The WashULaw advantage

“Well, I believe the program is very complete. Since most of the classes are with J.D. students, it gives you the opportunity to actually have the law school experience in the Socratic method, which is very helpful since you’re immersed in the whole process and have also the opportunity to make friends from the US and around the world.” –
Denisse Salas Wing, LLM – US Law, Washington University in St. Louis

In the competitive global legal market, it is essential to continue to develop new skills and substantive knowledge.  With close to 40,000 law school graduates annually in the US, the field is extremely competitive and every advantage matters. If you’re hoping to forge a career in global law, it’s essential that you make yourself emerge above the rest, and one of the most effective ways this can be achieved is investing in a first-rate postgraduate education.

The legal profession is notorious for stark competition, with Susan Blake, Associate Dean and LLM Course Director at a prestigious UK university, claiming that the recipient of a Law-based Master’s degree will reap the rewards from gaining that ‘extra edge’.

“It’s important to look for a course that will really help you build your expertise and grow your contacts,” she says. “If you want to go into a specialist area of practice, a Master’s course in this area can be very valuable,” she adds – a sentiment that’s shared by most legal employers.

Source: WashULaw

With an expansive portfolio of specialized postgraduate degrees – from JD, to LLM to the Master of Legal Studies – the Law School at Washington University in St. Louis (WashULaw) is propelling global graduates to new career heights.

Acknowledging the importance of a multi-dimensional perspective of Law, the School equips all students with an outstanding foundation in international Legal practice. WashULaw students gain an elite education in US law whilst also gaining the expertise needed in a dynamic and connected professional environment.

“Not only will a student here experience great instruction in the classroom by world-class faculty who are extremely knowledgeable,” says Mike Koby, Associate Dean for International and Graduate programs at WashULaw, “but outside the classroom they will have experiences that will help them develop as lawyers here,” he adds.

Koby explains that the school’s provision of extensive out-of-class opportunities really sets it apart from other Law-based institutions. The chance to compete in competitions specifically-designed for international students, for example, gives participants the chance to refine their techniques through a number of advocacy activities.

On top of this, WashULaw students benefit from the comprehensive attorney mentorship program, matching them with a practicing professional while allowing them to forge an invaluable connection with someone at the core of legal industry. LLM students also have the unique option of working alongside judges in their chambers, letting them observe proceedings in various chambers and exposing them to real-world insights of the profession, helping them form a solid basis to a thriving career.

Source: WashULaw

“If I were to describe our program outside the classroom in one word, it would be community,” Koby adds. “There’s a community of students who develop a very strong bond with each other – with our US students, with the professors – and that bond really extends beyond graduation,” he explains. “And there’s a great network once students graduate from here – they’re practicing Law, say, in Japan, they have contacts in Brazil, they have contacts in China – and that network of friends, but also Legal colleagues, is very valuable to them.”

But while a WashULaw Master’s degree is one way to ensure you stay ahead of the ambitious graduate game, an investment in a professional advanced learning course will propel you straight to the top. Kate Falconer, a WashULaw student originally from Australia, plans to do just this, using her Master of Laws qualification as the basis for a PhD in Indigenous Law.

“I am interested in Indigenous Law because I see it as an area of Law with a huge amount of potential to make beneficial social change,” she explains.

“I hope to use my PhD to show that Legal frameworks can be used to benefit first peoples, rather than to systematically disadvantage them.”

Throughout her time at WashULaw, Kate received a wealth experiences she would not have gained anywhere else, complementing her academic investment with relevant with industry exposure directly relating to her specialization.

Source: WashULaw

Studying with Professor Steven Gunn – adjunct Professor of Law and Director of the American Indian Law Summer program – gave the student the chance to shine in her chosen professional discipline, granting her a unique observation of indigenous Law in the US, offering a breadth and depth of globally-pertinent knowledge that will only enhance her research-based PhD.

“I chose to come to the School of Law because of its great reputation – both within the United States and internationally – along with the high quality of its teaching staff in the fields I am interested in,” she adds. “That includes Professor Gunn’s course and others.”

“Being at the School of Law has allowed me to work closely with Professors who I greatly admire,” the student concludes, “and who have consistently provided me with helpful feedback and necessary critiques of my research.”

One thing we know for certain is that prospective international students of Law would be hard-pushed to find another Legal education as high-calibre as WashULaw; a school that stretches far beyond protocol to give students the best foundation to succeed in working life. From practice-focused programs to unrivalled practical activities, WashULaw presents an exceptional postgraduate catalogue that unlocks global opportunities.

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