Sports achievement knows no borders – why should you?
The LL.M. in International and Comparative Sports Law for American and Foreign Attorneys is a first-of-its-kind program in the U.S, based at St. John's School of Law. Jointly offered by St. John’s School of Law and the Instituto Superior de Derecho y Economia (ISDE), a distinguished European law faculty in Madrid, Spain, this program is designed for attorneys with a passion for sports and a clear desire to practice in this rewarding global legal specialty.

Taught by the international sporting community’s top lawyers, agents, and managers, the program unites two of the globe’s great sporting communities – New York and Madrid – giving you access to the top talent in both U.S. and international sports law. You will engage in a unique course of study consisting of a semester of highly focused and intensive academic courses at St. John’s New York City campus and a semester working full-time in a practice placement with a sports law firm, agency, team, league or regulatory body, either in the U.S. or overseas.   

Through this combination of engaging classroom and experiential learning, doors will open to the exciting global sports law profession and you will thoroughly prepare yourself for the challenges and rewards of a thriving career in this arena.

The Perfect Program for the Right Student
Inaugurated in Europe in 1995 by ISDE and enjoying immediate success there, the new ISDE/St. John's joint program brings this highly successful model to America for the first time. 

The LL.M. in International and Comparative Sports Law is a rigorous two-semester, 25-credit program that is not for everyone. But it is perfectly suited to a highly motivated attorney with a passion for this practice specialty. In the first semester (starting in August), you will enroll in these four courses totaling 13 credit hours:

• International and Comparative Sports Law
• U.S. Sports Law
• Advanced Topics in Sports Law
• Negotiation, Mediation and Dispute Resolution for Sports

The second semester (starting in January) consists of a full-time, on-site practice placement with a sports law firm, sports agency, professional or major university team, league or regulatory agency. All practice placements are arranged and assigned by St. John’s/ISDE, with due consideration given to each student’s desires, language capacity, academic interests and strengths. However, we cannot guarantee a specific practice placement. Due to ABA restrictions on awarding academic credits for internships/externships, all placements must be unpaid.

This 12 credit hour semester includes:

• Practicum for your on-site practice placement
• Practice writing seminar consisting of production of a portfolio of professional writing
• LL.M. thesis, consisting of substantial academic writing on a selected sports law topic

A Great Sporting University in a Legendary Sports City

TheISDE/St. John's LL.M. program in International and Comparative Sports Law is based at St. John’s School of Law, situated on St. John’s University’s scenic campus in Queens, the most culturally diverse, ethnically rich and financially accessible of New York City’s five boroughs. 

One of the founding members of the venerable Big East athletic conference, St. John’s University is a storied sporting university. Our Red Storm men’s basketball team has their home court at Madison Square Garden, one of the most famous sports venues in the world. They bring all the thrill of NCAA Division I sports to the University. Adding to the excitement, St. John’s consistently fields top men’s and women’s teams in soccer (1996 national champions), lacrosse, baseball, golf, tennis, volleyball and fencing.

And of course, New York City is home to one of the most storied sports teams in history, the New York Yankees, as well as the MLB Mets, the NFL Jets and Giants, the NBA Knicks and Nets, the MLS Red Bulls and the NHL Rangers and Islanders. New York is also home of the U.S. Open Tennis Championship and the final race of horseracing’s Triple Crown held at Belmont Park.   

To learn more about the ISDE/St. John's LL.M. in International and Comparative Sports Law, please contact us.