There are two tracks for this LL.M. program at the Sorbonne. The first track is taught all in French and offers law students a large variety of elective courses in their fields of interest, in-depth acquaintance with the intricacies of French and European Law and a new perspective on current global legal issues. The second track is taught in English and focuses specifically on Business Law. Both degree programs offer students the opportunity to learn in the best of the French academic tradition and Civil Law methodological techniques.

Most students take the New York Bar exam and then apply for the French equivalency exam on the basis of their admission in New York.  Graduates of this program are not eligible to gain entrance to the French Bar directly after this program. 

 
Students who finish this LL.M. degree in the French track may register for an additional year in Paris and join the Master I and or in some cases the a Master II degrees in Law.  Graduates with the Master I or II may be able to sit for the French Bar Exam directly without admission in New York first.

A maximum of two Cardozo students may participate each year.

With eight hundred years of excellence to build on, the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, a descendant of the Sorbonne and the Faculty of Law and Economics of Paris, is one of the largest universities in France today. Some forty thousand students are enrolled in 14 teaching and research departments (Unités de Formation et de Recherche) and 5 Institutes, which offer top level degree courses in law, political science, economics, management and the humanities. Paris I is at the centre of a rich network of international relations stretching across the five continents and continues to play a major role in the training of researchers, academics, judges, lawyers, senior managers and top French civil servants.

The Sorbonne Law School, inaugurated in 2009, comprises the Law departments of the University of Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne and offers general and specialized programs including dual degrees and binational programs; the “LL.M. in “French Law and European Law”; and the JD/ LL.M. Program named “LL.M. in French, European and International Business Law”.

The school is centrally located in the vibrant Latin quarter, the Paris home of university students for almost a thousand years.

This JD/LL.M. program is open to Cardozo students who have completed four semesters in residence at Cardozo School of Law.  In addition, students must complete all graduation requirements, including Advanced Legal Research, Professional Responsibility, the Writing Requirement, and all Core Requirements except for the Comparative Law requirement which can be completed abroad.  

LANGUAGE OF INSTRUCTION

For the French track, the language of instruction is entirely in French.  Cardozo students must meet the French proficiency standard required through the TCF (Test de Connaissance du Français) paper-based overall score of 400 points (level 4-B2).  The TCF is the French language test awarded by the French Ministry of Education. Detailed information on the test components is located here. The test is offered in New York at the following location:

French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF)

22 East 60th Street

New York, NY 10022

Telephone: 212-355-6100 - Fax: 212-935-4119

Email: emlaine@fiaf.org - Website: www.fiaf.org

Students should contact the testing center directly to determine date and time of testing, registration requirements and required fees.

In the absence of TCF, the student may demonstrate proficiency by other means jointly agreed by the program directors, which may include interviews in French with Cardozo and/or Sorbonne faculty.

For the English track, the language of instruction is in English but courses are more limited. It is still useful to have some working knowledge of French but it is not a requirement.