The primary purpose of the LL.M. degree is to provide an opportunity and environment for scholarly research mainly for persons who are either in or preparing for academic or comparable scholarly legal careers.
- Admission. The conditions of admission to the LL.M. program are:
- A J.D. or equivalent American or foreign first law degree;
- in the case of holders of law degrees from foreign countries, proof of completion of all academic work necessary for entering upon the practice or apprenticeship for the practice of law, judicial office, or the teaching of law at university level;
- outstanding academic performance as evidenced by the quality of program, written work, recommendations from teachers, and grades;
- in the case of holders of law degrees from universities where the greater part of their instruction was not in English, proof of high proficiency in English for advanced study of law; high proficiency will ordinarily be demonstrated by a score of at least 106-108 (Internet-based) or 625 (paper-based) on the TOEFL examination;
- a plan of work of at least four (4) double-spaced typed pages to include a statement of objectives, detailed outline of the proposed research, and explanation of course/seminar needs;
- consent of a faculty member of the Law School to act as the candidate's principal academic advisor (OBTAINING CONSENT OF A FACULTY MEMBER IS THE APPLICANT'S RESPONSIBILITY. In general, faculty who are not tenured are not able to act as advisors. Untenure faculty are indicated by "assistant professor.") Please note that applicants are to contact potential faculty advisors only after receiving a letter from the Graduate Admissions Committee. This is part of the two-step application process.
- acceptance by the Graduate Programs Committee.
- Program. The LL.M. program shall adhere to the following guidelines:
- Research toward a master's thesis is the core of the program. The thesis should be equivalent in quality and substance to a substantial law review article.
- Ordinarily, students seeking the LLM may not take courses for credit. Exceptions may be made on the advice of the advisor and with the consent of the chair of the Graduate Programs Committee when the course is a seminar involving substantial writing obligations consistent with the thesis topic.
- Full-time LLM candidates shall register for 12 credits for each of the first two semesters of residency. Except where a seminar is authorized, those credits shall be in directed research. A minimum of 24 credit hours is required for completion of the LL.M. degree. To qualify for the LLM degree, the candidate must also prepare an acceptable thesis (see 6 below)
- Residence.
Registration and physical presence as a full-time student for one academic year with satisfactory completion of at least 24 credits is required. LL.M. candidates who have completed their residence requirement may maintain full-time law school status during the second year registering for 3 credits each semester - Term for completion of program.
The program is to be completed no later than one calendar year after the residence period. - Advisability of second year.
In the case of those planning on pursuing law teaching positions in the U.S. or Canada, it is strongly recommended that such individuals plan on a second year at the Law School. . - Award of degree.
- The granting of a degree shall be recommended to the Law School faculty on the completion of the following: approval of the thesis by the principal academic advisor and the Reading Committee and approval of the completed program by the Graduate Programs Committee.
- Prior to the recommendation of a degree to the faculty, the candidate shall deposit two suitable copies of the thesis with the Law Library and pay the library's filing expense charge.
