International and Commercial Dispute Resolution Law LLM

Wednesday 25th October 2023, 5:30-7PM(BST)

Our International and Commercial Dispute Resolution Law LLM (ICDRL) is for anyone wishing to demonstrate a commitment to contentious law in public and private international and commercial legal contexts. The taught part of the course includes modules that reflect the three main forms of the dispute resolution process, namely, adjudication (litigation and arbitration), alternative dispute resolution (ADR – principally mediation), and negotiation.

This course differs from the International Commercial Law LLM (ICL) course, which is primarily concerned with non-contentious aspects of commerce (ICL modules include competition law, trade and insurance).

Class sizes are, in general, quite small, and you'll be able to mix with students on other Master's courses at Westminster Law School.

The course provides an opportunity for in-depth study of the substantive and procedural issues involved in the field and also the acquisition of skills involved in some of the processes. It's centrally concerned with law and other rules (international, transnational and commercial) which are applicable in adjudication and also in the other dispute resolution processes.

In addition to the taught modules, the Dissertation module gives you the opportunity to develop specialist knowledge of a small area of the field, which might lead to a publishable article.

Top reasons to study with us

• An academic and pragmatic approach – You'll have the opportunity to engage in academic research and writing, pragmatic jurisprudence, and law-based problem solving informed by real-life scenarios.
• Learn in the heart of London – Studying at our Regent Campus in central London, you'll be part of a diverse, global community.
• Open to non-law graduates – You don't need to have an undergraduate law degree to study this course, as all modules provide the necessary grounding in the module topics.
• Be part of a vibrant law community – You'll have the opportunity to take one or two elective modules (instead of course option modules) located in our other postgraduate LLM courses at Westminster Law School, enabling you to share classes with other LLM students and expand your networking opportunities.

Why study this course?

• Gain international and transnational perspectives
  Our course combines public international law, private international law (conflict of laws), and municipal laws concepts into a coherent whole, examining the prevention and resolution of international, transnational (cross-border), and commercial conflicts and disputes in the contexts of law and absence of law.
• Focus on conflict and dispute resolution
  You'll gain knowledge of processes and procedures for preventing, managing, resolving and settling conflicts and disputes by negotiation, mediation (and other ADR processes), arbitration, and litigation at the municipal, international and hybrid levels.
• Fantastic central London location
  You'll be studying in the centre of one of the world’s greatest cities, within easy reach of London's unrivalled library, and cultural and legal resources.

The International and Commercial Dispute Resolution Law LLM is designed to benefit a wide range of individuals, whether you're a graduate progressing towards a PhD; a practising lawyer; another practitioner such as an arbitrator, civil servant, diplomat, insurer, journalist, judge, linguist or mediator; or a commercial director or manager.

The course is ideal if you're having a gap year between career stages or want to improve your English for career purposes.

• Supporting your career
  You'll benefit from support from both professional and academic staff, including career advice from the Course Leader when you choose your option modules and dissertation topics.
• Industry links
  You'll have access to events and workshops with law firms, alumni, and career professionals to help you to get started in your law career through our Legal Skills Academy.
• Employers around the world
  The University’s Careers and Employability Service has built up a network of over 3,000 employers around the world, helping all our students explore and connect with exciting opportunities and careers.

Career path

We offer support with your employability and career in mind, and our aim is to encourage you to achieve a strong postgraduate CV.

You're encouraged to consider career paths which include doctoral (PhD) stages as well as business, professional, international, government, and academic stages.

Guest speakers

Recent guest speakers for students on this course have included:

• Nicholas Stewart QC (barrister), sports arbitrator
• Dr Ewomazino Caulker (PhD Westminster Law School), lecturer in law at the University of Greenwich

Job roles

This course will prepare you for a variety of roles, including:

• Barrister, solicitor, or another lawyer in national private practice
• Barrister, solicitor, or another lawyer in international and transnational (cross-border) practice
• Paralegal in legal practice or government service
• Corporate counsel in a national company
• Corporate counsel in a multinational group
• Company secretary
• Government lawyer
• Legislator
• National magistrate or judge
• Arbitrator
• Mediator
• Mediation advocate
• Negotiator
• Regulator with a dispute resolution institution
• Compliance officer
• Human resources clerk and manager
• In-house researcher
• Ombudsman case officer
• PhD candidate
• University lecturer

The following modules are indicative of what you'll study in this course.

You’ll take the two core modules and choose five option modules from the list below.

Core modules

• Perspectives on Peace, Conflicts and Disputes
• Postgraduate Research and Dissertation

Option modules

Arbitration:

• Comparative Commercial Arbitration: Law and Practice
• Foreign Direct Investment Arbitration
• International Commercial Arbitration

Corporate Law:

• Multinational Corporate Entities and Foreign Investment

Litigation:

• International and Transnational Dispute Processes
• Multinational Corporate Entities and Foreign Investment

Mediation:

• Mediation: Concepts, Evolution and Practice
• Restorative Justice: Cultures, Integration and Law

Negotiation:

• Negotiation: Theory, Contexts and Practice

Public International Law:

• International and Transnational Dispute Processes
• Peaceful Settlement of International Disputes
• Peace Processes and Law