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Master of Laws in International and Comparative Law

The Master of Laws (LL.M.) in international and comparative law is an important component of the College of Law's international approach to legal education. The program is designed for graduates of J.D. programs in the United States who wish to deepen their understanding of international and comparative law, including the law pertaining to international business transactions, and for foreign-trained jurists who wish to receive advanced training in these areas or a comparative orientation to and specific training in U.S. law and legal institutions.

The LL.M. program admits around 15 students per year, allowing each student to receive substantial attention from the faculty. Admission is competitive.

The LL.M. requires a minimum of 24 s.h. earned in College of Law courses that include a strong focus on international and comparative law. With their advisor's approval, LL.M. students may count up to 6 s.h. of law study abroad, or non-law graduate-level courses or externships, toward the degree.

LL.M. students take courses (except 091:504 Tutorial and 091:657 LL.M. Seminar) together with J.D. students, from the law school's rich offerings on U.S., international, and comparative law. This method of instruction ensures that the foreign-trained students have an effective comparative experience through broad contact with U.S. law students and professors, and the U.S. students benefit similarly from close contact with the foreign-trained lawyers.

LL.M. applicants who are graduates of U.S. law schools must have been granted a J.D. from a school that is a member of the Association of American Law Schools or is approved by the American Bar Association. Graduates of foreign law schools must have completed the basic course of university studies that qualifies them to sit for the bar examination (e.g., the French maîtrise, the German first state bar examination). If the home country bar exam does not require a specific degree, applicants should be experienced members of the bar or have completed at least the first university degree in law. Applicants without a degree from a four-year English-language university must score at least 580 (paper-based), 237 (computer-based), or 92 (Internet-based) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Applicants who score lower than 600 (paper-based), 250 (computer-based), or 100 (Internet-based) may be required to take English language course work upon entering the University. In place of TOEFL scores, the college accepts International English Testing System (IELTS) scores of 7.0 or higher, with no subscore below 6.0.

All applicants must present evidence of high academic potential, such as high class rank in their previous law studies; strong recommendations, especially from law professors who supervised their work in classes or seminars; and challenging professional work experience. The College of Law relies heavily on academic references to assess applicants' credentials. Because U.S. applicants and all others with first-language fluency in English are required to produce a substantial publishable paper in the program, these applicants must show evidence of ability to carry out complex research and writing projects.