The LL.M. in International Arbitration develops practitioners that are well rounded and ready to enter the field of International Arbitration. The program's internationally-renowned arbitration faculty and staff provide students with ongoing personal advice and structural support in planning and advancing their careers in the field.
During their LL.M. studies, students receive career advising tailored to their individual interests and professional goals.
Foreign-trained International Arbitration LL.M. students may attend the prestigious New York International Student Job Fair, which attracts more than 160 of the leading legal employers from around the world. In addition, Miami Law participates in numerous job fairs with other law schools and organizations around the country. These programs give students increased access to a broad range of employers to be considered for internships and permanent positions in the United States and abroad and help accommodate employers unable to travel to Miami for on-campus interviewing. “The fair gives the students the chance to show their CVs to various firms and to have an idea of what the market is looking for in applicants. The support of the UM and especially the Career Development Office is a great plus, and the applicants are taught how to act on interviews and how to prepare. The job fair opened many doors for me professionally, and was certainly one of the high points of the whole LL.M. experience.” Marshall Felipe Hasson (Brazil)
LL.M. International Arbitration '18
Legal Consultant, Subway
Miami Law’s Office of Career and Professional Development (OCPD) offers comprehensive services and resources to assist students throughout the year with their professional goals. An experienced career advisor exclusively dedicated to students enrolled in the International Arbitration LL.M. Program assists with their job search and professional development needs, including one-on-one training on networking, resume writing, and interviewing skills. Students have access to extensive job search databases and resources on summer and academic-year positions, including international law jobs and fellowships, judicial clerkships and internships, as well as public interest and pro bono positions.
Students may have the opportunity to participate in the International Arbitration LL.M. Practicum Program with prominent international arbitration firms in Miami. This study feature allows students to earn two academic credits during their studies and provides a unique opportunity for additional training in the workplace as well as networking. “My experience at Shutts & Bowen had an invaluable impact in my career path. I was able to work with and learn from leading practitioners in the International Arbitration and Litigation field in Miami and was able to apply all of the invaluable knowledge I had acquired in my LLM classes." Natalia Jaramillo (U.S.A./Colombia)
J.D./LL.M. International Arbitration '20
White & Case, Washington, D.C.
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Students may have the opportunity to work as graduate research assistants or volunteers on arbitration-related projects and initiatives with organizations such as:
International arbitration moot court competitions allow students to gain practical experience in a mock arbitration setting. This authentic exercise requires students to act as advocates, analyzing and arguing both sides of a hypothetical legal dispute, using procedures modeled after those employed before real-life international arbitration tribunals. Students may participate in English- or Spanish-language competitions focusing on international commercial or investment arbitration during their LL.M. studies through Miami Law's International Moot Court Program. International arbitration moot competitions offered may include: Read more here: "First U.S. International Moot Court Program Celebrates 10 Years of Trailblazing Success"
Under the guidance of top-notch faculty, students enrolled in the International Arbitration LL.M. Program work on papers on cutting-edge issues in the field. For instance, the Advanced Arbitration Seminar, taught by Professor Jan Paulsson, and several other international arbitration seminars and workshops on the curriculum challenge students to write papers of genuinely publishable quality. Students and graduates have published in various U.S. and international law journals and reviews as well as professional blogs with a focus on international dispute resolution, including the Asian Dispute Review, the European Dispute Review, Transnational Dispute Management (TDM) Journal, The Florida Bar’s International Law Section International Law Quarterly, Kluwer Arbitration Blog, Young ICCA Blog, as well as Miami Law’s internationally-oriented law reviews. In 2016 a Miami Law graduate published an article in the prestigious Journal of International Arbitration. In addition, our 2013 International Arbitration LL.M. graduates published individual articles on various international arbitration topics in Young Scholars in International Arbitration, a collection of essays published by Miami Law’s International Arbitration Institute, which was prepared in conjunction with the 2014 International Council for Commercial Arbitration (ICCA) Congress held in Miami. Arda Barlas, J.D./LL.M. '20 shares his experience helping the Miami International Arbitration Society draft an amicus curiae brief to the U.S. Supreme Court: Arda Barlas (Turkey) 
“It felt great to be part of such a significant development for the New York Convention and international arbitration… it’s not every day that you find such an opportunity to be part of a Supreme Court case in your field of study.”
J.D./LL.M. International Arbitration '20
Associate, Reed Smith, Miami, FL
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Students have the opportunity to attend international arbitration conferences, lectures and other networking events with international arbitration practitioners, organized in Miami and beyond by Miami Law’s International Arbitration Institute and other international arbitration organizations. The Institute brings renowned international arbitrators and experts to the University of Miami School of Law to lecture throughout the academic year. Most recently, Miami Law’s 2021 White & Case International Arbitration Lecture featured international arbitration specialist David W. Rivkin (Partner, Debevoise & Plimpton) on “Post-Pandemic Arbitration: Will It Be Contact-Free?” You can read more about the lecture or re-watch it. International arbitration conferences taking place in Miami include events organized by: In addition, the International Arbitration LL.M. Program organizes regular on-campus international arbitration luncheons with practitioners and site visits to leading international arbitration firms and institutions in Miami, which provide additional opportunities for networking.
Students have the opportunity to get involved with professional arbitration organizations on a local and global level: Miami International Arbitration Society (MIAS): The University of Miami School of Law is an institutional member of MIAS. Other members include leading international arbitration firms and institutions. Bi-monthly MIAS membership meetings are open to International Arbitration LL.M. students and feature leading arbitration practitioners as speakers. MIAS promotes the use of international arbitration and mediation and the selection of Miami as the situs for international arbitration proceedings related to the resolution of trans-border commercial and investment disputes. MIAS works to encourage international arbitration in Miami by supporting appropriate legislation, relevant academic programs at area universities, local international arbitration conferences, featuring distinguished practitioners as guest speakers, and providing training and legal updates to its members on the latest developments in international arbitration. Young ICCA: Young ICCA is a world-wide arbitration knowledge and skills network for young practitioners, established in 2010. It functions under the auspices of the International Council for Commercial Arbitration (ICCA). Participation in Young ICCA is open to law students, faculty members and young practitioners. It aims to provide students and young professionals interested in dispute resolution with a forum to exchange ideas about international arbitration and with access to each other and to the international arbitration community. Other international arbitration organizations International Arbitration LL.M. students should get involved with include:
In the United States, law graduates are required to take a bar exam in order to practice law. Bar admission is regulated by each of the 50 U.S. states, and each state has complete discretion in the process. Some states permit foreign lawyers with an LL.M. degree to take the bar exam and be admitted to practice.Career Opportunities & Support After Graduation
Sit for a U.S. Bar Exam
New York is a commonly selected jurisdiction which does permit foreign applications with only an LL.M. degree. Each year a group of University of Miami LL.M. graduates sit for the New York Bar Exam. The requirements for foreign-educated LL.M. students to seek admission to the New York Bar are complex and depend upon the particular background and circumstances of each applicant. Additionally, a student’s course of study in the LL.M. program must adhere to certain guidelines (i.e., one must earn a specified minimum number of credits, and take particular courses while in the LL.M program). If an international student intends to seek admission to the New York bar following completion of an LL.M program, he or she should carefully read the New York State Board of Law Examiners Guide for Foreign Educated Students. Also required is the completion of New York State’s online Foreign Evaluation Form.
As part of a 2022 Florida Supreme Court rule change, attorneys with an LL.M. from a U.S. law school may be qualified to take the Florida Bar Exam. Individuals can qualify for this option if they: (1) complete a qualifying LL.M. at an ABA-accredited law school in the U.S., (2) are admitted to practice in another U.S. jurisdiction, (3) have practiced law for at least two years in a U.S. jurisdiction, and (4) meet other miscellaneous requirements. There are many complex factors to consider when choosing this route, and the University of Miami School of Law helps it students identify if this method of qualifying for the Florida exam is best. Students in the International Arbitration LL.M. Program may enroll in foundational U.S. law courses taught as part of Miami Law's J.D. program, such as Civil Procedure, Commercial Law or Contracts, to prepare for a U.S. bar exam.
Additionally, some foreign-trained lawyers become certified under a special Foreign Legal Consultancy (FLC) rule, which only allows them to counsel clients on the laws of their country of origin (and prior bar admission). However, the FLC rule does not seem to lead to broad job opportunities in Florida. If a foreign lawyer’s long-term goal is to practice law in Florida, he or she should consider Miami Law’s J.D. or LL.M. programs. If interested, please visit the joint J.D./LL.M. page.
Students in the International Arbitration LL.M. program who are on an F1 student visa may qualify for an employment authorization of a one-year period for optional practical training (OPT) in the United States immediately following their graduation from the program. The OPT provides students with a valuable opportunity to gain practical experience in the United States prior to returning to their home countries (or seeking permanent employment in the United States). For additional information regarding the Option Practical Training Work Permit for International Students, please visit the International Student & Scholars service website. Miami Law students and graduates have been working around the globe with prestigious arbitration firms and institutions as well as international corporations in post-graduation, summer and practicum positions.Post-graduation Work Permit for International Students
International Arbitration Careers Worldwide
For questions about the International Arbitration L.L.M. Program or any of these study options, please request more information or contact: intl-llm@law.miami.edu.For More Information
