LAW - Rule of Law for Development Program
Loyola University Chicago School of Law
Become a Rule of Law leader
The Rule of Law for Development Program is your gateway to addressing critical development challenges and emerging as a leader in the evolving field of law and development.
Contact prolaw@luc.edu
Answer your calling
Program highlights
Online and Campus (Rome-Italy)
Our hybrid delivery model includes online study and one term (spring) of in-person classes at our Loyola Rome Center campus in Italy. Online study provides flexibility for busy professionals and the on-campus term will home in on skill building and networking.
For more details or inquiries, feel free to reach out to us at prolaw@luc.edu – we’re here to help!
Comprehensive and practical courses
You will gain deep knowledge of the theory and practical skills necessary to work in the complex rule of law arena in developed, developing, or emerging countries. The program is taught by renowned rule of law and development practitioners, who bring their experiences in the field to life during the courses.
Learn moreApplication process
You can apply at any time for any upcoming open term, if the deadline has not passed. The Admissions Committee will review your file once you have submitted.
Learn moreWe’re here to help
Prospective Students
Tomorrow starts today! Get to know what awaits you at Loyola's Rule of Law for Development Program.
Current Students
As you continue your journey at the Loyola's Rule of Law for Development Program, we're here to support your academic and career aspirations.
Alumni
The PROLAW Alumni Network is an alumni-led initiative that aims to provide professional resources to fellow PROLAW students and alumni, and serves as a forum to foster a strong international rule of law community with close ties to the PROLAW program.
Meet Our Faculty
Juliet S. Sorensen
Director, Rule of Law Institute and Program in Rule of Law for Development
Prof. Sorensen is a clinical professor of law and the director of Loyola’s Rule of Law Institute and Program in Rule of Law for Development. Previously, she was a member of the clinical faculty at Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, where she was associated with its Center for International Human Rights.
Thomas McInerney
Adjunct Professor, Rule of Law for Development Program
Professor McInerney is an international lawyer and strategist with over 20 years of experience in global governance, law, and development. His expertise covers anti-corruption, human rights, environmental law, and more. His research focuses on multilateral treaties and sustainable development.
Karen Shaw
Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives and Accreditation; Adjunct Professor of Legal Writing
Dr. Shaw directs various academic and administrative projects and manages accreditation with the American Bar Association. She teaches courses in health law, legal writing, international development law, and socio-legal studies, and she advises on health literacy standards with the Health Literacy Solutions Center.
William Loris
Founding Director Emeritus, Rule of Law for Development Program and Adjunct Professor, Rule of Law for Development Program
Prof. Loris joined Loyola in 2010 to design, launch and direct the PROLAW Program. As Founding Director Emeritus he now teaches and serves on the PROLAW Advisory Board. Following 10 years with USAID as a legal advisor in West Africa and in Egypt, Prof. Loris co-founded a non-profit foundation which later became the International Development Law Organization (IDLO), an international organization headquartered in Rome which he served for 27 years. As IDLO’s second Director General, Prof. Loris was a leading supporter of governmental and non-governmental organizations around the world in their efforts to advance the rule of law, improve governance and democracy. He has served as a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Corruption and is now promoting an initiative aimed at enhancing the capacity of national advisors to provide advice to development project entities and businesses on the establishment and operation of extra-judicial grievance mechanisms in their countries.
Karen Widess
Adjunct Professor, Rule of Law for Development Program
Prof. Widess designed courses in Program Design, Proposal Writing, Rule of Law Project Management, and supervises student theses. Widess also teaches Comparative and Ethical Lawyering for the Rule of Law at PROLAW and lectures at UCLA School of Law in the LL.M. Legal Analysis, Writing, and Research Program. Her research focuses on Rule of Law, Development, and Haitian and post-Soviet Studies. From 2016 to 2021, she taught at Kent Law School in the UK, covering topics like property law, legal thinking, equity and trusts, and international administrative law. With 25 years of experience in international rule of law, legal reform, democracy promotion, and post-conflict stabilization, Widess has worked in regions such as Central Asia, Haiti, the South Caucasus, and Ukraine. She holds a B.A. from UC Berkeley, a J.D. from USC, a Post-graduate Diploma in International Law from LSE, and worked toward a Ph.D. in socio-legal studies at the University of Kent.
Joseph Saba
Adjunct Professor, Rule of Law for Development Program
Professor Saba has a distinguished career in law and international affairs spanning over four decades. He is now a senior adviser at the World Bank, focusing on policy and programs in fragile and conflict-affected states. He has been an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and has held advisory roles with United Nations agencies and the European Union.
Courtenay Morris
Adjunct Professor, Rule of Law for Development Program
Prof. Morris has spent her career promoting human rights and civil liberties. In East Africa, Courtenay developed and managed rule of law interventions for the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of State, establishing programs to teach police officers how to better investigate crimes of sexual violence and to hold police officers accountable for abuse of power. Courtenay transitioned to teaching law in India, most notably designing and teaching a course on comparative free speech and journalistic freedom in American and Indian constitutional law. Before moving overseas, Courtenay worked at the American Civil Liberties Union, in the U.S. Senate as legislative staff, and defending juvenile delinquents in criminal court.
Y.S.Lee
Adjunct Professor, Rule of Law for Development Program
Prof. Lee is a lawyer, economist, and international relations scholar with internationally-recognized authority in law and development and international trade law. He is currently Director and Professorial Fellow of the Law and Development Institute and an Adjunct Professor of Law, Cornell University (2023-2024). He has also taught and conducted academic research at prominent universities throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia for twenty years. He graduated with a degree in economics and academic distinction from the University of California at Berkeley and received law degrees from the University of Cambridge (B.A., M.A., Ph.D). He is licensed to practice law in multiple jurisdictions, including the United States (California and North Carolina) and the United Kingdom.
Our Program
Online and on campus
At the Loyola Chicago Rome Center
You will complete your spring courses in person at Loyola Rome Center in Italy. LEARN MORE
Our Events
September 1: Rule of Law for Development Program (Prolaw) Application Opens for 2025-2026
January 13, 2025: Spring Semester in Rome begins