Summer Courses in Dispute Resolution
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The 2008 Summer Program offers students an unparalleled opportunity to obtain the finest dispute resolution educational experience in substantive theories, exposure to the field's literature, extensive practical skills development, and stimulating dialogue with students and faculty drawn from around the world.
Nowhere else in America can law students and professionals find the "Pepperdine Experience" in dispute resolution:
- A faculty of academics and practitioners drawn from around the world
- The most extensive dispute resolution curriculum in
legal education - Convenient one- and two-week formats
- Class locations in Malibu, Orange County, London/Geneva,
and Hong Kong/Beijing - More than 300 law students and professional colleagues
with whom to study - The LL.M. in Dispute Resolution
- The Master of Dispute Resolution, and the Certificate in
Dispute Resolution, both of which are open to law and
graduate students from other institutions, as well as to professionals in various fields - What many believe is the nation's foremost dispute resolution education organization-the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at Pepperdine University School of Law
Course Schedules
International Study Tours
May 19-29, 2008
- Current Issues in International Dispute Resolution: London/Geneva
A European Perspective on International Commercial and Public
Dispute Resolution
May 19-29, 2008
- Current Issues in International Dispute Resolution: Hong Kong/Beijing
East Meets West - Consensus and Resolution Across the Pacific
MALIBU CAMPUS
One-week Intensives
May 27-31, 2008
June 2-6, 2008
Two-week Format
June 3-14, 2008
June 17-28, 2008
- Mediation Theory and Practice
- Psychology of Conflict
- Selected Issues: Mass Torts
- Advanced Trial Practice
July 8-19, 2008
July 22-August 2, 2008
Extended Format
May 28-July 30, 2008
ORANGE COUNTY CAMPUS
Two-weekend Format
June 5-7 and 12-14, 2008
June 19-21 and 26-28, 2008
July 10-12 and 17-19, 2008
How These Courses Might Serve You
Earn a Master's Degree in Dispute Resolution
Law students can earn a Master of Dispute Resolution from the Pepperdine School of Law while they complete the Juris Doctor degree from their law school.
The master's degree requires the successful completion of nine required courses, four elective courses, and an additional 6 units of work in either a thesis or externship experience.
Transfer up to 10 units of approved course work from another law or graduate school. The remaining courses can be completed during intensive
summer and winter sessions. Thesis or externship experiences can be arranged in the locale of your choice.
While it will require full-time attention, current first-year law students could earn a Juris Doctor and master's degree by May 2010. Students currently in their second year of law school could earn the master's degree within weeks of learning that they have passed the bar exam. The Straus Institute recommends that these students complete the master's degree requirements by enrolling in the 2008 summer program, the 2009 One-Week Winter Intensive course (take the 2009 summer off to study for and take the bar exam), and the Fall 2009 semester. Students would learn their bar results in late fall and complete the master's degree requirements in early December 2009.
A competitive fellowship program allows some students to complete the master's degree for a reduced amount of tuition and work in collaboration
with the Straus Institute.
Earn a Certificate in Dispute Resolution
The Dispute Resolution Certificate program is specifically designed for law students and professionals in business, education, health, law, management, public administration, psychological services, religion, and related occupations. The program requires the completion of 14 academic units. Each student is required to take four core courses and three approved electives. A student could earn the certificate by completing 10 units at Pepperdine this summer (and Winter Intensive, if needed), and receiving 4 units of credit for dispute resolution courses completed at your school. Most law schools will accept the majority, if not all, of the Pepperdine credits.
Earn an LL.M. in Dispute Resolution
The LL.M. in Dispute Resolution is a 28-unit program that can be completed in one year by full-time students or in up to three years by part-time students. Degree candidates will have the opportunity to select from four areas of concentration: arbitration, mediation, international dispute resolution, and litigation. Students who do not want a specialty can pursue a more general course of study. Possession of a JD degree is a prerequisite for admission to the LL.M. program.
Joint Degree Programs
Since the creation of the Master of Dispute Resolution, the Straus Institute has established a joint JD/MDR program, and a joint MDR and Master of Public Policy program with the Pepperdine School of Public Policy. A Pepperdine student pursuing an MBA can elect to earn a 14-unit certificate in dispute resolution from the Straus Institute and apply those units toward the MBA.
Registration and Fees or Download Application