By Sharon Morioka
Michigan Law
As the 2025–2026 academic year kicked off, a cohort of 23 students arrived at Michigan Law from every corner of the globe for one year of study in the master of laws (LLM) program.
These students carry on a tradition that started when the Law School established one of the first LLM programs in the country, granting its first degrees in 1890. Like others before them, they have had prior legal experience, from law firms to academia.
While they are on a unique track, they are fully integrated in the Law School—taking classes with JD students, engaging with them during mini-seminars, and being matched with a 2L or 3L who serves as a mentor. And they have already formed a tight community.
“This year’s LLM class hit the ground running before classes even started,” said Alice Choo, Michigan Law’s director of graduate admissions. “Once our LLM students arrived in Ann Arbor, they immediately looked for opportunities to bond with each other. They went kayaking on the Huron River, visited the Nichols Arboretum, and started exploring the city’s dining and social scene.”
Meet a few of our students:
Augusto Colin
With more than 10 years of experience in Mexico’s judiciary, Augusto Colin is pursuing his dream of studying at a top U.S. law school; the decision feels timely given the complex challenges his country’s legal system currently faces. His year at Michigan Law will strengthen his qualifications to become a federal judge and deepen his understanding of the role of courts in constitutional democracies.
It also will allow him to specialize in environmental law—an interest that sparked during his clerkship on Mexico’s Supreme Court of Justice—and to advance his commitment to climate justice. His first experience in law came during an internship at the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, which led him to choose public service as a career. He also has served as a judicial clerk at the High Chamber of the Federal Electoral Tribunal.
“I am truly excited to share my LLM experience with brilliant, dedicated, and, above all, kind people from across the globe,” he said. “From the moment you receive an admission letter from Michigan Law, you feel a genuine sense of belonging and that they truly want you to be part of the community. The small cohort and the chance to attend classes with JD students assured me that I would find both support and the academic challenge I was seeking.”
Ross Franke
As a litigator at the Office of Human Rights Proceedings in New Zealand, Ross Franke represented vulnerable people alleging discrimination, sexual harassment, and racial harassment by government entities, companies, and private citizens.
“My clients included Indigenous (Maori) people, refugees and asylum seekers, religious and gender minorities, and survivors of gender-based violence,” he said. “Through my cases—all pro bono—I sought to remedy violations, secure rights-enhancing judgments, and drive law reform.”
He said Michigan Law is the perfect place to deepen his understanding of the domestic and geopolitical forces that impede the realization of rights and the possible tactics to overcome them. In addition, learning about U.S. approaches to strategic litigation will enhance the quality and impact of his future cases at home.
“From before I applied and throughout my time here, I have felt supported—by alumni, by the Center for International and Comparative Law, by JDs, and by SJDs, many of whom are former LLMs,” he said. “Their insights and encouragement have helped me settle in and feel a sense of belonging, despite being more than 8,000 miles from home.”
Mayumi Sano
Studying for her LLM at Michigan Law brings both professional and personal rewards to Mayumi Sano.
“Michigan Law offers a wide range of courses on corporate law, including both transactions and litigation,” said Sano. “These will allow me to deepen my expertise in the field I have been working in, making it a natural next step in my career.”
Before working as a corporate lawyer, where she handled cases such as litigation involving companies and advising on shareholder meetings, she worked as a district court judge. She also spent two years in the legal department of a major Japanese bank.
She notes that Michigan Law’s small class sizes will give her opportunities for in-depth discussions and personal interactions with professors and JD students.
And like the 13 percent of LLM students whose families have accompanied them to Ann Arbor, Sano’s thoughts extend outside the classroom.
“I am grateful to share this experience with my husband, who is here as a visiting scholar, and with my daughter,” Sano said. “I find Ann Arbor’s safe and nature-rich environment very suitable for my family.”
Michigan Law
As the 2025–2026 academic year kicked off, a cohort of 23 students arrived at Michigan Law from every corner of the globe for one year of study in the master of laws (LLM) program.
These students carry on a tradition that started when the Law School established one of the first LLM programs in the country, granting its first degrees in 1890. Like others before them, they have had prior legal experience, from law firms to academia.
While they are on a unique track, they are fully integrated in the Law School—taking classes with JD students, engaging with them during mini-seminars, and being matched with a 2L or 3L who serves as a mentor. And they have already formed a tight community.
“This year’s LLM class hit the ground running before classes even started,” said Alice Choo, Michigan Law’s director of graduate admissions. “Once our LLM students arrived in Ann Arbor, they immediately looked for opportunities to bond with each other. They went kayaking on the Huron River, visited the Nichols Arboretum, and started exploring the city’s dining and social scene.”
Meet a few of our students:
Augusto Colin
With more than 10 years of experience in Mexico’s judiciary, Augusto Colin is pursuing his dream of studying at a top U.S. law school; the decision feels timely given the complex challenges his country’s legal system currently faces. His year at Michigan Law will strengthen his qualifications to become a federal judge and deepen his understanding of the role of courts in constitutional democracies.
It also will allow him to specialize in environmental law—an interest that sparked during his clerkship on Mexico’s Supreme Court of Justice—and to advance his commitment to climate justice. His first experience in law came during an internship at the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, which led him to choose public service as a career. He also has served as a judicial clerk at the High Chamber of the Federal Electoral Tribunal.
“I am truly excited to share my LLM experience with brilliant, dedicated, and, above all, kind people from across the globe,” he said. “From the moment you receive an admission letter from Michigan Law, you feel a genuine sense of belonging and that they truly want you to be part of the community. The small cohort and the chance to attend classes with JD students assured me that I would find both support and the academic challenge I was seeking.”
Ross Franke
As a litigator at the Office of Human Rights Proceedings in New Zealand, Ross Franke represented vulnerable people alleging discrimination, sexual harassment, and racial harassment by government entities, companies, and private citizens.
“My clients included Indigenous (Maori) people, refugees and asylum seekers, religious and gender minorities, and survivors of gender-based violence,” he said. “Through my cases—all pro bono—I sought to remedy violations, secure rights-enhancing judgments, and drive law reform.”
He said Michigan Law is the perfect place to deepen his understanding of the domestic and geopolitical forces that impede the realization of rights and the possible tactics to overcome them. In addition, learning about U.S. approaches to strategic litigation will enhance the quality and impact of his future cases at home.
“From before I applied and throughout my time here, I have felt supported—by alumni, by the Center for International and Comparative Law, by JDs, and by SJDs, many of whom are former LLMs,” he said. “Their insights and encouragement have helped me settle in and feel a sense of belonging, despite being more than 8,000 miles from home.”
Mayumi Sano
Studying for her LLM at Michigan Law brings both professional and personal rewards to Mayumi Sano.
“Michigan Law offers a wide range of courses on corporate law, including both transactions and litigation,” said Sano. “These will allow me to deepen my expertise in the field I have been working in, making it a natural next step in my career.”
Before working as a corporate lawyer, where she handled cases such as litigation involving companies and advising on shareholder meetings, she worked as a district court judge. She also spent two years in the legal department of a major Japanese bank.
She notes that Michigan Law’s small class sizes will give her opportunities for in-depth discussions and personal interactions with professors and JD students.
And like the 13 percent of LLM students whose families have accompanied them to Ann Arbor, Sano’s thoughts extend outside the classroom.
“I am grateful to share this experience with my husband, who is here as a visiting scholar, and with my daughter,” Sano said. “I find Ann Arbor’s safe and nature-rich environment very suitable for my family.”
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