Applications to LL.M. Program for Fall 2010

The LL.M. Program in Agricultural & Food Law at the University of Arkansas School of Law offers the nation's only advanced LL.M. degree in either agricultural law or food law & policy.

Agricultural Law can be defined as "the study of the network of laws and policies that apply to the production, marketing, and sale of agricultural products, i.e., the food we eat, the natural fibers we wear, and increasingly, the bio-fuels that run our vehicles." Because of the special nature of producing living products to meet society's critical need for food, a variety of special laws make up the core of agricultural law studies - laws that often are often quite different than the law studied in basic law courses. The topic What is Agricultural Law was the subject of a previous post reporting on a panel discussion at the American Association of Law Schools annual meeting.

While food law is essentially a big part of agricultural law, recent interest in our food system has greatly expanded legal interest in food labeling, food safety, and questions regarding the sustainability of our food system. We study all of these issues from the perspective of the farmer, the consumer, and whoever may be involved in between.

We have already admitted a number of candidates for Fall 2010. We still have places available and will be able to offer merit-based graduate assistantships to a limited number of those admitted. These assistantships provide a tuition waiver plus a small stipend.

Our nine month course of study attracts attorneys from throughout the United States and from abroad. While many of our students are recent law school graduates, others enter the program as experienced practitioners. Our alumni are among the leaders in the agricultural law and food law communities.

Interested attorneys and third year law students are encouraged to apply to the Program as soon as possible. Visit our website for more information and to obtain an application form. You are welcome to send me an e-mail at sas.susan@gmail.com with questions. And, you can call the LL.M. Program Office at 479-575-3706.