Michigan Law has always looked to the world writ large to explore new perspectives, advance new ideas, impact the development of law and legal systems, create globally fluent lawyers, and inspire personal growth. The Center for International and Comparative Law, led by the assistant dean for international affairs, supports this important work.
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About Us
Michigan Law’s global engagement is broad, deep, and enduring. The University of Michigan’s founding statute of 1859 required the law faculty to hire a professor of international law and our first LLM class graduated more than 130 years ago. Ann Arbor is the birthplace of the American Society of Comparative Law as well as the European Society of International Law, and is the place where the study of European Union law as a discipline began. We fostered the development of a generation of international and comparative law professors who have since scattered the globe, taking the Michigan model of legal education with them. And in 2001, we became the first US law school to require its JD students to study international law in order to graduate.
Along the way, the Law School consolidated much of its international activity under the Center for International and Comparative Law. Today, the Center’s mission manifests itself in these four priorities:
- Prepare all Michigan Law School JD students for success in a global environment.
- Advance academic excellence, inspire personal growth, and develop leadership abilities for all masters’ students, doctoral students, and research scholars of the Michigan Law School while fostering an inclusive and interconnected community.
- Support the intellectual life and teaching activities of the Michigan Law School faculty with the pursuit and creation of opportunities in international and comparative law scholarship and teaching in the U.S. and abroad.
- Safeguard and enhance the Law School’s reputation for excellence in international and comparative law and increase its worldwide recognition as a first mover and preeminent leader in these fields.
