LL.M. International Business Law

This is a programme specifically designed for graduates who seek to develop a career in global business law. It offers an innovative approach to International, Anglo-American and European business law, covering a wide range of topics, such as corporate law, commercial and investment arbitration, cross-border transactions, financial law, and international tax law.

It exceeds the expectations and demands of both recent graduates, who want to enhance their opportunities of pursuing an active and international career in business law, and young lawyers, who want to deepen their skills and knowledge. It also provides an environment in which those who seek an academic career can hone their analytical and research skills.

Every year, the student body at Católica Global School of Law is composed of graduates from a wide range of nationalities and professional backgrounds. Also, during the academic year, enrolment in specific LL.M. seminars is made available to external practitioners, whose participation enhances the programme’s diversity and the breath of intellectual conversation, while providing a networking opportunity for both the LL.M. students and those legal professionals.

Moreover, our outstanding faculty includes prominent scholars from prestigious American and European universities and top practitioners from leading law firms. Using highly interactive teaching methods, our faculty is able to apply Católica’s extensive track-record in the field of business law to engage students in an exciting and meaningful way.

The Case Method

Classes will have a dual nature, emphasizing both theory and practice. Through the application of a case-based teaching approach, students will be faced with complex, yet practical problem-solving scenarios where in-depth analysis and reasoning will have to be applied.

Careful preparation outside class is expected from every student and in-class discussion will be encouraged. As a consequence, the programme will be demanding, but the rewards, in terms of intellectual and personal growth, will be commensurate.

Program Information

Attendance and ECTS
This LL.M. is a one-year full-time program, running from September to July. The academic calendar is structured into three terms. The students’ schedule depends on the courses that they have elected to follow, but, typically, on a given day students will have classes on either the morning or the afternoon. Also, since some courses are taught in a concentrated fashion (e.g., over the course of three days), some periods of the semester may be busier than others.

Students who wish to combine their LL.M. studies with a full-time professional activity are advised to enroll as part-time students, dividing the coursework over two academic years.

Semester Abroad
Following their LL.M. year in Lisbon, students are encouraged to spend an additional semester abroad, taking advantage of the exchange agreements that Católica Global School of Law has with a select group of top law schools from Europe, North America, South America and Asia. Each of these schools reserves a specific number of places for students from Católica Global School of Law to spend a semester. The semester abroad allows our students to have contact with different pedagogical and research methods, as well as to experience life in another country, while carrying on studying at a top law school.

Under these agreements, admission to our partner schools begins with the semester abroad application process at Católica Global School of Law, which takes place between November and December. Each student nominated by Católica for a semester abroad will then be subject to the approval of the host institution.

Master’s Thesis
Following the one-year LL.M. programme, research-driven students have the option of enrolling for a third semester and produce a masters’ thesis. The students that successfully write, submit, and defend their thesis will be awarded the Master of Transnational Law diploma, according to the Bologna Declaration.

Double Degrees
Católica LL.M. students have the opportunity to extend their studies earning a second LL.M. degree in one of the following prestigious partner Universities.

• King’s College London – The Dickson Poon School of Law
• Fribourg Law Faculty
• Cornell Law School
• University of Michigan Law School
• University of Illinois College of Law
• Boston University School of Law