IIT Chicago-Kent and Soochow University School of Law in Taiwan establish graduate law programs

Chicago-Kent College of Law and Soochow University School of Law in Taiwan have signed an agreement to establish a training program for Taiwanese lawyers that can culminate in an LL.M. degree from Chicago-Kent. The agreement was initialed recently by Chicago-Kent dean Harold J. Krent and Soochow dean Ivor Y.H. Yang.

Under the terms of the agreement, Chicago-Kent faculty will go to Taiwan to teach a four-course, graduate-level program at Soochow University. Upon completion of the course work, Soochow students can receive advanced standing of 10 credits toward the 24 needed to earn the master of laws (LL.M.) degree from Chicago-Kent. The students will spend their second semester in the United States at Chicago-Kent, where they will complete their degree requirements.

The agreement also provides for the creation of a unique summer training program to permit Taiwanese lawyers to immerse themselves in the law of mainland China, and for Chinese lawyers on the mainland, particularly Chicago-Kent alumni, to learn Taiwanese law. The program will be offered in Taiwan and on the mainland in alternating years.

Chicago-Kent College of Law is the law school of Illinois Institute of Technology, a private, Ph.D.-granting institution with programs in engineering, psychology, architecture, business, design and law. In 2005, Chicago-Kent signed an agreement with Shanghai University to create a wide range of professional programs, including an LL.M. program, certificate programs and intellectual property training. Chicago-Kent also offers special LL.M. programs and overseas training programs in Prishtina, Kosovo; Beijing and Shanghai, China; Gdansk and Wroclaw, Poland; Bangkok, Thailand; and Buenos Aires, Argentina.