The Swiss International Law School (SiLS) has been founded in 2014 by Professor Dr. Ingeborg SCHWENZER, LL.M., editor and main author of the world’s leading Commentary on International Sales Law, and former chair of the CISG Advisory Council, and Ulrike KESSLER, MSc.
SiLS has been offering an online Master of Laws (LL.M.) in International Commercial Law and Dispute Resolution between 2015 and 2017.
The master degree program (60 ECTS) was strongly based on a genuine comparative legal approach, and taught by leading scholars and practitioners in International Commercial Law. It was taught completely online, using an intercultural and innovative teaching approach. Classes were small and interactive, while composed from an international student body representing a wide variety of experience.
The SiLS LL.M. was awarded upon the successful completion of four modules and four self-guided tutorials.
- Sales and Transport Law: Professor Dr. Ingeborg SCHWENZER, LL.M.
- Corporate Law: Professor Dr. Katharina PISTOR, LL.M.
- Dispute Resolution: Professor Louise BARRINGTON, FCIArb
- Intellectual Property Law: Professor Dr. William VAN CAENEGEM, LL.M.
Classes were supervised by course leaders from common law and civil law, with live weekly meetings online, collaborative group work, and all resources plus a moderated discussion forum available 24/7 online. Student work was marked using transparent assessment criteria, and the final grade assigned according to a comprehensive Student Handbook.
In addition, four extra-modular tutorials covered important aspects of legal work. They were self-guided, allowing for student’s individual learning path and pace:
- Legal Research and Writing: Dr. Benjamin LEISINGER, LL.M.
- Professional Ethics for the Global Lawyer: Professor Catherine ROGERS
- Features of Common Law and Civil Law Systems: Professor Dr. Thomas LUNDMARK, LL.M.
- Management of Legal and Compliance Risk: Dr. Peter KURER, LL.M.
The founders of SiLS, former dean Professor Dr. Ingeborg SCHWENZER, LL.M., and former CEO Ulrike KESSLER, MSc, remain closely affiliated with the new LLM program at Bond University, both acting as advisors to the Bond Law Faculty to developing new concepts and additional subjects.
What Leading Experts Said About the SiLS LL.M. (Part 1)