SCHOOL OF LAW

Address : Box 23349, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00931-3349

Telephone : (787) 999-9565;

Fax : (787) 999-9564

E-mail : amartinez@law.upr.edu

Web address : http://law.upr.edu

DEGREE OFFERED

Master of Law (LLM)

ACCREDITATION

American Bar Association (1945)
321 N. Clark Street
Chicago , Illinois 60610
www.abanet.org/legaled

Association of American Law Schools (1944)
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Suite 800
Washington , D.C. 20036-2717
www.aals.org

FACULTY

Marco A. Abarca Díaz, PhD, 1998, International Institute of Social Studies, The Hague, Netherlands; MAE, 1997, Universidad Interamericana de Costa Rica; BD, 1990, Universidad Autónoma de Centroamérica; MSt (candidate), 2006, University of Oxford. Associate Professor.
Law and development; international human rights protection; law and social change

José Julián Álvarez González, LLM, 1978, Yale University, JD, 1977, University of Puerto Rico. Professor.
Constitutional law; tort law; federal jurisdiction, comparative law

Roberto P. Aponte Toro, LLM, 1986, JSD, 1994, University of Harvard; MA, 1979, Political Studies, University of Essex; JD, 1969, University of Puerto Rico. Professor.
Legal aspects of business transactions; legal aspects of the European Community; public international law; seminars on international law; international economic relations; civil legal interaction; Common law (Anglo-American law)

Rubén Berríos Martínez, LLM 1965, LLB, 1964, Yale University; Diploma of Law, 1966, University of Oxford. Professor.
Public international law; seminars on international law; seminars on constitutional law

Ernesto Chiesa Aponte, JD, 1974, MA, 1967 University of Puerto Rico. Professor.
Criminal law; criminal procedure; law of evidence; legal theory

Evaluz Cotto Quijano, LLM, 1996, Georgetown University; candidate for a PhD in Law at the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, University of London; JD, 1992, University of Puerto Rico. Associate Professor.
Securities legislation; partnerships and corporations; commercial law; secured transactions; payment systems; seminars on commercial law

Carmelo Delgado Cintrón, MA. 1977, Universidad de Nueva York; Doctor en Law, 1974 Universidad Complutense de Madrid; LLB. 1966, University of Puerto Rico. Professor.
History of Puerto Rican law; history of Puerto Rican constitutional law; law and literature; seminars on advanced legal research; seminars on theory of law

Carlos Díaz Olivo, LLM. 1985, Harvard University; JD. 1983, University of Puerto Rico. Professor.
Partnerships and corporations; civil procedural law; antitrust legislation and restrictive practices on competition; seminars on partnerships and corporations

Demetrio Fernández, LLM. 1962, Yale University; Doctor of Law, 1960, Universidad Complutense de Madrid; LLB, 1959 University of Puerto Rico. Professor.
Administrative law; arbitration; torts; labor law

Guillermo Figueroa Prieto, LLB. 1969, University of Puerto Rico, Professor.
Legal clinic: civil litigation; professional ethics; the legal profession; sports law

Erika Fontánez Torres, LLM, 2002, London School of Economics and Political Sciences; JD, 1999, University of Puerto Rico. Assistant Professor.
Natural resources legislation; contract law; seminars in environmental law

Antonio García Padilla, LLM. 1981, Yale University; JD, 1978, University of Puerto Rico. Professor (on leave)
Civil procedure

Michel J. Godreau Robles, Doctor Juris, 1969, University of Munich, LLB, University of Puerto Rico. Professor.
Property Law; contract law; special contracts; condominium law; seminars on civil law

Ana C. Gómez, LLM. Universidad Carlos III Madrid; JD, University of Puerto Rico; doctoral candidate at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Assistant Professor.
Family law; inheritance law; mortgage law

Luis F. González Correa , LLB. 1959, University of Puerto Rico, Professor.
Commercial law; partnerships and corporations; trusts; notary practice

Efraín González-Tejera, SJD, 1969, LLM, 1959 Harvard University LLB, 1958, University of Puerto Rico. Emeritus Professor.
Trusts and estates

David Helfeld, Post-Doctoral Studies, Harvard Law School, 1954-55; JSD, 1954, LLB, 1948,
Yale University, Emeritus Professor.
Labor law; constitutional law

Glenda Labadie Jackson, LLM, 1999. Harvard University JD, 1997 University of Puerto Rico, Associate Professor.
Torts; family law; civil procedure; seminars on family law

Enid Martínez Moya, JD, 1976, MA, 1973, University of Puerto Rico. Associate Professor.
Mortgage Law; Notarial Law; Decedent Estate.

Ana Matanzo Vicens, LLM, 1987, Harvard University, JD, 1976, University of Puerto Rico. Professor.
Legal clinic: civil litigation, the legal profession

Hiram Meléndez Juarbe, LLM, 2002, Harvard University, 2002, JD, 2000, University of Puerto Rico. Assistant Professor.
Administrative law, cybernetic law, constitutional law, seminars on constitutional law

Luis Muñiz Argüelles,PhD, 1989, Universidad de París II; JD, 1975, University of Puerto Rico; MS. 1970, Columbia University. Professor.
Comparative law; contract law; property law; mortgage law, private international law, judicial management

Vivian Neptune Rivera, LLM, 1998, University of Columbia; JD, 1995, University of Puerto Rico. Assistant Professor.
Labor law; evidence, social legislation

Olga Elena Resumil, LLM, 1976, Diploma in Criminal Law and Criminology, Università di Roma; JD, 1973, University of Puerto Rico. Professor.
Criminal law; criminal procedure; criminology; seminars on criminal procedure

Efrén Rivera Ramos, PhD, 1994, University of London; LLM, 1981, Harvard University JD, 1976, University of Puerto Rico. Professor and Dean.
Law of evidence; theory of law; sociology of law; seminars on constitutional law

Luis E. Rodríguez Rivera, LLM, 1998, University of Cambridge; JD, 1987, Harvard University. Associate Professor.
International environmental law; administrative law; environmental resource legislation; seminars on environmental law; seminars on administrative law

William Vázquez Irizarry,LLM, 1997, London School of Economics; JD, 1994, University of Puerto Rico. Assistant Professor.
Civil procedure; governmental law; executive procedure

Luis M. Villaronga Arostegui, MA, 1973, University of Pennsylvania; JD, 1966, Harvard University. Professor.
Constitutional law; insurance law; federal jurisdiction, civil rights litigation.

David Wexler, JD, 1964, New York University, 1964. Professor.
Theory of law; therapeutic jurisprudence, criminal law

MASTER OF LAW PROGRAM

The Master of Law program aims to develop well-versed lawyers and legal scholars in the processes and principles of the Anglo-American tradition as well as those of the Caribbean and Latin American world. Puerto Rico is a mixed jurisdiction where both the traditions of Civil Law and Common Law interact. This makes the University of Puerto Rico School of Law an idyllic location for law students to study and become familiar with the phenomena of legal integration and standardization in an educational environment where those traditions converge, in a climate of common cultural and legal foundations, and in Spanish. It is the only Masters of Law Program accredited by the American Bar Association that is offered in Spanish. Among our alumni are jurists from Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, and magistrates from the Dominican Republic.

Admission Requirements

Requirements for Graduation

MASTER IN LAW PROGRAM

The Master in Law Program has as its aim to develop lawyers and legal scholars well versed in the processes and principles of the Anglo-American tradition as well as the Caribbean and Latin American world. Puerto Rico is a mixed jurisdiction where both the Continental tradition of Civil Law and Common Law interact. That makes the University of Puerto Rico School of Law an excellent location to study, in their own language, efforts at integration in an environment where those traditions converge, and in a cultural and juridical milieu with common foundations. It is the only Masters Degree Program offered in Spanish within the Community of Law Schools accredited by the American Bar Association. Within our alumni we have jurists from Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panamá and Magistrates from the Dominican Republic.

Requirements for Admission

1. Undergraduate law degree, or its equivalent, in wich the candidate had obtained at least a grade point average, a “B”, at a foreign, primarily Latin American, institution of higher education, which follows the highest academic standards and is fully accredited by the national authorities of its country.
2. Proficiency in Spanish and reading and comprehension skills in the English language, demonstrated by satisfactory results on the TOEFL (Test on English as a Foreign Language, administered by the Educational Testing Service). Special attention will be given to scores achieved on the section on reading comprehension.
3. Submission of the following required documents:
   1. Application for admission to the UPR School of Law;
   2. Evidence of an undergraduate degree, or its equivalent, in Law, as described above;
   3. Two official copies of academic transcripts which include all credits taken at any educational institution;
   4. Scores on the TOEFL, sent directly to the Law School by the Educational Testing Service;
   5. Letters of recommendation from two professors of Law who can describe in detail the academic aptitudes, professional experience, and character of the applicant;
   6. Money order or check made payable to the University of Puerto Rico for US$75.00.
4. Students are admitted only at the beginning of the first semester of the academic year.
5. The application form provided by the Law School must be fully completed and submitted no later than April 15 of the year for which admission is requested.
6. Non-U.S. citizens who have been admitted to the Law School must apply for a student visa from the U.S. Embassy in their country. The University of Puerto Rico will prepare a Visa Eligibility Certificate I-20 for each admitted student. Students must complete and send the statement of finances included in the application for admission, as well as the certificate of good health.

Requirements for Graduation

1. A minimum of 24 credits in the Law School, with a grade point average of 2.5 or higher.
2. Completion of requirements within one year—or two years, in justified cases—with the approval of the LLM Program Committee, the program director, and the dean.
• Comprehensive examination to demonstrate competency in the area of study. This exam will be linked to the student’s research project, and may be repeated once.
• A research project, following the requirements of the research seminar. This project will culminate in the writing of an extensive research paper of publishable quality. The student will defend this project before the member of the faculty who conducts the seminar.
• One year of full-time academic residency at the University of Puerto Rico School of Law. Class attendance is mandatory. In order to fulfill residency requirements, the student must punctually and regularly attend classes. Frequent absences may affect the student’s final grade and even lead to suspension.

Program of Study

The one-year LLM program requires 24 credit hours—divided into two 15-week semesters. It runs from August to December, and from January to May.

All programs described above have been accredited by the American Bar Association.

Description of Courses (PDF)