LL.M. in International Economic and Business Law

The LL.M. in International Economic and Business Law is a one-year program designed for recent or established university graduates in law. It is ideal for lawyers working or aspiring to work in international business, private practice, academia, government, and the judiciary.

The world’s major commercial hubs, including Doha, rely on those equipped with legal and business tools to sustain and grow international trade and investment. Critical to this reliance is a culture based on the law. Understanding relevant legal principles, and how they apply to a myriad of existing and new situations, is key to the success of anyone working in this dynamic area.

The program examines a wide range of issues relating to international business and does so in an innovative, comparative manner so thatstudents develop analytical and problem-solving skills while gaining substantive knowledge.

Graduates of this program will be equipped to:

Apply advanced knowledge and methodological skills to undertake research in the field of international economic and business law.
Develop research and innovative solutions to complex international business and economic laws.
Analyze the social and policy impact of international economic and business law.
Communicate effectively themes and ideas in the fields of international economic and business law.
Demonstrate the ability to integrate professional legal ethics in the practices of international economic and business law.

Program Focus

The program provides students with a comprehensive knowledge of critical substantive areas relevant to the role of the lawyer in a global context. This focusis fitting given HBKU’s location in Qatar – one of the world’s most prosperous economies with vibrant and fast- growing business, energy, financial, construction, aviation, maritime, media, sports, health care, and tourism sectors.
Students gain expertise relevant to the structure of international business transactions, entrepreneurship, e-commerce, financing risk management, international trade law, international investment law, international banking and finance, intellectual property law, international environmental law, and the resolution of disputes in these and other areas.

Curriculum:

Coursework is divided into mandatory core courses and electives. The program consists of 32 credits, including 26 credits for core courses and six credits for a thesis that must be completed within 12 months, and no more than 18 months, after course commencement.

The curriculum comprises foundational courses such as Contract Law, Research Methods in Law, and Global Legal Ethics and Entrepreneurship Law, which address principles needed to practice law in multiple convergent legal systems. The curriculum also includes courses and seminars in transnational law, with modules on infrastructure development, international arbitration, global economic law and governance, energy law, commercial law, advanced dispute resolution, and others. These innovative courses are comparative and built on common law, civil law, and Shari’a traditions.
The thesis is the cornerstone of the LL.M. program. Students, in consultation with a faculty advisor, write a paper on a policy sector of their choice with the aim of analyzing the current legal framework, putting forward reasons for reform by using the skills developed in the methodological courses and making a policy proposal for legislative or regulatory reform.
Other integral features of the LL.M. program are professional skills training sessions, internships, and placements that focus on such skills as contract drafting, trial advocacy, alternative dispute resolution, and effective negotiation and presentation techniques.