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LLM (Master of Laws) in Constitutional Law
Constitutional Law relates to the fundamental way a country is governed, for example certain legislatures are central to a country’s constitutional laws, such as human rights. Constitutional law differs according to each respective nation, although the three main areas all countries usually cover are customary law, statutory law and conventions. Constitutional laws govern the relationships between the judiciary, the legislature and the executive with the bodies under its authority.
An LLM in Constitutional Law will study the relationship of different entities within a state, namely, the executive, the legislature and the judiciary. Some nations don’t have constitutions as such, however all have laws of the land that consist of various consensual and imperative rules ie customary law, statutory law and conventions.
Human rights and civil liberties form an integral part of a nation’s constitutional laws and will play a key part in an LLM in Constitutional Law, and comparisons between the perspectives of different countries, ie the United States and the United Kingdom are also likely to feature in the program. In the United States, the law is based on the Constitution, a signed agreement setting out the basic rights of United States citizens. The three main branches of this law are: judicial, legislative and executive. However, in the United Kingdom, there is no codified constitution, although there are many parliamentary laws or statutes. Both nations have things in common and their constitutional laws are grounded in history and politics.
Find LLM programs in Constitutional LawWhere can you study an LLM In Constitutional Law?
In the United Kingdom alone, there are over 40 universities offering over 350 LLM programs – and some of these will have an option to study modules in Constitutional Law. Over in Europe the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona in Spain has an LLM program focussing on European Constitutional Law.
LLM programs speciailsing in Constitutional Law is a popular choice in the United States with Penn Law offering an excellent LLM with Constitutional Law as an option, whilst in Canada the Osgoode Hall Law School at York University also offers a well regarded LLM program in Constitutional Law
Student case study
It is important to make sure you do your research properly to choose the law school that is right for you. One postgrad law student, Charlotte, states in her blog in August 2016 that, “Despite the temptation to go where your friends are going, it makes more sense to make a rational and carefully considered decision based on the information available (good practice for your future career).”
What are the entry requirements to study an LLM in Constitutional Law?
LLM degree candidates usually need to hold an undergraduate law degree of a Grad2 2.1, or have sufficient work experience if their grade is lower than a 2.1 or if their first degree wasn’t in law. If English is not the first language of the applicant, scores of 7 or higher in IELTS or 107 in TOEFL may be required – you can find out more about English language requirements here.
An LLM in Constitutional Law advances careers in…
Government work
Politics
Legal profession
Academia
Famous faces in the world of law
Some famous people who have studied Master of Laws programs include: Amal Clooney, human rights activist and wife of George Clooney; Bob Mortimer, the comedian from Leicester, UK; Mahatma Gandhi; professional tennis star, Mario Ančić and lastly, the current president of the United States of America, Barack Obama.
Recommended reading
Constitutional and Administrative Law by H Barnett
Studies in Constitutional Law by C Munro
Thinking Like a Lawyer: A New Introduction to Legal Reasoning by F Schauer
The Common Law by Oliver Wendell Holmes
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