University of Denver: Lead the legal sector with these practical graduate programmes

At the University of Denver Sturm College of Law, students don’t just study law.

They experience it.

That’s why aspiring legal practitioners from all over the world arrive at the Sturm College of Law expecting to gain practical skills through industry-oriented graduate courses such as the part-time JD programme and its four LLM degree options.

Making tomes of cases and principles come alive is no easy feat, but this College of Law — ranked in the top 100 nationally in the  U.S. News & World Report 2021 rankings — does it adeptly with its “learn by doing” approach.

Here’s how each programme and option available at the College trains its students to be practice-ready:

Tax LLM

For Jessica Scherrer, the Tax LLM programme at the Sturm College of Law was an obvious choice as it suited her accounting background.

Source: University of Denver, Sturm College of Law

She gets to gain cross-disciplinary experience on all aspects of tax and learn from a curriculum that refers to the Internal Revenue Code, treasury regulations and other related materials.

Most importantly, she gets valuable exposure to the industry.

“The programme here is also taught with accountants and with law students,” she said.

LLM Tax graduate Xiaoyi Liu explains why this is her favourite aspect of her time at the College too: “As a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), I really enjoyed taking classes with attorneys and other experienced classmates because they always contributed different perspectives to the class, stimulating me to think further.”

Full-time students can earn this degree in just one year online or on-site; part-time options are also available for working professionals. Qualified applicants can access various merit scholarships by getting in touch with the Financial Aid Office.

Environmental & Natural Resources Law & Policy LLM

While residing in Chile, mining lawyer Rodrigo Cortes heard about the University of Denver’s world-leading College of Law and decided to apply.

Source: University of Denver, Sturm College of Law

“Denver Law is one of the best schools in the world for the Environmental Law Programme, so the decision was easy for me,” he said.

Ask Rodrigo today and he would stand by his choice then. He enjoys his environmental and natural resources core classes, as well as practical coursework in renewable energy and sustainable development subject areas.

And he particularly admires the College’s faculty members, who despite being nationally-acclaimed, never fail to ask how he’s doing or to look out for him.

They also ensure that classes are both informative and interactive so that students can get the best out of their law school experience.

International Business Transactions LLM

The highlight of this LLM programme for Adaku Marizu is the chance she got to meet and network with students and business leaders from all over the world.

“It’s been a great experience so far,” she said.

Source: University of Denver, Sturm College of Law

This degree leverages on the strengths of several programmes — international legal studies, corporate and commercial law — as well as DU’s nationally-ranked graduate schools of business and international studies.

Adaku said: “It offers different courses in business, banking, investment, intellectual property and more.”

“And the professors here don’t just help you through your career, they help you think about what happens afterwards.”

American Law Practice LLM

If you’re a foreign-trained lawyer who wishes to supplement, update or specialise in your legal training, then this American Law Practice LLM will fit in perfectly with your career goals.

Through this practice-based programme, you’ll gain a strong grasp of the practical skills necessary to practice law in the US or engage in transactions with US-trained lawyers.

It’ll be an immersive experience in a US law school as you’ll be fully integrated into the College’s JD classes. With small classes, you’ll receive plenty of individualised attention that will enhance your academic success and professional development too.

Source: University of Denver, Sturm College of Law

Professional Part-Time JD

According to third-year law student Grant Shibao, the Professional Part-time Juris Doctor (JD) Programme helps build your legal career both online and on-campus.

“Denver Law gave me the best opportunities to make connections in the legal field, as well as gain the practical skills for me to become the best lawyer that I could be,” says Grant.

Through this degree, you can balance your career, family, and educational goals thanks to a curriculum that is designed to be one-third online and every other weekend on-site.

In the 2021 U.S. News & World Report rankings, this programme was ranked 11th nationally due to its experiential learning style and global perspective.

So if you want to gain practical skills to make an impact on your career, join the Sturm College of Law and its professional network that’s 17,000 alumni strong and counting.

Click here to find out further information about its practical LLM degrees and part-time JD programme.

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