LLM

Georgia Law Master of Laws (LL.M.) students take professional development trip in Athens

Last month, University of Georgia School of Law Master of Laws (LL.M.) students had the opportunity to visit the Athens-Clarke County courthouse as part of their Legal System of the U.S. course taught by Professor Anne Burnett, Foreign and International Law Librarian.

The speakers at the courthouse provided an in-depth look into the local system of justice, the challenges it faces, as well as the dedication of the court personnel to achieving positive outcomes. The LL.M. students, who are pursuing a ten-month master’s degree at the law school, brought their own legal experience in Africa, Europe, Asia, and North America, and South America to the discussion. They enjoyed the opportunity to ask questions on a variety of matters, including the hierarchy of courts, caseloads, and career paths.

The group was privileged to hear about the operation of superior and state courts from John Donnelly, chief public defender in the Western Judicial Circuit, assistant district attorney Kris Bolden, as well as Judge Ryan Hope. Kristen Daniel and Christia Martinez provided insights into the local treatment and accountability courts.  

The Dean Rusk International Law Center is grateful to all of the speakers who gave generously of their time and to law school lecturer Sherrie Hines and court administrator Laura Welch for their assistance in organizing this professional development trip.

Georgia Law to recruit for the Master of Laws (LL.M.) program in Brussels, Paris, and Frankfurt this November

The University of Georgia School of Law’s Dean Rusk International Law Center is pleased to announce that our Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree program will be represented at several upcoming recruiting events in Europe this month.

The LL.M. degree at Georgia Law offers foreign-educated law graduates opportunities to learn about the U.S. legal system, deepen knowledge of an area of specialization, and explore new legal interests at one of the nation’s top law schools. The ten-month program provides individualized support through the Center and prepares internationally trained students for a globalized legal market.

In Brussels, Belgium, Georgia Law’s Mandy Dixon, International Professional Education Manager, will participate in the EducationUSA LL.M. Fair on Monday, November 4, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. The event will take place at the Deloitte Legal offices at the Brussels Airport, offering prospective students the opportunity to learn more about legal study in the United States and at Georgia Law in particular.

In Paris, France, Dixon will join the EducationUSA LL.M. Fair on Tuesday, November 5, from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. The fair will be held at Sciences Po Paris. The fair will be preceded by a country briefing for university representatives featuring remarks from a Sciences Po faculty member. While in Paris, Dixon will also visit the Maison Internationale at Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne to share information and materials about Georgia’s LL.M. program.

Finally, Dixon’s travels will conclude in Frankfurt, Germany, where she will participate in LL.M. Days, a recruiting event organized by e-fellows.net, on Friday, November 15, from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at IHK Frankfurt. Georgia Law alumna Franzisca Heinze (LL.M. ’21) will join Dixon to share her experiences as a student in the program. While in Frankfurt, Dixon will also meet with another alumna, Fabienne Taller (LL.M. ’25).

Georgia Law looks forward to meeting talented lawyers and law graduates from across Europe who are interested in advancing their legal education in the United States. For information about upcoming virtual and in-person recruiting events, visit our webpage.

Georgia Law alumnus Alexandre Jorge Fontes Laranjeira (LL.M. ’23) presents at EducationUSA LL.M. Fair in Brasília, Brazil

Today, we welcome a guest post by Georgia Law alumnus Alexandre Jorge Fontes Laranjeira, who graduated with his Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree in 2023. Laranjeira recently represented the law school at the EducationUSA LL.M. Fair held in Brasília, Brazil. Laranjeira is currently a Federal Court of Appeals Judge for the First Region in Brazil. In this role, he sits on a three-judge panel that primarily handles appeals related to the role of Federal Regulatory Agencies, and appeals concerning Education Law, Health Law, Patent Law, Environmental Law, and Banking Law. Prior to his current appointment, Laranjeira served as a Federal District Court Judge for nearly 31 years. His extensive judicial career includes overseeing Federal District Courts in four different states across Brazil, with a notable tenure of four and a half years in the Amazon Region. His experience in these diverse jurisdictions has endowed him with a profound understanding of environmental and indigenous populations matters. Before ascending to the bench, Laranjeira was a Career Prosecutor for the Federal District in Brazil, where he honed his legal acumen and prosecutorial skills. Despite residing in Brazil, he is a registered mediator with the Georgia Office of Dispute Resolution, a credential he obtained through the Georgia Law Mediation Clinic course. Laranjeira serves as a member of the Dean Rusk International Law Center’s Advisory Council.

On October 9, 2025, I represented the University of Georgia School of Law at the EducationUSA LL.M. Fair held in Brasília, Brazil. The event was part of the EducationUSA Latin America LL.M. Tour Fall 2025, which included visits to Mexico, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, Peru, and Colombia. The Brazilian portion of the tour covered four major cities (Brasília, Rio de Janeiro, Curitiba, and São Paulo), all of which are among the most significant cultural and academic centers in my home country.

As a member of the Dean Rusk International Law Center Council, I volunteered for this opportunity to engage directly with Brazilian candidates interested in Georgia Law’s Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree program. My goal was not only to connect with prospective students, but also to promote Georgia Law’s international programs within my hometown and among members of the local legal community.

Representing Georgia Law at an international fair was an enriching experience on both personal and professional levels. I interacted with numerous law students eager to pursue international academic opportunities and met many talented and motivated individuals seeking to enhance their legal education abroad. As a Georgia Law LL.M. alumnus, I was able to share firsthand insights about the academic excellence, vibrant community, and welcoming environment that characterize life in Athens, Georgia.

I am deeply grateful to Anelise Hofmann, EducationUSA Country Coordinator, and Jefferson Couto, the local EducationUSA representative in Brasília, for their invaluable support throughout the fair. I also extend my thanks to Mandy Dixon, International Professional Education Manager, and Sarah Quinn, Director of the Dean Rusk International Law Center, for their guidance and for providing all the materials necessary to represent UGA at this important event.

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MASTER OF LAWS (LL.M.) APPLICANTS: The application for Georgia Law’s LL.M. class of 2027 is now open. Detailed information about the degree program and how to apply can be found here. Recruiting events, both virtual and in-person, are listed here.

Georgia Law alumna Anita Ninan (LL.M. ’91) presents at partner institution O.P. Jindal Global Law School in Sonipat, India

Today, we welcome a guest post by Georgia Law alumna Anita Ninan, who graduated with her Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree in 1991. Ninan recently gave presentations at Georgia Law’s partner institution in India, top-ranked O.P. Jindal Global Law School. Ninan is a dual licensed attorney admitted to practice in the State of Georgia, USA and a certified lawyer admitted to practice in India. She is the Founder and Principal Attorney of Ninan Legal LLC based in Marietta, Georgia, and serves as a member of the Dean Rusk International Law Center’s Advisory Council. Prior to her launching her own legal practice, Ninan worked in the US with leading national and international law firms. Previously, Anita served as Legal Counsel with Standard Chartered Bank in Mumbai and Delhi, India, in their Legal and Compliance Division. While there, she advised the bank on legal and regulatory issues related to commercial banking in India, advised and coordinated the bank’s external counsel to manage litigation arising from banking operations, and liaised with the Reserve Bank of India regarding the bank’s operation of Foreign Currency Non-Resident (FCNR) Accounts.

On September 2, 2025, I visited O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU) School of Law, in Sonipat, Haryana, while on vacation and a business trip to India. JGU is a private university that offers academic programs in diverse fields such as Law, Business, Liberal Arts, Psychology, Economics, Media, Journalism, Architecture, in India. The law school (JGLS) has established a premier reputation for itself, with top-tier Indian corporations and companies recruiting its students.

I was invited in my capacity as member of the Dean Rusk International Law Center’s Advisory Board to meet with JGLS students and aspiring Master of Laws (LL.M.) prospects. The University of Georgia School of Law and JGLS signed an MOU in late 2022 to establish international student mobility initiatives, including a bilateral student exchange for law students. 

My visit to JGLS was a great opportunity to interact with curious, eager, and engaging law students who wanted to know about recent developments in U.S. immigration that could impact student visa applications and work opportunities overseas.  I also served as an ambassador for Georgia Law’s LL.M. degree program.

My special thanks to Smarnika Srivastava, Associate Dean of International Collaborations, JGLS, who organized all aspects of my lovely visit, and to Kalyani Unkule, Associate Professor and Director of International Affairs and Global Initiatives, with whom I enjoyed a delicious Indian vegetarian meal in the beautiful cafeteria on campus. I also want to thank Mandy Dixon, International Professional Education Manager, and Sarah Quinn, Director of the Dean Rusk International Law Center, for meeting with me ahead of my visit and sharing detailed information about the LL.M. and bilateral exchange programs, respectively.

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EXCHANGE APPLICANTS: Applications are open for the fall 2026 exchange semester with JGLS. All current 1Ls and 2Ls are invited to submit an application by February 15. For more information and the application, please email: ruskintlaw@uga.edu

MASTER OF LAWS (LL.M.) APPLICANTS: The application for Georgia Law’s LL.M. class of 2027 is now open. Detailed information about the degree program and how to apply can be found here. Recruiting events, both virtual and in-person, are listed here.

Welcoming the Master of Laws (LL.M.) Class of 2026 to Georgia Law

With the Fall 2025 semester in full swing, the Dean Rusk International Law Center is proud to welcome another class of talented lawyers, now studying for our University of Georgia School of Law Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree.

This group of fourteen hails from eleven different countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas, including Nigeria, Guatemala, Ghana, Brazil, Bangladesh, Kenya, Germany, Republic of Korea, France, Nepal, and Canada. Among them are lawyers specializing in a wide range of fields including mergers and acquisitions, oil, gas, and energy law, family law, criminal law, corporate law, human rights law; immigration law, civil litigation, international trade law, sports law, securities law, and international humanitarian law.

They are pictured above. From the left to right – top row: Daniel Köhl, Ofure Odia, Victor Nsoh Azure, Ane Caroline Ferri Victoria, Caroline Wambui Kamau, Ji Hun Lee, Andrei Niveaux; bottom row: Emmanuel Adetoyan, Bushra Haque, Anu Paudel, Yendira Luisa Alpirez Orantes, Shraddha Prasai, Catherine Gbikpi Benissan, Chantelle Pleasant

This Class of 2025 joins a tradition that began at the University of Georgia School of Law in the early 1970s, when a Belgian lawyer became the first foreign-trained practitioner to earn a Georgia Law LL.M. degree. In the ensuing five decades, the law school and its Dean Rusk International Law Center have produced around 600 LL.M. graduates, with ties to nearly 100 countries and every continent in the world.

Side by side with J.D. candidates, LL.M.s follow a flexible curriculum tailored to their own career goals – goals that may include preparation to sit for a U.S. bar examination, or pursuit of coursework affording advancement in their home country’s legal profession or academic institutions.

The application for the LL.M. Class of 2027 is now open; for information or to apply for LL.M. studies, visit our website and attend an upcoming recruiting event.

Georgia Law LL.M. Students Take Professional Development Trip

Last month, the University of Georgia School of Law Master of Laws (LL.M.) class of 2025 traveled to Atlanta for a professional development trip organized by the Dean Rusk International Law Center’s director of international professional education, Dr. Laura Tate Kagel. Students were accompanied by Dr. Kagel, International Professional Education Manager Mandy Dixon, and Center Associate Director Taher Benany.

The group of foreign lawyers was hosted by the law offices of Arnall Golden Gregory, LLP for lunch and a lively discussion with legal practitioners. Abe Schear, a partner in the Real Estate and Leasing practices at AGG, offered the students sound career advice and discussed how his involvement with the International Bar Association helped him grow the firm’s international practice. Theresa Kananen related her career journey and described her current role as partner and co-chair of the Payment Systems & Fintech industry team, offering compelling illustrations of the types of cases that arise in her practice area. Glenn Hendrix, a partner in AGG’s Healthcare Group and the founding president of the Atlanta International Arbitration Society (“AtlAS”), recounted the challenges and advantages of dispute resolution in a global society. Teri Simmons (J.D. ’89), a partner and chair of the firm’s Global Mobility practice and an adjunct professor of law at UGA, and her team members Dorothea Hockel and Naina Bishnoi (LL.M. ’24), explained how they help foreign businesses avoid legal pitfalls when bringing their operations to the United States.

Professional development trips are among many opportunities offered to Georgia Law LL.M. students to foster career connections and gain insight into potential career paths. 

To learn more about the LL.M. program, click here.

Georgia Law LL.M. students win 12th International Commercial and Investment Arbitration Moot

Members of the University of Georgia School of Law LL.M. Class of 2025 won the 12th International Commercial & Investment Arbitration Moot Competition hosted by American University Washington College of Law in Washington, D.C. earlier this month. This event was created specifically for LL.M. students to foster the study of international arbitration for the resolution of international business and investment disputes.

Forming the team at the competition were the four students: Danish Ali, Paria Keramatkhah, Samuel Kuo and Fabienne Taller. The team was coached former Dean & Talmadge Chair Peter B. “Bo” Rutledge and current third-year student Gloria M. Correa (LL.M. ’23). 

Georgia Law alumna Victoria Agbakwuru (LL.M. ’24) publishes article on ESG reporting in Nigeria and other African countries

University of Georgia School of Law alumna Victoria Agbakwuru (LL.M. ’24) published an article earlier this month in the Penn State Journal of Law and International Affairs. The article, titled “A Comparative Analysis of ESG Reporting in Nigeria and Other African Countries,” reflects research conducted by Agbakwuru under the supervision of Georgia Law Professor Christopher M. Bruner during her time as a student.

From the article’s introduction:

This paper provides an in-depth insight into Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) reporting in Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy. The Adoption Readiness Working Group’s proposed implementation of the Sustainability Reporting in Nigeria would mandate ESG reporting. This paper also contrasts Nigeria’s reporting standards and regulations with those of other African nations, including Ghana, South Africa, and Egypt. It aims to provide a better understanding of ESG reporting in Africa, which would help investors and partners intending to invest in Africa.

Six Master of Laws (LL.M.) students selected as Graduate Editors of the Georgia Journal of International and Comparative Law

Six Master of Laws (LL.M.) students from the University of Georgia School of Law’s class of 2025 were selected to join the Editorial Board of the Georgia Journal of International and Comparative Law as Graduate Editors. The students are: Sara Dorbahani, Michael Faleye, Neethu James, Samuel Kuo, Dzmitry Liasovich, and Ramakrishna Rut Palepu.

As Graduate Editors, each LL.M. student conducts citation checks and writes a Comment or Book Review on the legal topic of their choice. The Graduate Editors further facilitate the Journal’s commitment to “including a diversity of perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds within [its] membership,” according to the Editor in Chief, Jasmine Furin (J.D. ’25).

The Georgia Journal of International and Comparative Law is a preeminent forum for academic discussion on current international subjects. From its inception in 1971 as a student initiative supported by former U.S. Secretary of State and Georgia Law Professor Dean Rusk, the Journal features work by legal scholars and practitioners and student notes written by Journal members.

Welcoming the Master of Laws (LL.M.) students to Georgia Law

With the Fall 2024 semester in full swing, the Dean Rusk International Law Center is proud to welcome another class of talented lawyers, now studying for our University of Georgia School of Law Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree.

This group of 18 hails from 13 different countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas, including Pakistan, Brazil, Iran, Nigeria, India, the Republic of Georgia, Turkey, the United Kingdom, Belarus, Peru, Venezuela, Switzerland, and Germany. Among them are lawyers specializing in a wide range of fields including business law, human rights law, administrative law, international arbitration, data privacy law, tax law, cryptocurrency law, criminal law, intellectual property law, business immigration and labor law, environmental law, and education law. 

They are pictured above, standing on the steps of Dean Rusk Hall. From the left to right – top row: Carolina Ruiz, Paria Keramatkhah, Fatemeh Khouei, João Felipe Villa do Miu, Samuel Kuo, Danish Ali; middle row: Christian Schneider, Sara Dorbahani, Dzmitry Liasovich, Michael Faleye, Fabienne Taller, Bekir Kerabekmez; bottom row: Irakli Kakubava, Assis José Couto do Nascimento, Ramakrishna Ruthwik Palepu, Ana Luiza Couto do Nascimento, Neethu James, Zulma Perez.

This Class of 2025 joins a tradition that began at the University of Georgia School of Law in the early 1970s, when a Belgian lawyer became the first foreign-trained practitioner to earn a Georgia Law LL.M. degree. In the ensuing four decades, the law school and its Dean Rusk International Law Center have produced around 600 LL.M. graduates, with ties to nearly 100 countries and every continent in the world.

Side by side with J.D. candidates, LL.M.s follow a flexible curriculum tailored to their own career goals – goals that may include preparation to sit for a U.S. bar examination, or pursuit of a concentration affording advancement in their home country’s legal profession or academic institutions.

The application for the LL.M. Class of 2026 is now open; for information or to apply for LL.M. studies, see here.