Fw: Rule of Law LL.M. Fellowship Opportunity

[Iris Goldner Lang]

 

 

Irena

 

 

 

Are you passionate about establishing and improving the rule of law?

Would you like to become or improve your performance as an advisor on legal reform issues either domestically or in the context of cross-border initiatives?

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS - LL.M. Scholarships

Loyola University Chicago School of Law is offering two full scholarships to undertake a new practice-oriented Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree program on Rule of Law for Development in September 2013. The Program is referred to as PROLAW and was launched in 2011.

Loyola has generously set aside two full fellowships for IDLO partners for the academic year 2013-2014 (September 7^th- April 20^th, with a thesis deadline of July 31^st).  The value of each fellowship is more than $50,000.  The Program is based at Loyola's campus in Rome, Italy. 

About the PROLAW Program

The objective of the PROLAW Program is to build permanent and high level rule of law advisory capacity in countries currently being assisted in this field.  Loyola's vision is that countries should be driving their own rule of law work, with the international rule of law community helping them develop the knowledge and skills to be able to do so.  Loyola's view is that that every country possesses the capacity to undertake its own core governance processes, and that establishing, maintaining and improving the rule of law is one of those core processes.  While most international rule of law efforts already contribute to this process, PROLAW is designed to supplement efforts of organizations like IDLO through a sharply focused program of study.  The Program Director who designed the Program, Bill Loris (former Director General of IDLO), calls the Program more of a development initiative than an academic program insomuch as Loyola is interested in generating results in the field and tracking the impact of its graduates. 

More of the thinking behind the program can be found in the Program Director's recent upload to the new World Justice Project's blog.  See: http://worldjusticeproject.org/blog/preparing-new-generation-rule-law-professionals-lead-0

About the curriculum

The PROLAW program is the first LL.M program in the world to focus on the practical aspects of advising on the rule of law.  It recognizes that although much of the work of a rule of law advisor relates to legal issues, much of what legal professionals advising on rule of law actually do is not legal work per se.  It is more about advising on the process of legal reform and using non-legal skills to help the reform process move forward. These skills include such things as: (1) fostering strategic thinking and rule of law strategies; (2) community engagement; (3) encouraging political support for change; (4) making reliable rule of law assessments; (5) using the standard rule of law "tools of the trade"; (6) designing and financing rule of law initiatives; (7) coordinating donor efforts; (8) project management; (9) monitoring and evaluation; (10) reporting; (11) establishing sustainability strategies.

PROLAW faculty members are all experienced rule of law advisors.  Teaching is done in the context of real-life settings and problems, as this supports PROLAW's main objective: helping graduates to obtain a practical skill set that will help them perform as effective advisors who will be as valuable or more valuable than the international experts we now field. 

Full details on the curriculum and answers to Frequently Asked Questions can be found on the PROLAW website at www.luc.edu/prolaw. A short video on the Program can be found at:  www.luc.edu/prolaw/video.shtml .

Fellowship Details

The fellowships shall cover the following:

·         Tuition: $36,585

·         Other student fees: $1,105

·         Living stipend: EUR 12,000 (about $15,600) - advanced to fellowship holders in established periodic payments in Rome to cover room and board (in commercial residences near campus) -during students' 8-month stay in Rome.

·         Roundtrip transportation to Rome is the responsibility of the fellowship holders.

Am I eligible?

·         Nominees must be law graduates, lawyers or judges.

·         Prior experience and/ or demonstrated interest in rule of law matters will be viewed positively.

·         Nominees are expected to come from developing countries or countries in transition or from countries which fund and provide rule of law assistance in other jurisdictions.

·         Nominees must possess strong English language skills, as all classes are taught in English. PROLAW's suggested English proficiency levels are as follows:  TOEFL: paper and pencil version (650), computer version (280), internet based version (114), IELTS: 7.5.

Selection Procedure

A committee of 2-3 IDLO staff persons will review all of the nominations and "short list" up to 5 candidates to recommend to the Program.  The short-listed applicants will then be invited to undertake the application process which is fully described on the PROLAW website.  The PROLAW program will review the applications and determine which of the candidates shall be awarded the Loyola fellowships. The final decision with respect to the short list shall be made by PROLAW no later than May 15^th, 2013 (but conditional upon the nominees having completed their application files by that time). Please note that the availability of these scholarships is dependent on confirmation of administrative and other conditions.

Please note that all qualified persons are welcome to apply to the program even if not nominated for the scholarship or, if nominated, not shortlisted. 

How do I apply to be an IDLO nominee for the PROLAW fellowship?

Please send a cover letter; curriculum vitae; TOEFL or IELTS scores (if applicable); a sample of written work, preferably on the topic of rule of law; and a 200-word biography by 27 February 2013 to Ms Caroline Haywood chay...@idlo.int