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Executive LL.M. Program and Curriculum

Join a program as agile and ambitious as you are.

At Columbia Law School, what we teach is informed by what’s happening in the world. The forces changing global business require expert legal professionals as innovative as the products and services offered by their clients.

Earn your LL.M. degree in six months through our intensive program designed to minimize time away from home and work.

Be part of an intimate cohort of accomplished lawyers with sophisticated international practice experience.

Develop the skills to be a leader in the evolving field of global business law through our transformative Leadership and Management series.

Learn from the world’s top corporate law faculty in small classes, gain an expert foundation in U.S. business law, and acquire the professional skills you need to stay nimble and innovative.

Join an exclusive network of the world’s brightest lawyers, and benefit from the resources and support of your fellow alumni throughout your career.

Learn more about the program below.

The Executive LL.M. has both online and in-residence components, requiring a total of 24 credits. Dates below are tentative for 2025.

Online Spring Semester: February 21 - May 19

Introduction to American Law and/or Two Elective Courses (Regulation of the Digital Economy | IP in the Digital Age)
 

Introduction to American Law is required for students without a law degree from the U.S. (JD or LL.M.)
 

Both elective courses are required for students with a law degree from the U.S. (JD or LL.M.) and optional for those without
 

Classes generally meet on Zoom 1 time each week for 2-3 hours in the morning New York Time

The online classes are dynamic, specially designed hybrid taught courses, meaning the instruction and coursework include both live class meetings as well as independent work. During each course, you will engage with your professor during live classes, watch pre-recorded lectures, participate in discussion boards with your classmates, and complete readings and assignments independently.

On-Campus Summer Residency: May 23 – August 15

  • Take five (5) on campus classes: 4 electives and the required Colloquium
  • Typically, courses are taught in blocks with each block lasting six weeks
  • The elective classes scheduled for 2025 include International Business Transactions, Deals, ESG, Social Impact Investing, and Corporate Responsibility, International Commercial Arbitration, A Hands-On Approach to Mergers and Acquisitions, Business Organizations and Behavioral Perspectives on Law and Public Policy.

A key component of the Executive LL.M. is the intensive, 12-week Summer Residency. The Global Business Law Colloquium, a course offered only in connection with the Executive LL.M., runs over the course of the Residency and focuses on Lawyer Leadership as well as Financial Statement Analysis, both of which are essential for lawyers practicing today.

In addition to classes, curated events are organized during the Residency for the Executive LL.M. students. Past events have included a Broadway show and Yankees game.

Online Fall Semester: August 22 – October 1

  • Professional Responsibility in Global Business
  • Classes generally meet on Zoom 2 times each week for 2 hours in the morning New York Time

The Executive LL.M. degree is awarded in October.

Students are invited to return for the Columbia University graduation ceremony the following May.