USD Law Advocate, Spring 2026

USD Law’s LLM in U.S. Law (online in Spanish) orientation.

W hen Lebanon’s economy collapsed in 2019 and many Lebanese citizens suddenly found them selves destitute, Michael Najem ’26 (LLM) decided to devote himself to protecting his fellow citizens from such catastrophes. “I watched families go bankrupt, lose their life savings, and struggle to survive in a system with no financial or legal protection,” Najem said. “That inspired me to integrate law and finance, with the goal of addressing systemic injus tices and helping to rebuild strong legal and institutional safeguards to protect people’s rights and livelihoods.” Now a Fulbright Scholar, Najem is enrolled at USD Law in the Master of Laws (LLM) in U.S. Law program. Najem explained that he and the Fulbright program chose USD Law “because it offers one of the most repu table LLM programs for international students seeking a strong foundation in U.S. law. USD and Fulbright share the same values of ethical leadership,

innovation and public service—principles that reflect my own aspirations and that I hope to bring back to Lebanon.” Najem’s story is just one example of a foreign student

so they can counsel their domestic clients on those differences.” Other international students who pur sue an LLM at the law school are foreign lawyers residing in the United States who want to reestablish their legal careers in this country. A third group are students who come to the United States with the intention of pursuing the LLM as a way to enter the legal profession, whether in U.S. law firms, corporations or other legal settings. In general, the degrees that USD Law offers international students—namely the long-standing LLM in U.S. Law and the more recent online LLM in U.S. Law offered in both Spanish and English— address a growing need for international legal expertise. “Our LLM programs have become increasingly relevant as the legal profes sion continues to globalize and evolve,” said Assistant Dean Karen Sigmond ’96 (JD). “The relevance of an LLM from USD lies in its ability to bridge global legal systems, expand professional mobility, and provide the skills and credentials

Michael Najem ’26

who is taking advantage of USD Law’s LLM programs tailored to international participants. Some, like Najem, enroll to deepen their knowledge of the U.S. legal system before returning to their home countries with a credential that can expand their opportunities and help them to work with U.S. and multinational firms on international legal issues. “Roughly 40 to 50 percent of my students are foreign lawyers who are interested in expanding their area of expertise in their home countries,” said Michael Amon , an adjunct professor who teaches in the LLM program. “For example, a lawyer in Peru or Argentina may be interested in better understand ing the workings of the U.S. legal system

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