MACON — Mercer Law School recently welcomed its first incoming class in the Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree in Federal Criminal Practice and Procedure, the only program of its kind in the nation. The one-year advanced legal degree program is designed for students interested in careers in federal criminal practice as prosecutors, federal defenders, or private defense counselors. The inaugural class of eight students, composed of both recent law graduates and experienced attorneys from Georgia, Utah, Texas and South Carolina, began the LL.M. program on Aug. 20.
The program’s curriculum focuses on federal criminal practice in the full range of federal cases from “white collar crime” to narcotics, firearms, immigration and terrorism cases. The program offers extensive skills training to prepare students for all phases of the trial and appellate process, including a clinical field placement for each student. The program is being taught by faculty with substantial experience in the prosecution and defense of federal criminal cases. The LL.M. program is housed in a newly renovated 5,000-square-foot wing of the Law School, which includes a state-of-the art moot courtroom.
“With the strong support of the entire Law School community we have set up a first-rate LL.M. program, recruited an accomplished faculty and selected an outstanding group of students,” said Jim Fleissner, professor and co-director of the program.
The degree program, approved by the Board of Trustees in November 2011, has been accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and has received acquiescence by the American Bar Association.
About Mercer Law School
Founded in 1873, the Mercer University Walter F. George School of Law is one of the oldest law schools in the United States and the first one in the state of Georgia accredited by the American Bar Association. Mercer Law School’s educational philosophy is based on a broadly shared commitment to prepare students for the high-quality practice of law in a day-to-day learning environment that is both strongly supportive and consistently professional. Its innovative Woodruff Curriculum – which focuses on ethics and practical skills amid small class sizes – earned the Gambrell Professionalism Award from the ABA for its “depth of excellence.” With an enrollment of about 440 students, Mercer Law School is nationally recognized for its exceptional programs in legal writing, moot court, public service, and ethics and professionalism. For more information about Mercer Law School, visit www.law.mercer.edu or call 478.301.5000.
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