In its latest ranking of the best LLM programs, the International Jurist commended the University of Colorado Law School for its law school experience, value, career assistance, and academics. Colorado Law was the only school in the nation to be recognized in all four categories.

The rankings were based on a survey of 150 law schools with LLM programs for foreign attorneys.

Colorado Law’s academic prowess in key areas, such as natural resources, energy, and environmental law, which placed eighth in the nation in the most recent U.S. News & World Report rankings; entrepreneurial and business law; and technology and intellectual property law, make it particularly appealing to foreign attorneys looking to bolster their specialized skills.

"These recent rankings highlight Colorado Law’s welcoming community, values, and holistic approach to academic, professional, and personal development for international attorneys,” said Jimmy J. Ilseng, director of international programs. "Colorado Law’s international LLM students are scholars and practitioners who are valued members of our law school, CU Boulder, and the Colorado community as a whole.”

In assessing law school experience, the International Jurist pointed to several of Colorado Law’s signature offerings that are open to LLM students, including the Law of the Colorado River seminar, in which students spend the semester learning about the people, places, and policies governing the Colorado River. The centerpiece of the class is a two-week rafting trip through the Grand Canyon where students can see the river from a new perspective and be in close proximity to the people and issues surrounding the river. LLM students are also eligible to take part in the school’s three student-run journals and experiential education opportunities, including clinical courses.

“It’s great to see the quality of our academics, our comparatively low tuition, and our students’ postgraduate opportunities recognized in these rankings,” Ilseng said. “We are particularly honored by our inclusion in the international student experience category, which reflects our commitment to providing a unique and supportive law school experience for our international LLM students.”

LLM students also benefit from numerous partnerships between Colorado Law and national and international organizations, including the Governors’ Climate and Forest Task Force, the Rocky Mountain Mineral Foundation, and the Inter-American Commission for Human Rights (IACHR), all of which provide valuable hands-on experience and networking opportunities. As a result of the partnership between Colorado Law and the IACHR, recent graduates of the LLM degree in international law and human rights Yuly Campiño (’19) and Alejandra Gomez (’19) were selected for postgraduate fellowships at the IACHR headquarters in Washington, D.C., this fall. Both students volunteered at the IACHR’s 169th period of sessions, which Colorado Law hosted in October 2018.

Value and academics are other standout components of Colorado Law’s LLM program. Overall tuition has remain stagnant for the last eight years, and all LLM students receive some sort of scholarship. LLM students take classes alongside JD students and enjoy a low student-to-faculty ratio of 6.4:1.

"I knew I wanted to earn an LLM at a university with a specialized and smaller program," said Giancarlo Camillieri (’19), a graduate of the LLM degree in Natural Resources, Energy, and Environmental Law. "Colorado Law has one of the best programs in the United States, with a notable faculty. Also, how could I refuse to live in a place like Boulder?"

Learn more about Colorado Law's LLM degree.

Pictured: LLM, JD, and MSL students in Professor Anna Spain Bradley's U.S. National Security and Foreign Relations in a Time of Change seminar.