LL.M. Degree Program
Students selected for the National Security Law LL.M. take part in a rigorous academic program. The National Security Law LL.M. requires that students complete the Proseminar in National Security Law, coursework both in national security law and possibly in other fields, and a writing requirement.
Proseminar
The Proseminar in National Security Law serves as the gateway course for National Security Law LL.M. students, and it is one of the distinguishing features of the program.
The three credit Proseminar is taught by a full time faculty member and is composed solely of the National Security Law LL.M. students. Taught in the autumn, the course provides students with a basic foundation in national security law and an opportunity to think more broadly about the field. The course also serves to bring students together to build cohesion among the class. In addition, the Proseminar helps ensure that students who leave Georgetown Law to join different parts of the national security dialogue—e.g., civilian and military government agencies, human rights organizations, boutique law firms, in-house at high technology companies, contractors, civil liberties organizations, academic institutions, and the like—have an opportunity to be in direct dialogue with each other.
Additional Coursework Requirements
To earn the LL.M. degree, US trained students must complete a total of 24 credits, and foreign trained students must complete a total of 20 credits. In addition to the Proseminar, students must complete 18 credits from a list of selected national security law-related courses offered at the Law Center. In addition to these requirements, at least one of the courses included in the total of 24 credits (or 20 credits for foreign trained students) must include a writing component (and must be designated a WR course), giving students the opportunity to reflect on the topics to which they are being exposed.
The remaining credits are not tied to national security law courses, allowing students to tailor the program to their specific interests. US trained students must take an additional six credits, and foreign trained students must take an additional two credits. Students may branch out into other areas of the law or, indeed, into other areas of study within the university, including on the main campus (though all courses must be graduate level courses). Areas of study could include languages, Middle Eastern studies, or courses at the School of Foreign Service. Students would also be free to take other national security law courses.
