BEASLEY SCHOOL OF LAW

About the Program

Temple Law has always taken great pride in providing an excellent legal education that prepares its graduates for the challenges they will meet in practice. Globalization has significantly changed the nature of these challenges. In the decade that U.S. trade across the Pacific surpassed that across the Atlantic, clear recognition arose in the legal profession that Asia is an area of practice in which lawyers should receive special training. The growing number of commercial Asia-U.S. transactions continues to flame both domestic and foreign demand for U.S. lawyers who specialize in Asian law. While this demand continues and will likely grow, only a limited number of academic programs in the United States exist that are specifically designed to create such specialists.

This program is designed primarily for those who hold a Juris Doctor (JD) degree, potential JD students, and lawyers from foreign common law jurisdictions who would use Temple's curricular strengths and existing programs as a bridge to expand their careers to Asia, the most dynamic region in the 21st-century world.

The Beasley School of Law has long regarded its international law programs as a core center of excellence. Indeed, our expertise in international law generally is reflected in our strong national ranking in that area. Our substantive depth and our existing physical presence in the capitals of the nations with the three largest economies in Asia make us the program of choice for those wishing to become Asian law specialists. Our program is unique in requiring candidates to spend a semester at a law school program in Asia, ensuring that graduates of the program are exposed not just to substantive aspects of the law, but to the almost equally important nuances of the legal, economic and social culture from which those laws spring.

Our tenured faculty specialize in Chinese Law, Japanese Law, and legal issues in Asia. Our roots run deep in legal education in Asia. In 1994, we became the only U.S. law school to offer a full semester of JD study and a full academic year for LLM students in Asia at Temple University's Japan campus in Tokyo. In 1999, the Beasley School of Law expanded into China in a groundbreaking program to train Chinese lawyers, judges and professors. In addition, we send students every fall to study Chinese Law in Tsinghua University's LLM in Chinese Law program for non-Chinese students. In 2011, Temple entered into an exchange partnership with Jindal Global University Law School in National Capital Region (NCR) of Delhi, India.

Time Limit for Degree Completion: 4 years, although full-time students typically complete the LLM program in one academic year

Campus Location: Main campus in Philadelphia and abroad in Beijing, China; Delhi, India; or Tokyo, Japan

Full-Time/Part-Time Status: The degree program can be completed on a full- or part-time basis.

Interdisciplinary Study: Students may pursue the Asian Law LLM on its own or in conjunction with the JD. A Temple JD student may qualify for entry into the LLM program before graduation, and earn up to half of the required 24 credits for the LLM while still a JD student. The remaining credits required for the LLM degree can then be completed in one additional full-time semester or several part-time semesters in Philadelphia, China, India or Japan after satisfying the JD requirements. Current Temple JD students who enter the JD/LLM program directly after earning a JD automatically have up to six credits of eligible courses in a Temple program applied toward the LLM in Asian Law. For each additional credit earned beyond the minimum number of credits required to earn the JD degree, a Temple JD/LLM student can apply one more credit of international and comparative law coursework toward the LLM in Asian Law, up to a maximum of 12 credits.

Job Prospects: Graduates may have an advantage in procuring jobs that require Asia-focused international law study and experience.

Non-Matriculated Student Policy: Students must be matriculated in the program to take courses.

Financing Opportunities: The Asian Law LLM degree program does not have a scholarship program, but students may explore financial aid opportunities commonly available to JD students. Tuition and cost information is available at https://law.temple.edu/about/tuition/. For financial aid information, visit https://law.temple.edu/resources/financial-aid/graduate-international/.

Admission Requirements and Deadlines

Application Deadline:

Fall: June 1
Spring: November 1

Applicants are admitted on a rolling basis and are encouraged to apply as early as possible while space is available in the program. Payment of the $50 application fee may be remitted directly to Temple Law by check or money order payable to "Temple University." The application fee is waived for current Temple students.

APPLY ONLINE to this program.

Letters of Reference:
Number Required: 1

From Whom: The reference letter may be written by a professor or employment supervisor and should candidly evaluate the applicant’s academic abilities and/or professional skills. Relevant work experience may also be considered evidence of potential for graduate study.

Degree Required for Admission Consideration: It is expected that applicants hold a Juris Doctor or equivalent first degree in law from an English common law country. Official law transcripts must be submitted either electronically or as hard copy received in a sealed envelope from the issuing institution, with English translation if needed.

Statement of Goals: Outline your interest in the program in a maximum of 1,000 words. Applicants should explain their interest in graduate study in Asian law, as well as any other factors the admissions committee should take into consideration when evaluating their application. The statement should demonstrate your organizational, analytical and writing skills. Thus, applicants should invest appropriate time and effort in preparing this statement. The personal statement is carefully evaluated by the admissions committee. While proficiency in an Asian language is preferred, it is not required.

Resume: Current resume or CV is required.

Program Requirements

General Program Requirements
Number of Credits Required to Earn the Degree: 24

Course List

Code	Title	Credit Hours
Fall Semester Core Courses
Select two or three from the following Asian Law courses on Main campus:		6
JUDO 0900	Guided Research
or JUDO 0901	Guided Research II
or JUDO 0902	Guided Research Serial
or JUDO 0903	Guided Research II Serial
or JUDO A900	Guided Research
or JUDO A902	Guided Research Serial
or JUDO J900	Guided Research
or JUDO J902	Guided Research Serial
or JUDO J904	Guided Research II
or JUDO J905	Guided Research II Serial
or JUDO R900	Guided Research
or JUDO R901	Guided Research II
or JUDO R902	Guided Research Serial
or JUDO R903	Guided Research II Serial
or MLAI C900	Guided Research
JUDO 0925	Japanese Law
or JUDO J102	Intro to Japanese Law
or JUDO J105	Current Issues in Japanese Law
or JUDO J903	Introduction to Japanese Law
JUDO 0989	Law in Asia
JUDO 1024	Chinese Law
or JUDO J117	Intro Chinese Law
Select two or three from the following International Law courses on Main campus: 1		6
JUDO 0444	National Security Law
or JUDO 0984	National Security Law
or JUDO J444	National Security Law
or JUDO J984	National Security Law
JUDO 0453	Law of the European Union
or JUDO 0934	Law of European Union
JUDO 0459	International Commercial Mediation and Arbitration
JUDO 0467	International Intellectual Property
or JUDO J467	International Intellectual Property
or JUDO R469	International Intellectual Property
JUDO 0494	Advising the Multinational Company on Global Legal Issues
or JUDO J494	Advising the Multinational Company on Global Legal Issues
or JUDO R494	Advising the Multinational Company on Global Legal Issues
JUDO 0497	International Health Law
or JUDO 0997	International Health Law
JUDO 0509	Comparative Constitutional Law
JUDO 0514	Intl Commercial Trans
or JUDO 0637	International Commercial Transactions
or JUDO 0895	Intl Commercial Transctn
or JUDO A637	Intl Commercial Transctn
or JUDO J637	International Commercial Transactions
or JUDO T637	Intl Commercial Transctn
JUDO 0518	Comparative Law
or JUDO 0819	Comparative Law: China
or JUDO 0898	Comparative Law
or JUDO J898	Comparative Law
JUDO 0550	Immigration Law
or JUDO 0750	Immigration Law
or JUDO R502	Immigration Law
JUDO 0556	International Law
or JUDO J556	International Law
or MLAI C556	International Law
JUDO 0571	International Taxation
or JUDO 0935	International Taxation
or JUDO J571	International Taxation
or MLTX G571	International Taxation
JUDO 0583	International Protection of Human Rights
or JUDO 0841	International Protection of Human Rights
or JUDO J583	International Protection of Human Rights
or JUDO J927	International Protection of Human Rights
or MLAI C583	Intl Protctn Human Right
JUDO 0612	Constitutional Law and Foreign Policy
or JUDO 0872	Constitutional Law and Foreign Policy
JUDO 0642	International Organizations
or JUDO J642	International Organizations
JUDO 0651	U.S. Business Planning for International Transactions
or JUDO J651	Business Planning for International Transactions
JUDO 0654	Business Immigration Law
JUDO 0659	The Global Workplace
or JUDO 0959	The Global Workplace
or JUDO J959	The Global Workplace
JUDO 0665	International Criminal Law
or JUDO J103	Intrnl Criminal Law
or JUDO R432	Intrnl Criminal Law
JUDO 0691	International Financial Law
or JUDO J112	International Finance
JUDO 0881	Intl Investment & Trade
or MLAI C554	Intl Investment & Trade
JUDO 0912	International Law Colloquium
JUDO 0991	International Development Law and Policy
or JUDO J652	International Development and Policy Law
or JUDO J991	International Development and Policy Law
JUDO 1003	Refugee Law and Policy
JUDO 1018	Immigrant Low Wage Workers in a Global Economy
JUDO 1022	Foundations of International Criminal Law
or JUDO R467	Foundations of International Criminal Law
JUDO 1054	Regulating Cyberthreats
or JUDO J922	Regulating Cyberthreats
JUDO 1055	Treaties and Negotiations
JUDO 1064	International Trade Law
or JUDO 5060	International Trade Law
or JUDO J555	International Trade Law
JUDO 5024	International Commercial Arbitration
or MLAI C524	International Commercial Arbitration
JUDO 5055	Comparative Criminal Procedure
or JUDO J107	Compartv Criminal Procdr
or JUDO J907	Comparative Criminal Procedure
JUDO A550	Compartv Immigration Law
or JUDO J550	Comparative Immigration Law
JUDO A651	Intl Dispute Resolution
or JUDO J501	International Dispute Resolution
or JUDO R501	Intl Dispute Resolution
or MLAI C501	Intl Dispute Resolution
JUDO J102	Intro to Japanese Law
or JUDO J903	Introduction to Japanese Law
JUDO J104	East/West Negotiation 2
JUDO J105	Current Issues in Japanese Law 2
JUDO J115	Compartv Competition Law
JUDO J118	International Entertainment Law
JUDO J424	International Civil Litigation
or JUDO R424	Intrnl Civil Litigation
or MLAI C424	International Civil Litigation
JUDO J427	Intro Intl Business Law
or JUDO R427	Introduction to International Business Law
or JUDO T500	Intro Int'l Business Law
JUDO J446	Intl IP Licensing
JUDO J464	International Contract Drafting
or JUDO J924	International Contract Drafting
or JUDO R464	Intrnl Contract Drafting
JUDO J502	International Trade Contracts
JUDO R430	Intl Human Rts/US Litgn
Spring Semester Abroad Courses
Select courses at one non-U.S. location totaling 12 credits 3		12
Total Credit Hours		24

¹

The list of approved International Law courses is subject to change annually at the Program Director's discretion.

²

JUDO J104 and JUDO J105 are offered only at Temple University Japan.

³

See the course grid for study abroad locations below for approved course offerings taught in English.

Spring Semester Courses by Location Abroad

Course List

Code	Title	Credit Hours
Tsinghua University School of Law, Beijing, China 1		12
Chinese Banking Law
Chinese Civil Procedure
Chinese Contact Law
Chinese Foreign Trade and Investment Law
Chinese Intellectual Property Law
Chinese Practice of International Law
O.P. Jindal Global University Law School, National Capital Region of Delhi, India 2		12
Administrative Law and the Regulatory State
Civil Procedure Code and Law of Limitation
Clinic I – Drafting, Pleading and Conveyancing
Clinic II – Drafting, Pleading and Conveyancing
Constitutional Law I
Contract Law II – Special Contract
Corporate Law
Criminal Procedure Code, Juvenile Justice Act and Probation of Offenders Act
Environmental Law
Family Law I
Intellectual Property Law
International Criminal Law
International Law and Terrorism
International Trade Law
Introduction to Banking and Finance Law
Jurisprudence
Labor Law
Law of Contract I
Law of Evidence
Law of Taxation
Law Stream (Business Law)
Public International Law
Temple University Japan Campus, Tokyo, Japan 3		12
JUDO 0467	International Intellectual Property
or JUDO J467	International Intellectual Property
or JUDO R469	International Intellectual Property
JUDO 0556	International Law
or JUDO J556	International Law
or MLAI C556	International Law
JUDO 0571	International Taxation
or JUDO 0935	International Taxation
or JUDO J571	International Taxation
or MLTX G571	International Taxation
JUDO 0583	International Protection of Human Rights
or JUDO 0841	International Protection of Human Rights
or JUDO J583	International Protection of Human Rights
or JUDO J927	International Protection of Human Rights
JUDO 0642	International Organizations
or JUDO J642	International Organizations
JUDO J102	Intro to Japanese Law
or JUDO J903	Introduction to Japanese Law
JUDO J104	East/West Negotiation 4
JUDO J105	Current Issues in Japanese Law 4
JUDO J464	International Contract Drafting
or JUDO J924	International Contract Drafting
or JUDO R464	Intrnl Contract Drafting
JUDO J651	Business Planning for International Transactions
JUDO J900	Guided Research
or JUDO J902	Guided Research Serial
or JUDO J904	Guided Research II
or JUDO J905	Guided Research II Serial

¹

Tsinghua is a well-recognized Chinese university with a large law school that primarily enrolls domestic Chinese students. Asian Law LLM students with sufficient language proficiency may petition to take courses taught in Chinese to count toward the degree.

²

Jindal's law school primarily enrolls domestic Indian students earning their LLB, a graduate law degree equivalent to the JD in the United States. While the courses available to Asian Law LLM students do not explicitly include the word “Indian” in their titles, they do indeed focus on Indian law.

³

Courses identified for TUJ are commonly taught in Tokyo. JUDO J105 is the only course on the list that is not offered in English.

⁴

JUDO J104 and JUDO J105 are not offered on Temple University's Main campus.

Contacts

Department Contacts: