Message from the Dean

Dean Kent Syverud

Globalization, democratization, and privatization are challenges facing students and practitioners in today’s legal profession. Washington University’s LL.M. programs will prepare you to successfully meet these challenges. Our LL.M. programs are designed specifically to meet your needs whether in Tax, Intellectual Property/Technology Law, or U.S. Law for international students. Washington University LL.M. programs are fully integrated with the regular curriculum allowing you a wide variety of courses.

A major strength of the School of Law is a distinguished faculty recognized for their excellence in teaching and scholarship. Among them are experts in the fields of international and comparative, intellectual property and tax law. Faculty members have advised our own government and international governments, and they have taught and practiced in numerous countries in such subject areas as international trade law, human rights, immigration law, European Union law, international criminal law, and environmental law. Our tax and intellectual property faculty include recognized scholars in the field as well as outstanding practitioners.

The School of Law has a unique comparative advantage in exploring interdisciplinary intellectual property issues involving high technology.

The St. Louis community is home to 34 biotechnology companies, and Washington University is home to the Genome Sequencing Center. In Fall 2000, the School of Law inaugurated two new centers, the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies and the Institute for Global Legal Studies, which will contribute to the intellectual environment supporting the School’s interdisciplinary and international approach to intellectual property and technology law issues.

I invite you to make the commitment to join us to deepen and focus your knowledge of law, make professional contacts, and prepare yourself to meet the challenges of practicing law in the 21st century.