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Studies & Degrees in Global Law (GLP)

Global law is the study of law beyond a single national system. It brings together comparative law, international business law, the common law tradition of the United Kingdom and the United States, and legal English. On SpainExchange the subject takes its name from the Global Law Program (GLP) of the Universidad de Navarra, and also covers similar programmes that train lawyers to work across borders.

It is normally an addition to a national law degree, not a replacement for one. The right to practise law is still granted country by country, so students combine a degree that qualifies them at home with training in other legal systems.

What students learn

  • Comparative law: how the continental (civil law) and Anglo-American (common law) systems differ
  • US and English law: constitutional law, contracts, civil procedure, case analysis and the use of precedent
  • International business law: contracts, corporate law, compliance and international transactions
  • International arbitration and dispute resolution
  • Legal English: drafting, negotiation and advocacy

At the Universidad de Navarra, the Diploma en Global Law Program is taken alongside the bachelor's degree in law. Students go deeper into comparative law, with special attention to the common law and US law. The optional subjects carry 3 ECTS credits each and include Common Law System, Comparative Legal Systems, International Business Compliance, Global Contract Law, Global Corporate Law, International Arbitration and Dispute Resolution, and Digital Law and AI Regulation. According to the university, all the diploma subjects are taught in English by international teaching staff, and the programme includes a stay in London and an exchange in the fourth year at universities in the United States and Europe.

Qualifications and levels

Bachelor's degree plus diploma. In Spain a bachelor's degree (grado) has 240 ECTS credits. The Grado en Derecho of the Universidad de Navarra is an official degree of 240 credits and four years, taught on campus in Pamplona in Spanish, with 300 places. The Global Law Program is studied during those four years. The Faculty of Law describes it as its most complete programme, covering the subjects of two of its diplomas: the Anglo-American Law Program and the International Business Law Program. The diploma is an addition to the official degree; ask the university what recognition the diploma itself has.

Master's degree. Official master's degrees in Spain have 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits. In the English-speaking world the usual postgraduate route is the Master of Laws (LL.M), a specialised degree taken after a first law degree. International lawyers often use it to study a second legal system.

Legal English and short courses. Practising lawyers and students can also take short courses. English for Law, in Dublin, offers one-to-one and online legal English courses designed and delivered by legal and English language professionals for lawyers, members of the judiciary, notaries, interpreters and translators. The school states that it has delivered such courses for over 25 years, in areas such as contract drafting and mergers and acquisitions.

Qualifying as a lawyer

A global law programme does not by itself give the right to practise. In Spain, Ley 34/2006 reserves the professional title of lawyer for holders of a law degree who complete specialised training and pass the evaluation regulated by that law. In the United States, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) notes that lawyers typically need a law degree and a state licence, which usually requires passing a bar examination; becoming a lawyer usually takes seven years of full-time study after high school. Anyone who plans to practise in another country should check the rules of its bar or law society before choosing a programme.

Where to study

SpainExchange lists six active schools for global law: two in the United States and one each in Spain, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and Ireland. They are the Universidad de Navarra in Pamplona, University College London, Arcadia University, The Institute for US Law in Washington, the School of Law of the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, and English for Law in Dublin.

English is the working language of the field. At the Universidad de Navarra the law degree is taught in Spanish and the diploma subjects in English, so students need a good command of both.

Careers

Graduates work in international law firms, the legal departments of multinational companies, arbitration, compliance, international organisations and public administration. The Universidad de Navarra aims its diploma at students who want to work in international firms or practise abroad.

For the United States, the BLS counted about 863,700 lawyer jobs in 2025, 52% of them in legal services, and projects employment of lawyers to grow 5 percent from 2025 to 2035.

Frequently asked questions

What does GLP mean?

Global Law Program. It is the name of a programme of the Faculty of Law of the Universidad de Navarra that students take during the four years of the bachelor's degree in law.

Can I practise law in another country with a global law programme?

Not automatically. Each country sets its own rules. In Spain the professional title requires a law degree, specialised training and an evaluation; in the United States it usually requires a law degree and a bar examination.

Do I need English?

Yes. At the Universidad de Navarra all the subjects of the Diploma en Global Law Program are taught in English.