the candidature as a whole will be submitted to a final review by the Admissions Committee.

Tuition and Fees

Master of Laws (LL.M.) in International Legal Practice

€ 27,000 + € 1050 tax-deductible contribution to IE Foundation

Executive LLM

€ 34,450 (includes a € 1050 tax-deductible contribution to IE Foundation)

Financial Aid

There are many scholarships available to students studying at IE as well as other financial aid options. For more information please consult the IE scholarships webpage.

Location

Master of Laws (LL.M.) in International Legal Practice

The LL.M. program is taught on-campus in Madrid, Spain. IE's urban campus is located in the heart of Madrid, minutes away from the city's vibrant, cosmopolitan, and historic center.

Executive LL.M.

On-campus periods are held on the IE campus in central Madrid, and on the Northwestern Law campus in downtown Chicago.

Student Life

The IE Experience is a truly international one. With students from over 73 nationalities on campus, and alumni from more than 100 countries across the globe, IE is one of the most culturally diverse schools in the world.

Regardless of whether you pursue an online program or a fulltime, on-campus program you will benefit greatly from the global outlook and cross-cultural understanding which all our graduates share, giving you a competitive edge in an increasingly globalized marketplace.

Whilst on campus, you will be able to take advantage of the numerous sporting, academic, and social clubs all of which help you to develop your network and contribute to making your IE Experience a thoroughly enjoyable one.