International Law and Practice Certificate

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Overview

The Certificate Program in International Law and Practice is a graduate-level certificate program designed for professionals to gain exposure to aspects of international law and legal issues arising in a cross-border context, without the need to enroll in a formal degree program.

The certificate program is open to foreign-trained legal professionals who are interested in supplementing their educational background and career experience with focused coursework in areas relevant to international and cross-border legal work. The certificate program requires one semester of full-time study (part-time study over two semesters may be available to U.S. citizens or permanent residents), and successful completion of a minimum of 14 credit hours of course work to earn the certificate, including at least one of the following core course requirements:

  • International Law (three credit hours);
  • International Trade (three credit hours);
  • Comparative Law (three credit hours); or
  • International Business Transactions (three credit hours)

In addition to the selection of one of the four core courses listed above and in order to meet the different and changing educational needs of legal professionals, the certificate program is designed to permit students to choose among a wide range of courses that are available in a given semester and for which the students are qualified. Each certificate program student will therefore receive academic advising from the assistant dean for International Law and Policy Development prior to the start of regular semester courses to create a customized curriculum focused on internationally related subject matter and subjects relevant to the student’s educational and career goals.

All certificate program students are required to take courses for academic credit, sit for examinations, and earn grades.

How to Apply

To apply for admission to the Certificate Program in International Law and Practice, applicants must have a first-degree in law from a foreign jurisdiction (e.g., an LL.B.); or a license to practice law in a foreign jurisdiction; or a J.D. or an LL.M. degree from a U.S. law school; or have significant professional experience in a legal or law-related capacity. In addition applicants must be proficient in English, which is evaluated by one or more of the following methods:

  • TOEFL (IBT test) score of at least 90; IELTS score from the most recent two years of at least 6.5; or Duolingo English Test score (DET) of at least 100. Any score must be submitted within two years of taking the test. Applicants with slightly lower scores will be considered at the sole discretion of the Admissions Committee.   
  • Academic transcript of previous academic work in a program where the primary language of instruction was English;
  • Successful participation in overseas training program courses jointly organized by Chicago-Kent and a foreign partner entity;
  • Written statement of purpose (included as part of the certificate program application);
  • In-person, telephonic, or video conference interview with the assistant dean or other designated Chicago-Kent official; and/or
  • Stipulations as to the applicant’s English proficiency from academic or professional sources who have significant and relevant experience with the applicant

Application Requirements

Professionals interested in applying to attend the certificate program must submit:

  1. The online application form, which includes a statement of purpose demonstrating the applicant’s suitability for the program and the professional goals he or she hopes to achieve through the program
  2. Official academic transcripts from previous university education
  3. Scanned copy of the photo page of the applicant’s valid passport
  4. One letter of recommendation from an academic or professional source
  5. One of the above-listed items of evidence demonstrating English proficiency

With regard to Item 5, should the applicant not be able to supply documentary evidence of English proficiency or should such evidence be insufficient, Chicago-Kent may, at its discretion, determine the applicant’s English proficiency using one or more of the above-listed methods.

Admission

Admission to the certificate program is based on the applicant’s academic and professional background, achievements and professional goals. All admission decisions are at the sole discretion of Chicago-Kent College of Law. Scholarships are generally not available for the certificate program.

Questions?

If you have questions about the certificate program, we are eager to hear from you! Please contact intllm@kentlaw.iit.edu and with “Certificate Program in International Law and Practice” in the subject line, or call 312.906.5237 or 312.906.5012.