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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: March 10 - May 16

  • Introduction to American Law and/or Global Business Law Elective
    • Introduction to American Law is required for students without a law degree from the U.S. (JD or LL.M.)
    • Global Business Law Elective is 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 2-3 times 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, live online lectures, participate in discussion boards with your classmates, and complete readings and assignments independently.

On-Campus Summer Residency: May 27 – 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
  • An example of elective classes include International Business Transactions, Deals, ESG, Social Impact Investing, and Corporate Responsibility, A Hands-On Approach to Mergers and Acquisitions, and Business Organizations.

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 current issues in business 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

  • Regulation of the Digital Economy
  • Professional Responsibility in Global Business
  • Classes generally meet on Zoom 2-3 times each week for 2-3 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.