Master of International Business Law (dual degree with the Catholic University of Lyon)
LL.M. International Business Law
The LL.M. – International Business Law degree is a dual degree offered by the Department of Law at NUI Maynooth and the Catholic University of Lyon (UCLy). It will enable law graduates to further their legal education by gaining a systematic understanding of the critical issues at the forefront of select areas of international business law. It also aims to develop legal research, reasoning, writing, advocacy and teamwork skills. These skills are highly sought after by employers.
This award equips graduates with critical awareness of the current issues in several inter-related areas of international business law. They will gain a systematic understanding of issues at the forefront of international trade law, global aspects of business and labour law, ethics in business law, French foreign investment law, international contract law, international intellectual property rights, international trade organizations, legal writing and advocacy. Graduates are expected to develop and demonstrate a range of standard and specialised research tools and enquiry techniques through the mandatory dissertation requirement. Graduates will be expected to build competence to act in a variety of unpredictable and challenging legal contexts. They will hone existing legal skills, acquire more sophisticated tools for legal analysis and research, and develop the ability to deliver professional services at a high level. Upon completion, graduates will be able to differentiate themselves in the job market and/or progress to higher degrees like a Ph.D.
Who is this course for?
This programme is open to graduates with a minimum 2.2 grade, honours (level 8) degree in law who wish to develop a career in law, business, and policymaking at the national and international levels. The programme is intensive and fast paced bringing the students on a high growth learning experience across the 12 months.
What will I study?
The degree is comprised of mandatory and optional modules. The first semester (comprised entirely of mandatory modules) of this programme is taught in Lyon and students are required to be resident there. Students can choose from amongst the following modules during the second semester:
Global Aspects of Business and Labour Law
Legal & Policy Perspectives on International Trade Law
Restructuring & Insolvency Law
Environmental Law & Finance
International Human Rights
Criminology
Criminal Justice
Aircraft Financing Law*
Negotiation
Media Law*
International Criminal Law*
White-Collar Crime*
Criminal Procedure*
Banking Law*
Funds Law*
*May not be offered in every academic year.
Sample module descriptions are provided below:
Global Aspects of Business & Labour Law (15 Credits)
The module aims to introduce students to the current academic and policy debates at the intersection of global business and labour law. It gives students a systematic understanding of legal issues arising from globalisation of business and resulting contacts with domestic laws in several jurisdictions with different standards. The module also tackles key debates on corporate social responsibility and corporate governance and the role of employees in these areas.
Legal & Policy Perspectives on International Trade Law (15 Credits)
The module will provide students with a systematic understanding of critical debates in the international trade law environment. The course will interrogate the dominant theories that underpin the world trading system as well as the alleged world trade spin offs of innovation, development, poverty reduction and employment. The course will also examine the divergent perspectives held by participants in the international trading system through the prism of the WTO.
Legal Writing & Advocacy (15 Credits)
The module will build on existing legal analytical skills and develop advanced skills in research, writing legal briefs, contracts, legal memoranda and other documents. It will enable learners to understand the structure of legal argumentation and the use of legal precedents and other sources of authority. In addition, students will also be taught how to advance oral legal arguments to the court. Students are expected to demonstrate competence in selecting from a range of complex materials to marshal arguments directed at attaining optimal outcomes.
Dissertation (15 Credits)
Students will be expected to arrive at a suitable dissertation topic after consultation with a faculty supervisor. Thereafter, s/he will be expected to complete a dissertation of 10,000 words, excluding footnotes.
International Contract Law (5 credits)
This course focuses on the essential aspects of international contract law identifying relevant legal rules applicable at the national and international levels. Numerous contract terms and examples of contracts (sales contracts, retailer contracts, sales representation contracts, consultancy contracts, technical support and the know-how licenses, etc) will be analyzed. This course is intended to be very practical so that students may identify and assess the risks for business operations and gain a hands-on understanding of the relevant issues.
International Intellectual Property Rights (5 credits)
This course is a survey course on intellectual property rights at the international level. Students will study the law relating to copyrights, patents, trademarks and other forms of intellectual property protection.
Ethics in International Business Law (2.5 credits)
The 2008 world financial crisis has brought attention to the role of ethics in business nationally and internationally. Many have argued that unrestrained greed, opportunistic interpretation of legal rules, and poor ethical standards were as much a cause of the crisis as poor regulation. This has raised unique challenges for lawyers advising businesses in international transactions.
This course will expose students to ethical dilemmas encountered in selected international business situations after offering them a solid foundation built on the academic literature on business ethics.
Foreign Investments in France (5 credits)
This is a survey course on the law applicable to companies investing in France. It will equip students to advise on various aspects of foreign investment including business organization, registration requirements, financing, taxation, and employment.
International Trade Law (5 credits)
The internationalization of domestic economies has been in constant evolution for several decades. Without being exhaustive, the proposed course exposes students to the major principles of law pertaining to international trade, the role of inter-governmental agencies and regulatory actions, the interaction between politics and trade law, and the growing case law at the domestic and international levels.
Professional Skills (2.5 credits)
This module is very practical and focused on developing professional skills. Many sessions are run by placement specialists in the field of international business law.
International Trade Organisations (5 credits)
The first part of this course will be dedicated to an exhaustive description of the essential rules and principles contained in the different WTO agreements. A thorough analysis of the case law jurisprudence concerning the GATT and the WTO special bodies will be made along with the analysis of the Appellate Body. The second part will focus on WTO litigation and political aspects relating to the working of the WTO councils and committees. Finally, the course will analyze the ways in which international trade rules influence political decisions pertaining to non-commercial matters between states.
How is the course delivered?
The programme will be delivered through lectures, presentations and seminars during each semester. The first semester will be delivered in Lyon and the second semester will be in Maynooth. There will be a significant number of written assignments and oral advocacy workshops. Lecturers will use Moodle to monitor progress of students and offer feedback periodically.
How will it help my career?
The complexity of the modern legal environment requires lawyers, businesspersons and policy-makers to have an in-depth knowledge of relevant theoretical advances and to deploy an enormous array of analytical, conceptual, professional and writing skills. The NUIM/UCLy LL.M. programme addresses this need by offering students a more robust and engaged learning experience than is typical in many law master's degrees
What qualification will I receive?
Successful learners will graduate with an LL.M. Degree. This qualification is a nationally and internationally recognised qualification from the National University of Ireland. It is a 90 credit, level 9 (masters) on the National Framework of Qualifications
How is the course assessed?
Assessment is in the form of:
- 3 hour exams for Global Aspects of Business & Labour Law, and Legal & Policy Perspectives on International Trade Law modules.
- Combination of exams and graded assignments for other modules
- Dissertation of 10,000 words under supervision
Pass Standard etc:
The pass mark for all modules is 50%. A grade of 70% and above is a distinction.
Students must attend a minimum of 80% of each module’s contact time.
Standard university penalties apply for late submission of assignments work etc.
Timetable
Timetable for 2010 - 2011 (Provisional)
Further Information
Further details about the Department of Law are available at http://law.nuim.ie
Questions about the programme can be directed to the Head of the Department at Sandeep.Gopalan@nuim.ie
How to apply?
Application should be made through PAC only (www.pac.ie) where the following information will be required:
Official transcripts
Two letters of academic reference