Although most of the world’s best law schools are located in North America, Latin America has a plethora of globally recognized and certified LL.M. programs that are generally significantly less expensive than equivalent programs in the United States and Canada, and may also offer more distinctive benefits to students.

LL.M.s are maturing across Latin America, from Brazil to Chile, Argentina to Costa Rica. The benefit for students is that they will receive truly global experience in a region that is growing in importance to the global economy. The economy is booming, bringing with it new enterprises and jobs.

Another advantage for those who pursue an LL.M. in Central or South America is learning a new language such as Spanish, which is the second most used globally, or Portuguese. 

The social aspect of studying in Latin America can be equally as rewarding as the academic aspect. Cities like So Paulo and Buenos Aires, for example, have tremendous cultural attractions. There are numerous reasons to pick Latin America as a location for your LL.M. We’ve compiled a list of ten of the greatest.

The University of Heidelberg may be in deepest Germany, but for more than 15 years, the school has offered an LL.M. in International Law in Santiago, Chile, that is taught over 12 months in both English and Spanish. It’s a truly international course, with a term spent in Germany and courses also available in the Germany language. That provides global experience that could make graduates more employable.

This school in Buenos Aires, Argentina’s vibrant capital city, runs an LL.M. focused on Commercial Law and Business, which is taught in both Spanish and English. The 24-month program provides skills which are highly sought after by businesses, with modules on mergers and acquisitions, labour and intellectual property law, and more.

The LL.M. in International Legal Studies is taught in Santiago jointly by Universidad de Chile / American University Washington College of Law. The course provides in-depth knowledge in several different facets of law, such as free trade agreements, international human rights, and environmental law. The course is taught in English and Spanish on the campus of the Universidad de Chile, one of Latin America’s most famed institutions, which traces its roots to an institution that has been teaching law since 1758.

University for Peace, in San José, Costa Rica, runs an LL.M. in International Law as well as a course in International Law and the Settlement of Disputes. Both courses are taught entirely in English by faculty with rich international experience, as well as by visiting professors from prestigious universities and international organizations including the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross.

The Universidad Austral is one of Argentina’s top schools, based in Buenos Aires, a Latin America hub. The school’s LL.M. is taught by a body of 200 superb teaching faculty, who have doctorates or masters degrees. What’s more, the degree is very customizable, with much of the curriculum optional, allowing students to tailor their degree to their professional needs and personal interests.

Contract, Corporate, Tax, and Financial and Capital Markets Law are among the four LL.M. programs offered by the institution. Both courses are a terrific way to study Portuguese while also living and working in Brazil’s bustling city of So Paulo, which is one of the world’s most populous, with a thriving financial center and enormous cultural capital. Insper is a highly acclaimed and internationally ranked school.

Universidad de los Andes in Bogota, Colombia, runs a successful LL.M. in Intellectual Property. The course lasts for about 18 months and is part-time, with students studying typically two days per week. This means they do not need to quit their jobs or forgo their salary. Bogota itself is Colombia’s capital, home to many cultural attractions such as museums, with a growing business scene.

The law school runs a well-regarded LL.M. in Santiago that can be customized via several different tracks. The cost of tuition differs depending on the track chosen, for instance on constitutional law, business law, tax law or labor law. Santiago has a growing professional services sector and is home to some of the world’s top law firms, such as Baker McKinzie. 

The University of the West Indies runs a well-regarded LL.M. taught in the paradise Caribbean island of Barbados. It is highly customisable, with three distinct tracks focused on corporate and commercial law, public law, and intellectual property law. And, as an added benefit, the LL.M. program’s tuition is relatively low.

Ibmec in Rio de Janeiro, runs several specialist LL.M.s. Among the most revered is the degree in business law, which provides participants with a solid background in corporate and tax issues, which are increasingly sought after by the growing number of businesses in Brazil and its commercial capital, Rio. Candidates are required to have at least five years of professional work experience. With a cohort like that, you can be sure the peer learning is as good as the knowledge you’ll get from the esteemed professors.

Top 10 LL.M.s in Latin America

North America may be where most of the world’s top law schools are based, but look further south to Latin America, and there are a wealth of globally ranked and accredited LL.M. programs that are often far cheaper than comparable programs in the US and Canada, and may also come with more unique benefits to students, too. 

From Brazil to Chile and from Argentina to Costa Rica, LL.M.s in Latin America are coming of age. The perk for students, is gaining a truly global experience in a region that is becoming increasingly important to the global economy. Growth is robust, bringing with it businesses and jobs. 

Another advantage for those who pursue an LL.M. in Central or South America is learning a new language such as Spanish, which is the second most used globally, or Portuguese. 

The social side of studying in Latin America can be just as enriching as the learning experience. Vibrant cities, such as São Paulo and Buenos Aires, offer fantastic cultural attractions. So there are a multitude of reason to consider Latin America for your LL.M. We’ve listed 10 of the best such courses below. 

Heidelberg University – Heidelberg Center for Latin America

The University of Heidelberg may be in deepest Germany, but for more than 15 years, the school has offered an LL.M. in International Law in Santiago, Chile, that is taught over 12 months in both English and Spanish. It’s a truly international course, with a term spent in Germany and courses also available in the Germany language. That provides global experience that could make graduates more employable. View School Profile

Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina Santa María de los Buenos Aires (UCA)

This school in Buenos Aires, Argentina’s vibrant capital city, runs an LL.M. focused on Commercial Law and Business, which is taught in both Spanish and English. The 24-month program provides skills which are highly sought after by businesses, with modules on mergers and acquisitions, labour and intellectual property law, and more. View School Profile

Universidad de Chile / American University Washington College of Law (AU – WCL)

The LL.M. in International Legal Studies is taught in Santiago jointly by Universidad de Chile / American University Washington College of Law. The course provides in-depth knowledge in several different facets of law, such as free trade agreements, international human rights, and environmental law. The course is taught in English and Spanish on the campus of the Universidad de Chile, one of Latin America’s most famed institutions, which traces its roots to an institution that has been teaching law since 1758. View School Profile

University for Peace

University for Peace, in San José, Costa Rica, runs an LL.M. in International Law as well as a course in International Law and the Settlement of Disputes. Both courses are taught entirely in English by faculty with rich international experience, as well as by visiting professors from prestigious universities and international organizations including the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross. View School Profile

Universidad Austral – Facultad de Derecho

The Universidad Austral is one of Argentina’s top schools, based in Buenos Aires, a Latin America hub. The school’s LL.M. is taught by a body of 200 superb teaching faculty, who have doctorates or masters degrees. What’s more, the degree is very customizable, with much of the curriculum optional, allowing students to tailor their degree to their professional needs and personal interests. View School Profile

Insper Instituto de Ensino e Pesquisa – Insper Institute of Education and Research

The school runs four LL.M.s in Contract, Corporate, Tax, and Financial and Capital Markets Law. Both courses are a fantastic opportunity to learn Portuguese, and to live and potentially work in Brazil’s vibrant city, São Paulo, which is among the world’s most populous, with extensive cultural capital, rich architecture, and a growing financial center. Insper itself is a globally-ranked and well-regarded school. View School Profile

Universidad de los Andes – Law School

Universidad de los Andes in Bogota, Colombia, runs a successful LL.M. in Intellectual Property. The course lasts for about 18 months and is part-time, with students studying typically two days per week. This means they do not need to quit their jobs or forgo their salary. Bogota itself is Colombia’s capital, home to many cultural attractions such as museums, with a growing business scene. View School Profile

Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile

The law school runs a well-regarded LL.M. in Santiago that can be customized via several different tracks. The cost of tuition differs depending on the track chosen, for instance on constitutional law, business law, tax law or labor law. Santiago has a growing professional services sector and is home to some of the world’s top law firms, such as Baker McKinzie.  View School Profile

University of the West Indies (UWI)

The University of the West Indies runs a well-regarded LL.M. taught in the paradise Caribbean island of Barbados. It is highly customisable, with three distinct tracks focused on corporate and commercial law, public law, and intellectual property law. And, as an added benefit, the LL.M. program’s tuition is relatively low. View School Profile

Ibmec – Rio de Janeiro

Ibmec in Rio de Janeiro, runs several specialist LL.M.s. Among the most revered is the degree in business law, which provides participants with a solid background in corporate and tax issues, which are increasingly sought after by the growing number of businesses in Brazil and its commercial capital, Rio. Candidates are required to have at least five years of professional work experience. With a cohort like that, you can be sure the peer learning is as good as the knowledge you’ll get from the esteemed professors. View School Profile

Top Law Schools in Latin America

The highlights of the Latin American economy are: agriculture, livestock, mineral extraction and industries that produce consumer goods.

The name Latin America is derived from the languages ​​spoken in different parts of the American continent. In North America, only Mexico is inserted in this context, in addition to all Central and South America. This means that they are Latin-speaking countries, such as Portuguese, French and Spanish. The countries that make up Latin America have similarities in terms of underdevelopment, such as fragile and backward economies, social and political problems.

In Latin America, subsistence agriculture was developed, including hunting, fishing and gathering. With the arrival of European colonizers, most Latin countries began to cultivate products for export, with the aim of making a profit. Two forms of production are identified, one for the foreign market (monoculture) and the other for internal supply (polyculture). Latin countries are major exporters of primary products. In addition, they had a late industrialization in relation to the developed nations, a reason that made Latin America become dependent.

Current economy

Significant changes have recently been made in Latin agriculture that have led to profound changes in space and the economy. The changes occurred as a result of the insertion of machines, technologies, implements, agricultural inputs (herbicides, fertilizers, insecticides among others) and management techniques, which resulted in increased productivity and, consequently, profits.

Livestock now occupies a prominent place, an activity practiced in a semi-intensive way. European cattle breeds are raised in cold climates and the Zebu breed in tropical climates. Another economic activity that is widespread in practically all Latin American countries is extraction and mining. There is a large commercial flow developed internally between the Latin components, since there is a dependence on some ores, in addition to their export to different places in the world.

The industrial sector is divided into traditional and processing industries. They operate in the production of raw materials from the processing of minerals or agricultural products, including those that produce consumer goods, such as the traditional food and textile industries, although some countries have a more diversified industrial sector, which varies from the food industry. Brazil, Argentina and Mexico are three countries who based on the latest technology.

You can try Abbreviation Finder to get a complete list of initials and acronyms with South America.

If you consider pursing a law degree and decide to study in Latin America, then you’ve come to the right place. Here, we provide rankings for all law schools in South America based on alumni reviews, graduate employment rate, faculty and student ratio, admissions acceptance rates, etc. In addition to the South American rankings, you can also see where each school is ranked world wide.

Among 25 top ranked law schools, 8 are found in Chile, 6 in Brazil and Colombia respectively. The remaining 5 are from Argentina, Peru, and Mexico. For detailed rankings of all law schools in South America, please see the following table.

Latin America Rankings	World Rankings	Law School	Nation
1	40	Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (UC)	Chile
2	45	Universidade de São Paulo	Brazil
3	49	Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM)	Mexico
4	51	Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA)	Argentina
5	77	Universidad de Chile	Chile
6	78	Universidad de los Andes	Colombia
7	105	Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV)	Brazil
8	114	Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso	Chile
9	115	Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú	Peru
10	116	Pontificia Universidad Javeriana	Colombia
11	124	Universidad Externado de Colombia	Colombia
12	125	Universidad Nacional de Colombia	Colombia
13	174	Universidad del Rosario	Colombia
14	175	Universidad Diego Portales (UDP)	Chile
15	176	Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro	Brazil
16	224	Tecnológico de Monterrey	Mexico
17	225	Universidad Adolfo Ibàñez	Chile
18	226	Universidad Austral	Argentina
19	227	Universidad de Antioquia	Colombia
20	229	Universidad de los Andes – Chile	Chile
21	268	Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro	Brazil
22	272	Universidad Austral de Chile	Chile
23	273	Universidad de Concepción	Chile
24	275	Universidade de Brasília	Brazil
25	276	Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais	Brazil

Unfortunately, there are no top ranked law universities from other 7 countries in Latin America (Bolivia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Suriname, Uruguay, Venezuela, as listed by Countryaah.)