Professor George E. Edwards, the author of LL.M. Roadmap, was named a Member of the Advisory Committee of the Universal Rights Group (URG), which is a small, independent international human rights law think tank based in Geneva, Switzerland.

The Universal Rights Group is dedicated to analyzing and strengthening global human rights policy-making and policy-implementation. Based in Geneva, which is the European Headquarters of the United Nations, the Universal Rights Group is the only think tank in the world focused exclusively on human rights.

The Universal Rights Group provides rigorous yet accessible, timely and policy-relevant research, analysis and recommendations. The URG provides a forum for discussion and debate on important human rights issues, and offers a window into the work of mechanisms within the United Nations Human Rights Council and other U.N. bodies. The URG promotes transparency, accountability, awareness and effectiveness. The URG seeks to make the international human rights system more accessible to, and bring it into closer orbit with, policy-makers and other stakeholders—including the victims of human rights violations and human rights defenders—at regional, national and local levels.

Professor Edwards’ Human Rights Background and Experience
Professor Edwards’ decades of teaching, research and practical accomplishments in international human rights law are consistent with the work of the Universal Rights Group.

In 1997, Professor founded the Program in International Human Rights Law (PIHRL) at Indiana University McKinney School of Law. The PIHRL offers human rights courses, and also assists governmental, inter-governmental and non-governmental  

The LL.M. Roadmap author gave a presentation at the BARBRI LL.M. PREVIEW on the topic of LL.M. Survival and Empowerment.

The question is how you as an international student may get the best out of your LL.M. program year? The lecture provides tips and hints on how you achieve maximum benefits from your LL.M. program. How can you achieve your academic, personal, and career goals?

Listed below are some LL.M. Survival and Empowerment lecture suggestions. For more survival & empowerment tips, check out LL.M. Roadmap.

1.         Embrace the Socratic Method [link to section on Socratic Method – in section on success in the LL.M. classroom]. This method of U.S. law school instruction may intimidate international LL.M. students, but it presents an opportunity for you to gain an edge in thinking on your feet, analyzing complex issues quickly, and arriving at sound solutions. Leap at the opportunity to practice your lawyerly abilities!

 You will learn how to think quickly and arrive at reasonable conclusions. U.S.-trained lawyers are expected to possess this skill!

You can get practice at the Socratic Method from taking courses like BARBRI’s LL.M. Preview.

2.         Take advantage of opportunities to gain legal skills. Sometimes this means engaging in non-credit activities outside the classroom. This may interfere with some of your study or leisure time, but it is a worthy investment.

Your U.S. law school should have opportunities for you to do clinical work with real clients, pro bono work research, internships, or other work outside the classroom. You can learn a great deal from hands-on exposure to the law. See # 4 below.

3.         Understand who is who at your law school. What is the difference between the following officials at your U.S. law school:

In January 2013, Professor George E. Edwards was elected to three graduate and international legal education leadership positions within the Association of American Law Schools (AALS). These positions involve Master of Laws (LL.M.) and other graduate law programs at law schools across the U.S., and overseas.

First, Professor Edwards was elected President-Elect of the AALS Section on Graduate Law Programs for Non-U.S. Lawyers. This section is involved with Master of Laws (LL.M.) programs for international students at over 140 law schools in the U.S., which are subjects of Professor Edwards’ new book, LL.M. Roadmap: An International Student’s Guide to U.S. Law School Programs (www.LLMRoadMap.com). In 2014 Professor Edwards will be elevated to Chair of the AALS Section on Graduate Programs for Non-U.S. Lawyers.

Professor Edwards said:
            “I am excited to take on this leadership role in the very important Section dealing with international students who come to  the U.S. to study in our nation’s law schools. This type of international legal education promotes human rights in the U.S. and in the students’ home countries, and plays a critical role in international relations, diplomacy and global peace and security initiatives.”

Professor Edwards continued:
        “It is important to inform international students of pitfalls they may encounter in LL.M. programs at U.S. law schools. Caution is needed to avoid cash cows, diploma mills, LL.M. creep, bait and switch, and other mechanisms that harm students, and that result in students’ reasonable LL.M. expectations being unsatisfied”.