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LLM in Transnational Arbitration & Dispute Settlement (one year full time)

Why study arbitration in Paris?

  • One of the most attractive and important international arbitration venues worldwide thanks to the presence of the International Chamber of Commerce’s Court of International Arbitration.
  • The most important law firms specialized in International Arbitration and many of the most renowned specialists are based in Paris.

Why study arbitration at Sciences Po Law School?

  • Founded nearly 150 years ago, Sciences Po stands out as a world-class university with internationally-recognised degrees and research, a multicultural community and a worldwide network of partners.
  • Sciences Po Law School (SPLS) has developed a strong reputation in matters related to international economic law, with a particular focus on all mechanisms of international dispute settlement.
  • SPLS's teams excel in international moot competitions around the world and SPLS has been organising its own international moot competition for 14 years.
  • Many international arbitration related activities are organised every year with the participation of the most outstanding specialists from all over the world.

What will you study in this LLM?

The LLM offers an extensive training in theoretical and practical aspects of arbitration and dispute settlement. The core matter of the program will be the study of transnational arbitration in all its forms. The program will also cover other mechanisms of international dispute settlement. These include judicial and non-judicial means of dispute resolution such as litigation before the International Court of Justice, at the World Trade Organization (Panel and Appellate Body), Human Rights Litigation (e.g. European or American framework).

In addition, the program will offer an insight into litigation before domestic courts, recourse to mediation and online dispute settlement. Ultimately, the program will not exclusively focus on "procedural" tools governing dispute settlement. "Substantial" lectures will offer an insight into public international law, international contracts law, private international law, energy law, international investment law and the protection of human rights. The combination of these "procedural" and "substantial" insights will adequately prepare students to act before the extraordinary variety of tribunals and courts that exist in the world today.

Students in the program (20-25 maximum each year) will be offered a series of small-group courses (intensive mandatory classes as well as elective courses) to further intellectual and professional exchange, workshops (on practice skills) entirely taught in law firms and at the ICC International Court of Arbitration, conferences, internships, and participation in international moots. All in all the LLM offers a unique opportunity to immerse in the transnational arbitration network.

The high-level education received during the programme, enables students to be extremely competitive to get positions in international law firms, arbitration institutions and international organisations.

Curriculum

Extra-curricular activities:

Governance

Director

« In this LLM programme the students have the opportunity to learn the theory and practice of transnational arbitration and other means of dispute settlement by paying attention to both substantial and procedural issues, in the most important arbitration venue in the world, while being taught by several of the most prominent scholars and practitioners. »

Diego P. Fernández Arroyo
Professor at Sciences Po

Scientific Advisory Board

« This long-awaited LLM programme in Paris has specifically been designed in order to best respond to the direct needs of practitioners engaged in transnational arbitration and dispute settlement. Students of this program will undoubtedly be in the best position to start international careers in international law firms, arbitral institutions or other relevant international organisations. »

Emmanuel Gaillard
Emeritus Professor at Sciences Po
Partner, Shearman & Sterling
Chairman of the Scientific Advisor Board
Seminar on Arbitral Legal Order

  • George A. Bermann, Professor at Columbia University, Affiliated with Sciences Po
  • Andrea Bjorklund, Professor at McGill University
  • Gary B. Born, President of the SIAC Court of Arbitration
  • Franco Ferrari, Professor at New York University
  • Maurice Kamto, Professor at Yaoundé II University
  • Pierre Mayer, Emeritus Professor at Paris I University
  • Alexis Mourre, President of the ICC International Court of Arbitration
  • Horatia Muir Watt, Professor at Sciences Po
  • Alain Pellet, Emeritus Professor at the University of Paris Ouest Nanterre La Défense
  • Mónica Pinto, Dean and Professor at Buenos Aires University
  • Emmanuelle Tourme-Jouannet, Professor at Sciences Po

Practitioners Consultative Committee

  • Rodman Bundy, Greg Falkof & Wesley Pydiamah, Eversheds
  • Carine Dupeyron, Darrois, Villey, Maillot, Brochier
  • Simon Greenberg & Karolina Rozycka, Clifford Chance
  • Laurent Gouiffès, Hogan Lovells
  • Maude Lebois, Shearman & Sterling
  • Carole Malinvaud, Gide Loyrette Nouel
  • Fernando Mantilla Serrano, Latham & Watkins
  • Isabelle Michou, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan
  • Charles Nairac, Elizabeth Oger-Gross, Christophe von Krause & Nicolas Bouchardie, White & Case
  • Tim Portwood, Bredin Prat
  • Eduardo Silva Romero, Dechert
  • Roland Ziadé & Clément Fouchard, Linklaters
  • Elie Kleiman, Jones Day

Faculty

The Faculty comprises the members of the two governance bodies joined by other renowned scholars and practitioners from all over the world.

LLM Faculty accessible version

Events

  • On the December 5th 2018 the first conference of the Arbitration X Technology saga, was held in Paris, at the premises of Sciences Po Law School. Practitioners, scholars and students of the international arbitration community were gathered to present, discuss, and argue on the stake of arbitration amidst the technological evolution. The conference was organized by the Sciences Po Arbitration Society (SPAS), under the framework of the LL.M in Transnational Arbitration and Dispute Settlement (T.A.D.S).
  • On 21 September 2018, in the LLM inaugural lecture “International Arbitration: Past, Present and Future”, Gary Born gave an overview of the history of international arbitration and address contemporaneous and future challenges that the practice of international arbitration faces.
  • On 23 May 2018, the Center of Transnational Litigation, Arbitration and Commercial Law of the School of Law of NYU and Sciences Po Law School held a joint conference on Soft Law in International Adjudication, under the direction of professors Franco Ferrari and Diego P. Fernández Arroyo.

Previous events: 2017 events

Students

Fully taught in English, this one-year programme is designed for candidates with a graduate degree in law who are seeking to immerse themselves in a challenging university environment and gain further expertise or new horizons in arbitration and international dispute settlement. The LLM is a full-time programme, running from late August to the end of August of the following year.

Testimonial

"It's the best decision that I have made in my career"

In my opinion, the best feature about this program that sets it apart from the others is the practical training workshops that we have in law firms. The 100+ hours of workshops that we had in best law firms in the world and arbitral institutions, essentially resulted in what as I like to call it as a ‘mini-internship’. Read the full testimonial

Eligibility and admissions

Candidates must hold a law degree (Master 2, JD, LL.B., or the equivalent) and a professional experience. Please note that internships could be considered as professional experience.

Find out more about the admission procedure.

Tuition fees and financial aid

Tuition fees for the entire programme are set at €24,000.

A limited number of scholarships are envisaged.

For further information, do not hesitate to contact us.

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