LL.M. Roadmap has been featured on the New York Times Education Site. The article, written by Mr. Dave Comp, Associate Director of International Programs at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, appeared in the New York Times on Wednesday, 15 February 2012.
Mr. Comp, who created the International Higher Education Consulting (IHEC) Blog, wrote that LL.M. RoadMap “is a valuable resource for any international student with an interest in pursuing a legal education in the United States with a specific focus on the LL.M. degree.”
Mr. Comp said: “LL.M. RoadMap provides a wealth of information in its 624 pages that is not only beneficial to prospective international students but also to international educators and other stakeholders within higher education here in the United States.”
Mr. Comp said that “the table of contents demonstrates the value of this resource and demonstrates the wealth of knowledge and expertise that Professor Edwards brings to the table”.
LL.M. RoadMap had been well-received around the globe, and its website, www.LLMRoadMap.com, has had visitors from over 650 cities in 120 countries on 6 continents.
Professor Edwards has presented on the topic of international legal education and U.S. LL.M. programs in two dozen countries in the previous two years. Professor Edwards is in high demand for consultations by LL.M. applicants, current LL.M. students , LL.M. graduates, LL.M. programs, and other stakeholders in international legal education.
Professor Edwards is the CM Gray Professor of Law at Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law, and Faculty Director (Founding) of the law school’s Program in International Human Rights Law.
Edwards Presenting on LL.M. RoadMap in Many Countries
Professor Edwards has recently received many invitations to travel to many foreign countries to speak about legal education in the U.S., and specifically about U.S. LL.M. programs. In the previous two years, Professor Edwards has presented on U.S. legal education, U.S. LL.M. programs, and global legal education, in approximately 2 dozen countries. Many of his presentations have been at overseas law faculties, international conferences, U.S. Embassies abroad, or at U.S. State Department affiliates such as EducationUSA Advising Centers and Fulbright Foundations in many countries.
Following the global launch of LL.M. Roadmap at Harvard Law School in September 2011, Professor Edwards presented at LL.M. RoadMap book debuts in Paris (debut at U.S. – France Fulbright Commission), and in London (U.S. – U.K. Fulbright Commission).
In the next several months, Professor Edwards’ LL.M. RoadMap overseas debuts and book signings are scheduled to include Spain (Madrid), Austria (Vienna), San Jose (Costa Rica) and Tokyo (Japan). In the U.S., they include Honolulu (Hawaii), New Orleans (Louisiana), Chicago (Illinois), New York City, and San Juan (Puerto Rico).
Professor Edwards has been selected by the European Law Faculties Association (ELFA) to deliver a paper at the ELFA 2012 General Assembly and Conference to be held in Madrid, Spain in March 2012. His paper is titled Transnational Experiential Legal Education, Citizen-to-Citizen Diplomacy & Human Rights: Benefits of Master of Laws (LL.M.) Students From One Country Undertaking Non-Classroom Academic Initiatives At Law Schools In Another Country.
The European Law Faculties Association has over 200 law faculties as members, from across Europe. Hundreds of ELFA law faculty members from over 200 member countries within the European Union and beyond will be present at this Annual Meeting, which will be held at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid in Madrid, Spain. (8 – 10 March 2012). This meeting acts as an international forum for the discussion of many legal topics related to legal education, including LL.M. programs in the U.S. and elsewhere. Attendees at this conference may include many prospective LL.M. students, as well as many law faculty members who advise such students at the over 200 member schools.
Professor Edwards is also invited to the Willem C. Vis (East) International Commercial Arbitration Moot (Hong Kong) and the Willem C. Vis (East) International Commercial Arbitration Moot (Hong Kong). Thousands of law students and their professors and advisors participate in these Moots, from many hundreds of schools around the globe.
Professor Edwards will serve as a Judge in the Philip C. Jessup International Moot Court Competition, the final rounds of which will be held in Washington, DC in March 2012. Publisher Wolters Kluwer Law & Business Publishing has donated 100 copies of LL.M. RoadMap as Book Prizes to the top student oralists from around the globe. The Jessup competition involves law students from over 500 law schools in over 80 countries.
Professor Edwards will also attend the Annual Meeting of NAFSA: Association of International Educators to be held in Houston, Texas in May 2012.
Are Some U.S. LL.M. Programs Cash Cows & Diploma Mills?
Professor Edwards has been approached by Law Schools in the U.S. to advise or consult on the creation of LL.M. programs at those schools, and to assess those schools’ existing LL.M. programs. He noted that faculty and administrators from schools around the country have asked him whether he thinks their schools are "cash cows" or "diploma mills", or whether their schools live up to the standards outlined in LL.M. RoadMap.
Professor Edwards said "Virtually everywhere I go in and outside of the U.S. I am asked to identify which specific U.S. law schools and U.S. LL.M. programs do not meet reasonable expectations of LL.M. students. People want to know which LL.M. programs are cash cows, in that they divert LL.M. tuition money away from the LL.M. program, leaving the LL.M. program with inadequate resources to satisfy LL.M. student personal, academic, career or other needs and expectations.”
Professor Edwards said “I tell students, professors and LL.M. administrators that the principal question is whether the law school funnels sufficient resources to the LL.M. program, and provides high quality service, which is what students should reasonably expect. Unfortunately some schools fail to provide sufficient resources for their international LL.M. students, and do not meet the reasonable needs of their students”.
Professor Edwards said “LL.M. Roadmap paints a picture of an ideal LL.M. program that meets the needs of its international students. I believe that LL.M. Roadmap can offer everyone involved with LL.M. programs in the U.S. insights as to what they can do to improve the LL.M. experience, as a student, professor or administrator.
Professor Edwards said “Schools need not spend every LL.M. tuition dollar on the LL.M. program, but the school should spend enough money on the LL.M. program at least to meet the reasonable expectations of students”.
Other publications of Professor Edwards that address these issues include articles in the ILSA Quarterly, the National Jurist, and the International Graduate Magazine of the United Kingdom. These articles can be accessed through www.LLMRoadMap.com.
Professor Edwards Donates LL.M. Roadmap profits to International Law Students Association (ILSA) that Administers Jessup International Law Moot Court.
Professor Edwards is donating all of his personal profits from the publication of LL.M. Roadmap to the International Law Students Association (ILSA) (www.ILSA.org). ILSA is a non-profit organization that administers the Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition, whose participants hail from 500 law schools from over 80 countries around the globe. Professor Edwards negotiated with the LL.M. Roadmap publisher Wolters Kluwer Law & Business Publishing for them to donate 100 copies of LL.M. Roadmap as Book Prizes to the top student Jessup oralists in different countries. Professor Edwards served as Faculty Advisor to the Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition at Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law from 1997 until 2010. He also served two 3-year terms (the maximum permitted) as a Member of the ILSA Board of Advisors.
More information
More information about the AALS can be found at www.AALS.org.
More information about LL.M. RoadMap can be found at www.LLMRoadMap.com. This website has had visitors from over 650 cities in 120 countries on 6 continents.
LL.M. RoadMap is available online at Amazon.com in the U.S. (Amazon.com -- U.S.); at Amazon in other countries (including Amazon.ca -- Canada; Amazon.de - Germany; Amazon.co.uk -- U.K.; Amazon.fr – France; Amazon.co.jp -- Japan; Amazon.es -- Spain; Amazon.at - Austria); and at numerous other websites in other countries.
Twitter.com: @LLMRoadMap (over 590 Twitter Followers!)
Professor Edwards previously served as Faculty Director (Founding) of the Law School’s Master of Laws (LL.M.) Track in International Human Rights Law (until Spring 2011), and previously served as Executive Chair of the Law School’s Graduate Law Programs. Professor Edwards retains the position of Faculty Director, Program in International Human Rights Law, which in 2011 under Professor Edwards’ direction earned Special Consultative Status with the UN Economic and Social Council (UN-ECOSOC). Since 1997, Professor Edwards has facilitated and supervised 168 summer law student internships at the United Nation and other human rights organizations in over 55 countries on 6 continents.
Professor Edwards is a Juris Doctor graduate of Harvard Law School.
For information requests specific to LL.M. RoadMap, please send an e-mail to LLMRoadMap@Yahoo.com. Professor Edwards can also be reached at gedwards@indiana.edu.
