The Ibrahim Shihata Memorial LL.M Program in International and Comparative Law
Dr. Ibrahim Shihata, in whose memory this LL.M has been established, made significant contributions to the development of international economic law. In addition to his positions of Senior Vice President and General Counsel with the World Bank, Dr. Shihata also served as Secretary-General of the International Center for the Settlement of Investment Disputes; he was principal architect of the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA); and he was responsible for the World Bank Guidelines for the Legal Treatment of Foreign Investments. Other positions included first Director General of the OPEC Fund for Economic Development and General Counsel of the Kuwait Fund. He was instrumental in establishing the Inter-Arab Investment Guarantee Agency, and he was the founder of the International Development Law Institute in Rome. Indeed the entire career of Dr. Shihata was devoted to the infrastructures that assisted development. The LL.M program itself, as well as individual courses, are directly concerned with law and development. In Dr. Shihata’s words: “Law, as the formal instrument of orderly change in society, plays a pivotal role, even though this role has not always been readily recognized.”
The Master of Laws (LL.M) Degree in International and Comparative Law is intended for law school graduates who seek to acquire the intellectual and analytical tools to intervene critically and effectively in the global policy debates confronting their societies, as policy makers, practicing lawyers, judges, academics, activists or international civil servants. In the context of constantly changing global economic and political realities, and the crumbling of old regulatory models, the Degree is designed to empower students to adapt, innovate and gain mastery over what they don’t know.
The Master of Laws (LL.M.) Degree in International and Comparative Law offers a wide range of courses designed to provide students with the intellectual tools to promote and critically assess economic, social, and legal developments. The curriculum is flexible and allows students to pursue advanced studies in specialized areas (e.g., business regulation, Islamic law and Middle Eastern legal systems, gender studies, and international human rights law). LL.M. students have an invaluable opportunity to benefit from the multidisciplinary offerings of the School of Global Affairs and Public Policy (GAPP). Fulfilling the requirements of the LL.M. degree normally calls for two years of study.
Admission
The applicant for admission to the the LL.M degree must have a first degree in Law with a grade of gayyid (good) or its equivalent for full admission. Students lacking the grade requirement may be eligible to be considered for provisional admission (as specified in the AUC catalog supra). Acceptance is by decision of the Law Faculty Committee, which may grant provisional admission pending the fulfillment of certain conditions. English proficiency is required as demonstrated on the TOEFL test. Admitted degree candidates should normally start their course sequence in the fall semester. If students are enrolled in the AUC English Language Institute (ELI), they cannot begin study in the Law Department until any ELI coursework is completed.
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