IIT, Chicago-Kent College of Law along with School of American Law for Caucasus announces request for applications for two interlinked programs with significant – 75 % tuition scholarship for lawyers of Azerbaijan:
• Two-semester certificate overseas program specialized on Business Law delivered directly in Baku, Azerbaijan and
• One-semester LL.M degree program at Chicago-Kent College of Law delivered directly in Chicago, Illinois, USA.
The whole program is business-law focused and covers the most demanding subjects of law and its application in international practice.
School of American Law for Caucasus was established in 2012 in cooperation with Chicago-Kent College of Law headquartered in Tbilisi, Georgia to support the mission of expanding knowledge, promoting of American legal studies and providing equal access of legal education for the lawyers of emerging market countries. Since February 2016 School of American Law for Caucasus started its operation in Baku, Azerbaijan in cooperation with Mr. Gunduz Karimov, In-Country Partner.
Academic year begins in Baku in September 2016 and completes in June 2017. This two-semester study covers ten mandatory courses in law conducted only in English and delivered solely by Professors of Chicago-Kent. Learning mode is one or two courses per month covering weekends only throughout full day intensive instructions with 10-12 academic hours per course.
Ten mandatory courses focus primarily business law and cover contemporary subjects of law: Legal Writing, International Business Transactions, E-Commerce, Online Contracting, IP Asset Management, US Intellectual Property Law, Comparative Law, US Administrative Law and Introduction to American Legal Systems. Exact titles and content of law courses are subject to change.
Program curricula, reading and course materials, exam policy and exam assignments, grading system and grading are developed exclusively by Professors of Chicago-Kent. Students are graded only by Professors of Chicago-Kent.
After completion of two-semester program in Baku graduates based on their decision - immediately or within three years from completion of two-semester program in Baku - continue their LL.M education at Chicago-Kent in Chicago, Illinois, USA. The credits earned during two-semester program are fully recognized by Chicago-Kent College of Law. Therefore master study at Chicago-Kent is finished with earning LL.M in “U.S., International and Transnational Law” in one semester (which equals five months) instead of regular one academic year.
After completion one semester study at Chicago-Kent, students may continue their education for the second semester again with significant – 80 % tuition scholarship. Nevertheless, for those students who graduated two-semester program in Baku, earning LL.M degree from Chicago-Kent in “U.S., International and Transnational Law” does not require spending two semesters at Chicago-Kent and getting LL.M is possible in one semester as provided above.
The applicants eligible to apply for the program:
Practitioner lawyers, litigators, public sector lawyers, corporate lawyers, notaries and lawyers from different industries having at least Bachelor’s degree in law;
Applicant without a first degree in law may be admitted if he/she holds a degree in other specialty, but mandatorily master degree in law and BAR membership in home jurisdiction or plans to obtain only a certificate of two-semester program in business law without extension of LL.M study at Chicago-Kent.
Last year Bachelor degree students or law faculty recent graduates with high GPA are eligible for the program.
Advantages of Program
Getting benefits from the blended structure of the program starting in Baku without leaving current jobs and changing professional lifestyle;
Preferential and immediate admission to Chicago-Kent LL.M after completion of School of American Law twosemester program in Baku;
Upon completion of School of American Law Program, graduate is eligible for LL.M in “U.S., International and Transnational Law” at Chicago-Kent in one semester instead of one academic year;
School of American Law Program graduate receives the significant tuition scholarship - up to 75 % for the LL.M study from Chicago-Kent College of Law. After such scholarship, tuition fee at Chicago-Kent is USD 10,000 instead of regular USD 44,000;
After completion of School of American Law Program graduate has the right to preserve his/her admission for LL.M at Chicago-Kent during the next three academic years;
Affordable tuition fee and a possibility of covering the program tuition fee in Baku within two or three installments;
Real opportunity to improve English language skills during School of American Law program to be prepared for master study in Chicago;
TOEFL Waiver for program graduates - if graduate holds a completion certificate of School of American Program he/she receives TOEFL Waiver from Chicago-Kent;
Quality assurance directly by Chicago-Kent;
Interaction with colleagues and professors;
Development a strong professional network;
Second semester opportunity at Chicago-Kent with 80 % scholarship - after completion of one semester, students may continue their education for the second semester as well. Nevertheless, for those students who graduated School of American Law program in Baku, earning LL.M degree from Chicago-Kent in “U.S., International and Transnational Law” does not require spending two semesters in Chicago-Kent and getting LL.M is possible in one semester;
The world best location – downtown campus of Chicago-Kent is located in the heart of Chicago - one of the nation's top legal markets.
Tuition Fee
Tuition fee for School of American Law program amounts to USD 5 500 for the students of Azerbaijan;
Tuition fee for LL.M at Chicago-Kent College of Law for School of American Law program graduates amounts to USD 10,000 instead of regular USD 44,000 therefore Chicago-Kent for Azerbaijan provides tuition scholarship up to 75 %.
Document Submission: all applicants are required to submit the following documents electronically by June 1, 2016:
• CV in English;
• Copy of the Passport and/or ID;
• Letter of reference must be provided in English or in Azeri with English translation with indication of the information on applicants educational or/and professional experience and/or conducted scientific activities with contact information of referee;
• Cover Letter in English;
• Electronic copy/copies of diploma or University statement for Bachelor students.
The documents should be sent to the following addresses: admission@salcaucasus.ge, Gunduz.Karimov@bakermckenzie.com, m.meskhi@chicagokentlaw.ge, k.jeladze@chicagokentlaw.ge
Note: The size of the submitted documents should not exceed 10 MB. After submission of the documents confirmation shall be received. Otherwise, you are advised to contact local representatives.
Important Dates
• Application submission: By June 1, 2016
• Notifications for short-listed applicants: June 15, 2016
• Interviews with short-listed applicants: 16-29 June, 2016
• Decision of Selection Committee on admission: July 15, 2016
• Student agreement execution: by July 16-29, 2016
• Opening of academic year in Baku, Azerbaijan: September 2016
Additional Information
Illinois Institute of Technology with its Chicago-Kent College of Law a leader in a legal education is often recognized for the scholarly excellence and distinguished by curricular innovation. Chicago-Kent College of Law is nationally recognized the second oldest law school in the state of Illinois. Chicago-Kent has a history marked by innovation and excellence. As a leader in the US legal education, Chicago-Kent is a great Law School for launching lawyer’s future. What makes Chicago-Kent great is its future focus, emphasizing legal writing and practice-based learning and new litigation technology teaching the practice and the business law in its own law firm. Chicago-Kent was gained accreditation by the American Bar Association in 1936 and membership in the Association of American Law Schools in 1951. In 2015 US News & World Reports assigned following rankings to the Chicago-Kent School of American Law among the most demanded and popular programs:
Trial Advocacy the 4th place
Intellectual Property Law the 7th place
According to US News & World Reports Chicago-Kent graduate employment rate right after the graduation amounts to 66.2% and 90.7% within 9 months following the graduation. Since 2012 Chicago-Kent College of Law successfully operates its special overseas program for Caucasus region headquartered in Tbilisi, Georgia to support lawyers of emerging market countries in updating their legal knowledge. The program remains the first and so far the only program of this kind in Caucasus providing lawyers with the high quality legal education based on US teaching methodology and followed by US LL.M supported by significant tuition scholarship opportunities. During the last three years, up to 120 Georgian and Azerbaijan practitioners, mid and high career lawyers from governmental, judiciary and different legal and business industries were enrolled for the program and 98 already graduated from program two-semester component, moreover 36 out of them already earned LL.M degree from Chicago-Kent College of Law, 22 are about to start their LL.M education in August 2016.
Useful resources: Information about program: www.salcaucasus.ge
Information about School of American Law: http://www.kentlaw.iit.edu/academics/llm-programs/us-international-andtransnational-law/special-llm-and-overseas-training-programs/school-of-american-law-for-caucasus-and-turkey Chicago-Kent College of Law: www.kentlaw.iit.edu Brief video regarding “What Makes a Law School Great: Inside Chicago-Kent” http://youtu.be/pKu1V5UTjUQ
Contact Person at Azerbaijan Office: Ms. Khadidja Mammadova mob: +994 51 911 11 33 Contact Persons at headquarter in Tbilisi, Georgia: Maia Meskhi Founder, Executive Director m.meskhi@chicagokentlaw.ge +995 77 774030 Ketevan Jeladze Founder, Regional Director k.jeladze@chicagokentlaw.ge +995 77 974001