The William S. Richardson School of Law Master of Laws (LLM) program received acquiescence from the American Bar Association in 2003. Students complete 24 credits (including a maximum of 6 credits from departments outside the Law School) and obtain a general LLM degree, with the possibility of certificates in certain specialized fields. The LLM program is primarily designed for foreign law graduates, who generally study for one year on a full-time basis. However, the program also accepts American lawyers who wish to gain additional expertise by taking courses that they did not have the opportunity to complete during their JD degree. American lawyers may elect to complete their LLM degree on a part-time basis over the course of two or more academic years. However, LLM students should be prepared to attend classes during regular business hours (as only a selection of elective courses will be offered during the evening in a given academic year).<br>Hawaii is strategically located to serve as a bridge between the major economies of the Pacific Rimas the 2011 Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit demonstrates. The Law School is very strong in business transactions and many of our core business courses include an international perspective. Students may choose an international/comparative focus for their certificate program.<br><br>The Law School business and commercial curriculum is supported by the Shidler College of Business, which emphasizes the development of global business skills and has long been recognized for its Asian-Pacific focus. The Institute of Asian-Pacific Business Law and the University of Hawaii Procurement Institute, both based at the Law School, offer special presentations and programs that supplement the coursework which LLM students can choose.