Institute of Comparative Law (McGill University)

Given McGill's location in the Canadian province of Québec – a mixed jurisdiction featuring both civil law and common law legal traditions – and the comparative leanings of the Faculty's early leadership, the study of Law at McGill has had an implicit comparative focus dating back to its first degree program in 1848.[1] The formal study of Comparative Law gained prominence at McGill in the early and mid-20th century. In acknowledgment of this development, and with McGill located in a mixed jurisdiction, the Ford Foundation recognized McGill as uniquely suited for the study of comparative law, and supported the foundation of the Institute of Comparative Law – originally under the name of the Institute of Foreign and Comparative Law – through a major grant in 1965.[2]

Under the aegis of McGill's Faculty of Law, the Institute of Comparative Law offers both a Master's (LL.M. – both Thesis and Non-Thesis options) and a Doctor of Civil Law (D.C.L) with specializations in Comparative Law.[3] Of the approximately 55 master's students admitted to the Faculty of Law's LL.M. program each year, over 20% pursue their degrees with the Institute.[4]

As of January 1, 2014, the Institute of Comparative Law has been co-host of the American Journal of Comparative Law – a quarterly scholarly journal devoted to comparative law – in partnership with the Georgetown University Law Center. The Institute of Comparative Law's Director, Helge Dedek, currently serves as its Co-Editor-in-Chief alongside James Feinerman and Franz Werro of Georgetown.[5]