Each LLM-LI student has a Law School advisor who discusses course choices with the student before the student registers for courses. LLM-LI students meet with their advisors during Orientation Week in late August to review and get approval for their courses for the fall semester, and again in late fall, for their spring semester courses. The LLM-LI student registers for courses after arriving on campus. The procedure is explained to each student by the Graduate Programs office after the student arrives on campus.
In the first semester, the LLM-LI student takes two required courses: Introduction to American Law (Law 601) and Legal Sources (Law 602). These courses have been designed to take into consideration that LLM-LI students already have a legal background. The courses give LLM-LI students an excellent start at the Law School in the first semester. The courses are challenging and cover many substantive areas of law, as well as essentially skills of legal analysis, reading American cases, legal research, and instruction in writing an academic research paper.
In addition to the required courses, each semester LLM-LI students choose one or more courses from the Law School's course listings or occasionally from other University departments.
Of the 24 credits that an LLM-LI student takes as part of the program requirements, three credits must be directed research ("Law 990"). Directed research includes conducting research and writing a legal research paper supervised by the LLM-LI advisor.
Most LLM-LI students take a total of 24 credits over two semesters, either fall and spring, or spring and the following fall. Other students take 9 or 10 credits in their first semester to allow more time to become accustomed to life and studying in a different country. Students who do this frequently extend their LLM-LI program and finish their course in a third semester or in the summer (for those who entered in the fall).
