The top-rated school for international law for 2009 was Columbia University, according to "U.S. News and World Report." U.S. News rankings are based on a number of criteria that include peer reviews, reviews by judges and lawyers, selectivity of the school, LSAT scores and placement rates. Not only was Columbia rated first for international law, but it was also rated as the fourth-best overall behind Yale, Harvard and Stanford. Columbia has a long history of specializing in international law that traces to the mid-1800s. Columbia offers its students in international law the opportunity to study abroad and also offers a number of joint-degree programs within the field. One of Columbia's most innovative programs is its interdisciplinary program that focuses on economics, ethics and law in international law.
Columbia University
Law School
435 W. 116th Street
New York, NY 10027
(212) 854-2670
law.columbia.edu
New York University (NYU) rated second for international law and fifth overall by "U.S. News and World Report." NYU offers students numerous opportunities to focus on international law through various seminars and colloquia in the areas of foreign, international and comparative law. NYU's international law courses are taught through the Hauser Global Law School Program, which has connections with other leading law programs throughout the entire world. NYU sponsors conferences on the issues of globalization and public regulatory issues with many of its worldwide partners. There are four primary areas of focus within the NYU program, which include global trade and regulation, international human rights, security issues and the United Nations and private and transactional international law. The law school also offers a program in the history and theory of international law.
New York University
40 Washington Square S
New York, NY 10012
(212) 998-6060
law.nyu.edu
Harvard University automatically comes to mind when talking about prominent law schools. In the area of international law, Harvard rated third, according to U.S. News. Harvard's law school rated second overall among all law schools and across all disciplines within the field. Harvard's international law program is offered through its Institute for Global Law and Policy (IGLP) and the Program on International Financial Systems. The IGLP's stated purpose is "nurture and sustain innovative approaches to global policy in the face of an international legal architecture manifestly ill-equipped to address the most urgent global challenges." (http://www.law.harvard.edu/programs/about/iglp/index.html) The IGLP also focuses on international problems such as poverty and inequality to research what legal measures can be used to address them. The international finance program researches the regulation of capital markets worldwide and sponsors an international symposium designed to create a free flow of ideas among those involved in international finance. (http://www.law.harvard.edu/programs/about/pifs/)
Harvard University
1563 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
(617) 495-3109
law.harvard.edu