This LLM program — the only one of its kind in the United States — provides an expansive curriculum to choose from to individualize your study and gain in-depth knowledge and skills in international arbitration. Select from specialized theoretical and practical courses in commercial and investment arbitration as well as practical skills-based courses, practicums, clinics, moot court and more. You receive individualized mentorship from world-renowned leaders in arbitration and career advising tailored to your professional goals.
Who Should Consider This Degree?
This program is for a small group of top-quality students from a range of countries and is ideal for:
Recent U.S. or foreign-trained law graduates
Experienced U.S. or foreign-trained attorneys looking to redirect their careers or deepen expertise
Current Miami Law students looking to focus on this field with a joint degree
Current students from other U.S. or foreign law schools wishing to attend as visiting or foreign exchange students
The University of Miami School of Law is prominently positioned, academically and geographically, for the study of international arbitration. Miami is a major international trade and finance center at the “portal to the Americas” and one of the most popular venues in the U.S. for resolving international disputes through arbitration.
Miami Law has created a unique infrastructure for students to network with international arbitration practitioners in Miami and beyond.
Students receive career advising tailored to their individual interests and professional goals. Students have the opportunity to:
Attend international job fairs
Participate in internships with leading international arbitration firms
Compete in international arbitration moot court competitions
Attend international arbitration conferences, lectures and other networking events
Publish in U.S. and international legal journals
Get involved in professional arbitral organizations
After completing the LLM, foreign-trained graduates may have the opportunity to take the Bar Exam in several states in the U.S., including New York and Florida.
Graduates of the White & Case International Arbitration LLM Program work around the globe in prestigious international arbitration law firms, arbitral institutions and multinational corporations.
Graduates on a student visa may be eligible for a one-year employment authorization under the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program, allowing them to gain valuable practical experience in the U.S. after their LLM studies. Foreign-trained graduates may also be eligible to sit for the bar exam in several states in the U.S., the most popular being New York, or opt to enroll in our JD/LLM Joint Degree in International Arbitration. Both degrees can be completed in as little as two years and the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) is not required.
The International Arbitration LLM Program offers specialized theoretical and practical courses on all aspects of international commercial and investment arbitration. Our students are taught by a globally-renowned faculty of international arbitration practitioners and academics, including:
Jonathan C. Hamilton - Distinguished Faculty Chair of Miami Law’s International Arbitration Institute
Carolyn Lamm - Distinguished Faculty Chair of the International Arbitration LLM
Jan Paulsson - Michael Klein Distinguished Scholar Chair Emeritus
The International Arbitration Institute is an embodiment of Miami Law’s long tradition of engagement with the law of arbitration. The Institute strives not only for progress through the education of a new generation of arbitration lawyers but also for progress through research in international arbitration.
International Arbitration LLM students may attend various international arbitration events organized through the Institute, including Miami Law's annual Carolyn Lamm/White & Case International Arbitration Lecture. Students also have the opportunity to work as graduate research assistants with the Institute and individual Miami Law faculty members on cutting-edge research projects related to international arbitration.
“I can confidently say that there is not another program that could offer all the benefits and opportunities that Miami Law does. The classes in the International Arbitration LL.M. Program are taught by the leading arbitration practitioners in the field, providing the students with unique insights and an invaluable opportunity to learn from their experiences.”
“The best part about the International Arbitration LL.M was the amazing faculty who were always there to guide us. For me, Professor John H. Rooney, Jr. and Sandra Friedrich were my constant support. The practical skills courses like ‘Forensics of Advocacy in International Arbitration’ was a one-of-a-kind course where we worked in groups on actual decided arbitration matters like a mock court set up. It taught us the practical implications of the international arbitration principles, rules and standards which I find helpful in my present role.”
Somya Priyadarshini (India), LL.M. ‘19 Senior Associate, NHB Legal Dubai, United Arab Emirates
“I had many seriously impactful experiences during my time at Miami Law, and it is difficult to pick just one. My favorite of these, though, was being on the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot team. As a young attorney, it is difficult to get hands-on practice presenting oral arguments on your own and, through International Moot Court, not only were we able to do this often, but we also received helpful and uncommonly personalized feedback from our coaches.”
Anabel Blanco (Cuba), J.D./LL.M. ‘20 Legal Counsel, Permanent Court of Arbitration The Hague, The Netherlands
"It was a privilege to learn first-hand from the truly legendary practitioners in the field of international arbitration, as well as first-class professors of the U.S. law. During my LL.M. studies, I also had a chance to work as a legal intern at the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes of the World Bank (ICSID), a leading institution in the field of investment arbitration and a unique mechanism for Investor-State dispute settlement under 1965 Washington Convention,"
Anastasiia Sydorenko (Ukraine), LL.M. ’24 Law Clerk, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP New York, NY
“Miami Law was more enriching than I expected. I learned from the best faculty and from my classmates, not only concepts, but also from their experience as experts in their fields. Moreover, I had the opportunity to be a research assistant, participate in the International Moot Court Program as Coach Assistant, do a Practicum, participate in events, among other activities outside classroom.”
Andrea Espejo Donaire (Peru), LL.M. ‘23 Associate, Baker & McKenzie Lima, Peru
“I learned about Miami Law after attending the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot competition where I met Miami students involved in Miami Law's International Moot Court Program. Distinguished professors in the field of arbitration, networking opportunities to meet experts, sustained interactions with faculty, and research opportunities available to students made the program most appealing to me.”
Sabina Akhroriy (Uzbekistan), LL.M. ‘21 Director, ICDR, American Arbitration Association Philadelphia, PA
