OU College of Law has designed the LL.M. program for lawyers to master the complexity of International Business law.
This program allows lawyers practicing international business law to further their specialization and provides a comprehensive legal overview of key topics facing organizations that engage in business beyond the borders of the United States, including international finance, business transactions, arbitration, EU law, trade, and more.
OU Law has assembled a remarkable faculty of legal scholars and practitioners who work in government, international business, and international law. Their in-depth experience and groundbreaking research make them uniquely qualified to address the latest legal and political changes in international business.
In today’s globalized economy, businesses of all sizes are increasingly interconnected. The complexity of international transactions and the laws governing them requires lawyers with a deep understanding of the legal landscape of global commerce.
Joining the Sooner community, boasting over 250,000 global alumni, grants you exclusive entry to a network of international legal and business trailblazers, providing access to connections in the pursuit of exciting career opportunities.
Build close relationships with your dedicated cohort for a collaborative, and enriched learning journey. OU Law’s attentive staff also helps to ensure your success, fostering an optimal environment for your academic growth.
Online classes offer busy working professionals like you the flexibility to complete the program independently from anywhere. You can complete the online program in just 15 months, enabling you to expand your career opportunities more quickly.
To apply to the online M.L.S program, applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university (or the international equivalent).
To apply for the LL.M. program, applicants must have earned their first law degree — LL.B., J.D., or equivalent.
Please email a certified copy of all undergraduate and graduate college transcripts to the OU College of Law Graduate & International Programs at llm@law.ou.edu. If your undergraduate institution does not provide electronic transcripts, please have them mailed to the University of Oklahoma College of Law, 300 Timberdell Road, Norman, OK 73019.
Your experience is important. Include detailed and professionally formatted documentation of your past education and work experience.
Include a 300–500-word statement on career goals and how the program aligns with those goals. Address educational history, including any disparity in undergrad GPA, and significant life events leading to the decision to apply to graduate school.
The program does not require the LSAT exam; however, students must be proficient in the English language. If English is not an applicant’s primary language, please refer to the OU Admissions website to review English proficiency requirements.
Earning an online LL.M. in International Business Law from the University of Oklahoma prepares you for an in-demand career with companies and organizations driving global economic growth. Our remarkable law faculty practice in a variety of sectors, giving you the knowledge and skills to accelerate your career from day one.
Credits: 2
This course is a general introduction to the nature and structure of national, international, and transnational legal systems. It introduces the students to the common law and civil law legal systems as well as the international and transnational organizations and structures of international and transnational business law such as the European Union, USMCA, the WTO, UNCITRAL.
Credits: 2
This course teaches students the core skills of finding and using various sources of international and transnational business law including bilateral and multinational treaties, uniform international rules and principles, decisions of international and transnational adjudicatory organizations, and European Union directives and decisions.
Credits: 3
This course initiates students into the differences between corporate law in civil law countries and corporate law in the Anglo-American world. Students gain an understanding of the different policy challenges legislators are facing stemming mainly from the size of the firms, their ownership structure and the position of labor within business organizations. The effects of regulatory competition in the field of corporate law inside the EU and the US are also analyzed, enabling students to understand the extent to which legal convergence has been spurred by such competition. Major aspects of corporate law that will be compared include: the corporate formation process, capital requirements and distributions, duties and liabilities of management, the powers of the general meeting vis-à-vis the powers of the management bodies (including principles of decision-making), minority shareholders’ protection, creditor protection (with emphasis on the concept of piercing the corporate veil), and labor rights.
Credits: 3
This course first provides an introduction to the subject of European Law. Students will learn the unique structure of the EU and the Common Market including how directives are made and implemented. The course will then focus on a few specific areas of law including free movement of goods, employment, taxation, and competition law.
Credits: 2
In this course, students will examine some of the key international payment systems: Letters of Credit, wire transfers, international netting, and the SWIFT system. The main themes will include risks associated with fraudulent transactions and the allocation of credit risk throughout the payment systems.
Credits: 3
This course will focus on the legal aspects of the commercial activity that takes place in two or more countries. It will examine the sale of goods and services across national boundaries, licensing of intellectual property, foreign investment, and the core principles of international taxation and antitrust law.
Credits: 2
This course introduces the students to the principles of the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and the OECD Convention on Combatting Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions other transparency initiatives. Any business with an overseas presence needs to be familiar with this regulatory structure. The course is practically focused on the need for compliance planning and transaction screening and reporting to prevent violating the FCPA provisions.
Credits: 2
This course provides an overview of the international sanctions regimes. It explores the processes by which the UN and other multilateral and unilateral sanctions are imposed and how sanctions impact the way business is conducted. A few country-specific sanctions provisions will be explored.
Credits: 3
An emerging issue in international business has involved the appropriate role and responsibilities of multinational corporations concerning human rights. We will examine the United Nations (UN) and Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) guidelines for business and human rights as well as the UN’s decision to draft a treaty on this topic as well as national regulations on this topic and potential litigation risks.
Credits: 3
This course on international commercial and investment arbitration examines international arbitration as a system of private justice, focusing on the five building blocks of international arbitration – the agreement to arbitrate, arbitral rules of procedure, international conventions on the enforcement of arbitration agreements and awards, national arbitration laws, and relevant decisions of national courts – and comparing arbitration with other forms of dispute resolution. The course explores in detail the 12 stages of international commercial arbitration, eliminating the mystery surrounding the arbitration process and includes a discussion of legal writing for advocates in international arbitration, document disclosure under the IBA Rules, legal and cultural differences in advocacy styles and expectations, frequently made mistakes by advocates in international arbitration, and how to build an international arbitration practice. The course also includes an investment arbitration component, which discusses arbitrations between investors and nation states. This component includes a discussion of sovereign immunity, bilateral investment treaties, and enforcement of arbitral awards against a sovereign.
Credits: 3
In this course, the regulation of trans-border trade will be examined on a global level. The course will explore the laws and institutions which regulate the flow of international trade and foreign investment. The major institutions covered will include the World Trade Organization, the International Monetary Fund, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank), the European Union, the North American Free Trade Agreement, and the Asian regional institutions.
Credits: 2
This course examines the laws and institutions governing global capital markets, primarily global equity and Eurobonds. The course will examine the applicability of US Securities regulation abroad (both relating to non-US companies raising capital in the US and US companies raising capital abroad). The major markets and exchanges will be examined including London, Europe, and Hong Kong. The course will also examine attempts at and challenges to international harmonization. In addition to primary capital market transactions, the course will also consider cross border public merger and takeover regulations and practices.
Credits: 2
This course examines international regulation of the market for bank financing. Principles of capital adequacy, safety and soundness, and systemic risk will be introduced. The process of syndication and global structured finance will also be explored. Finally, the course will introduce the topic of anti-money laundering regulation.
Credits: 3
Many international business endeavors involve interactions with indigenous peoples throughout the world. This course traces the development of international law rules and expectations relating to the rights of indigenous peoples from the early 20th Century through the present. The course will focus on modern international institutions and instruments including the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Race Discrimination. Materials examined include major treaties and the decisions of international bodies. Students should finish the course with sufficient understanding of the international system and major international initiatives relating to the rights of indigenous peoples to plan business operations while respecting the rights of indigenous peoples.
