Admission to the LL.M. Program in American Law is open to foreign graduate students. Applicants must have completed a basic law degree from a recognized college, university or law school outside the United States.
Students must have excellent academic records and strong professional and/or academic recommendations. Professional experience and demonstrated leadership skills will also be taken into account in admissions' decisions. Students must demonstrate proficiency in English.
Admissions applications for the fall should be submitted by July 15 each year, but applications will be evaluated as soon as a file is complete. As the processing of student visas is often time-consuming, international students are strongly encouraged to submit their application by June 1. A complete application file must include:
- Completed application form.
- Application fee of $30 U.S. currency.
- At least one and no more than two letters of recommendation.
- TOEFL or IELTS score (if applicable). Go to LL.M. English Language Proficiency page.
- Transcripts from each post-secondary school. Go to the LSAC Requesting Transcripts page.
- Current resume.
- Personal statement with information about any personal experiences, achievements, plans, goals or other factors the applicant would like the admissions committee to take into account. The statement should indicate whether the applicant intends to direct his or her study of American law to a particular field. The statement should not address financial aid issues. The statement should reflect the applicant's own writing style and be no more than 500 words.
Admitted students begin studies in the fall semester. The two-semester program runs from mid-August until late April or early May. Consult the Academic Calendar for specific dates.