American Legal Practice LLM
Major: American Legal Practice
Degree Awarded: Master of Laws (LLM)
Calendar Type: Semester
Total Credit Hours: 24.0
Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code: 22.0101
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code: 23-1011
About the Program
The Master of Laws (LL.M.) in American Legal Practice is designed for students who have completed, at a minimum, an LL.B. or its equivalent outside of the United States. The LL.M. provides these students with a sophisticated knowledge of US legal practice and grounds them in a basic understanding of US law.
Students may choose to pursue the optional New York Bar concentration within the LL.M., which creates a formal pathway of the courses required for foreign-trained attorneys to be eligible to sit for the New York bar examination, and requires 9.0 additional credits.
Additional Information
More information about the Thomas R. Kline School of Law is available on the school's website.
Admission Requirements
Students must have an earned Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) or its equivalent. Admissions will be based on applicant grades from their prior institutions. No entry exam is required, except that students who have completed their first law degree program in a language other than English will be required to have a minimum score on the TOEFL or a comparable exam.
Degree Requirements
To earn the general LL.M., students must successfully complete 24.0 semester credits. There are no distribution requirements. Every student will receive individualized academic counseling and the student's individual program of study will be set up in consultation with an advisor.
New York Bar Concentration Requirements
Students opting to follow the New York Bar concentration within the LL.M. must complete a minimum of 33.0 semester credits and follow the course plan as described. In addition to the required courses, students are also required to complete 50 hours of certified pro bono work to fulfill the New York Bar Concentration, per state eligibility requirements.
General LLM without concentration
The American Legal Practice LLM requires 24.0 credits, selected in consultation with the faculty advisor. While the LLM in American Legal Practice has no specific course requirements, the Director of International Student Programs may require students to complete LAW 970S, Introduction to United States Legal Systems, as part of the 24.0 total credits.
| LAW Courses chosen with advisor | 24.0 | |
| Total Credits | 24.0 | |
LLM with New York Bar Concentration
For students intending to take the New York State bar exam, a total of 33 credits is required, consisting of the following courses and additional electives as needed:
| Core Courses | ||
| LAW 565S | Legal Methods I | 3.0 |
| LAW 566S | Legal Methods II | 3.0 |
| or LAW 884S | Contract Drafting | |
| LAW 830S | Professional Responsibility | 2.0-3.0 |
| LAW 887S | Advanced Legal Analysis and Bar Skills | 3.0 |
| LAW 970S | Introduction to United States Legal Systems | 3.0 |
| One course designated as "Statutory" | 2.0-4.0 | |
| At least 6.0 credits from the following menu: | 6.0 | |
| Torts | ||
| Contracts | ||
| Civil Procedure | ||
| Property | ||
| Criminal Law | ||
| Constitutional Law | ||
| Criminal Procedure: Investigations | ||
| One Experiential course & Seminar from the following menu: | 5.0-12.0 | |
| Entrepreneurial Law Clinic | ||
| Field Practicum and Lawyering Practice Seminar | ||
| Law Co-op and Lawyering Practice Seminar | ||
| Co-op Intensive and Lawyering Practice Seminar | ||
| Criminal Litigation Clinic I and Criminal Litigation Clinic II | ||
| Civil Litigation Clinic I and Civil Litigation Clinic II | ||
| Federal Litigation and Appeals Clinic and Federal Litigation and Appeals Clinic II | ||
| Community Lawyering Clinic I and Community Lawyering Clinic II | ||
| Additional electives as needed * | 6.0-0.0 | |
| Total Credits | 33.0-37.0 | |
- *
Students are required to complete a minimum of 33.0 credits to earn the concentration. Students will need to take as many elective credits as necessary to get to 33.0 total credits based on the courses they choose to fulfill the other requirements.
Program Level Outcomes
- Graduates will gain an in-depth knowledge of the United States legal system.
- Graduates will gain expertise in select subject matter areas of United States law.
- Graduates will have an opportunity to experience how United States law is applied in professional practice.
- Graduates will experience United States legal pedagogy.
- Students in the New York Bar concentration will be prepared to take the New York bar examination.