Top LLM Programs in the USA 2019/2020

Scholarships: All admitted students will be considered for merit-based scholarships at the time of application.

Classes: LL.M. students create their own program of study and take classes with their J.D. student colleagues.

Start Date: Spring or Fall

Eligibility: To qualify, students must demonstrate that they:

The LLM (Master of Laws) Program at the William S. Richardson School of Law is a one-year course of study of the U.S. legal system. If you have a law degree, or will soon graduate with a law degree, you may apply for the Program. The Program runs from August to mid-May. Our Program will help to enhance your legal English skills and understanding of American legal culture while providing you with the opportunity to interact daily with excellent American law students and faculty in a warm and friendly environment.

The general LL.M. program offers law graduates an opportunity to broaden their backgrounds in certain specialized areas of law by enrolling in advanced courses and seminars and by engaging in specialized research. Although the School of Law awards no specific subject designated LL.M. degrees under this program, most students seeking this degree concentrate in areas such as corporate and commercial law, international law, legal practice and procedure, natural resources law, or property law.

To receive the general LL.M. degree the student must meet all of the following requirements:

(A) Residence in the School of Law for no fewer than two terms if a full-time student and no fewer than three terms if a part-time student.... [-]

See why American Bar Association accredited University of Dayton School of Law is the place to get your LL.M. and find out how you can do it without having to ever leave your home.

Starting in January 2019, the University of Dayton School of Law began offering an entirely online option for students interested in completing their LL.M. degree in American and Transnational Law.

Online LL.M. Program Highlights include:

The Graduate Program in Banking and Financial Law has been at the forefront of financial services law since 1984. It is the oldest LLM program of its kind in the United States and, since its inception, has trained more than 2,000 lawyers for leadership positions in the United States and around the world. Our graduates hold influential positions in government agencies, law firms, corporations, financial institutions, and non-governmental organizations on a global basis.

In this program, we seek to provide an education that is both relevant and practical. To do this, we have assembled a faculty of financial services professionals who are masters in their field and who have the passion, dedication, and commitment to teach and train young lawyers. Our co-curricular activities provide our students with total immersion in the financial law area, through internships, career discussions, lectures and the opportunity to serve on the staff of the Review of Banking and Financial Law, the nation’s oldest student-run law journal devoted to this subject.... [-]

The Michigan Law LLM provides a flexible program of study, allowing students to specialize as they like, explore new areas of interest, or qualify to take the New York bar exam. The program's academic rigor rewards students who are up for the challenge of learning and being assessed alongside JD students, while its intellectual engagement rewards students who relish exploration and risk-taking.

LLM students are permitted to enroll in most JD courses, including several clinics. In fact, we reserve seats in many fall semester courses to ensure places are actually available by the time you enroll. We offer only two courses that are exclusive to LLM students (a constitutional law course and a research and writing course). Both courses are optional, though generally recommended.... [-]

A one of a kind, practice-oriented tax law program.

The Graduate Tax Program at the University of California, Irvine School of Law offers an innovative curriculum that instills students with both the doctrinal depth and the practical skills needed to practice tax law at the highest levels, in the United States or abroad.

The Graduate Tax Program aims to produce graduates who are prepared for careers as tax attorneys, judges, tax administrators and policy advocates, as well as markedly enhance the tax skills of those who are already members of the tax profession.

In designing its innovative curriculum, the program’s founding tax faculty consulted tax practitioners, government administrators, tax policy advocates and other industry experts to develop a world-class educational experience at one of the premier law schools in the United States. At the center of the curriculum is a mandatory practical tax skills requirement, which is completed through tax externships, tax clinics, or specially designed tax classes. Ours is the only program in the United States that makes practical tax skills an inherent, mandatory part of the academic curriculum.... [-]

The Two-Year Master of Laws (LLM) at USC Gould allows you to spend one year learning foundational elements of the U.S. legal system and mastering legal English prior to one year of LLM studies.

During the first year, you will receive academic training in legal reading and comprehension, case briefing, legal analysis and more while improving your English skills. Small, personalized classes give you an opportunity to adjust to living in the U.S. and attending USC.

Upon successful completion of the first year, you will receive a certificate in U.S. Legal Studies and will be enrolled in USC Gould's LLM program.

The LLM in Transnational Business Practice trains lawyers to practice in the field of international business law. The degree further prepares lawyers for a career in the global economy.

A program highlight is an access to the McGeorge Global Center for Business & Development, which stands at the interface between the global economy and the legal profession. The Global Center facilitates scholarship and curricular innovation and hosts a number of international events every year.

Mitchell Hamline’s LL.M. introduces foreign law graduates to the legal system of the United States. The program brings together a global community of lawyers who receive the specialized training and education they need to practice law and compete on an international level. LL.M. students attend classes with Mitchell Hamline J.D. students, choosing courses and seminars that reflect their individual practice interests.

Emory University School of Law offers a practical, disciplined approach to the study of law that engages students in the roles the law plays in our community, society, and world. Our student-centered focus, innovative programs, and commitment to scholarship prepare graduates to make an immediate and lasting impact.

Emory Law’s LLM can be completed full-time in nine months or part-time in up to four years. Several concentrations are available or the program can be customized to a student’s specific interests through the general study option. The LLM program is open to individuals holding a foreign law degree and/or a US JD degree from an ABA-accredited law school.

"Emory Law is a global institution, and our ability to offer a variety of programs to train legal minds speaks to our commitment to scholarship, inclusivity, and accessibility."... [-]

The LL.M. Program at Penn State’s Dickinson Law gives students and lawyers trained outside of the U.S. a high-level understanding of the American legal system. The program’s foundational courses introduce you to our unique analytic methodologies.

To ensure that we can provide hands-on training for our students, Dickinson Law has capped each LL.M. cohort at 20 students. This intentionally small class size ensures that students receive focused attention from faculty, guarantees ample opportunities to learn in practice settings, and fulfills the law school’s promise to best position its students to secure employment in a competitive marketplace.

The LL.M. program is a 24-credit, one academic year course of study. Students must enroll in at least 12 credits per semester and may enroll in no more than 17 credits per semester. The program’s foundational courses introduce you to our unique analytic methodologies. Students then may choose courses from our “Lawyer As …” curriculum divided by specialized fields of study, and create personalized tracks based on areas of interest.... [-]

Overview

Antitrust laws directly impact the globalization of businesses and the complexities of the international economy. Antitrust lawyers must engage with rapidly changing regulations and global issues. The LLM in Global Antitrust Law & Economics provides students with an advanced understanding of the laws that regulate the process of business competition and the economic analysis relevant to understanding modern antitrust adjudication.

With the growing demand in the U.S. and abroad for antitrust lawyers who can facilitate and manage mergers and acquisitions on national and international levels, determine compliance with economic laws of foreign governments, and support the efforts of law firms and corporations, Scalia Law’s LLM is designed to meet that demand.... [-]

The LL.M. program is designed for international students with a first degree in law. The program requires at least two semesters of full-time study in residence. In addition to the traditional LLM, degree options include an LLM with Thesis, for students interested in academic legal writing, and a number of LLM Specializations, for students interested in a specific area of law.

Graduate students are admitted for at least two semesters in residence, leading to the degree of Master of Laws (LLM). To qualify for the LLM degree, students must:

The LL.M. degree program consists of 24 credits hours of study and can normally be completed in a year, although a part-time option is available for domestic students in the LL.M. in Dispute Resolution program.

The highly selective nature of the programs allows students to individualize their plan of study in light of their specific needs and interests. Applicants come from a variety of walks of life and from a wide array of countries.

Established in 1999 as the first of its kind in the United States, the Mizzou LL.M. in Dispute Resolution is designed to assist lawyers and other dispute resolution professionals develop a deeper and broader understanding of the role that conflict plays in society, and of better ways to manage conflict through the design and implementation of appropriate, effective and fair dispute resolution processes.... [-]