LL.M. candidates must earn one LL.M. Writing Credit (“writing credit”) in the form of a writing project (“a paper”) involving legal writing based on research. The writing credit must be earned in conjunction with at least two points of academic credit. To qualify for writing credit, a paper must be graded on the letter scale set forth above; Credit (Pass)/Fail or other non-evaluative grades are not permitted.
LL.M. candidates may count a maximum of eight (8) points of supervised research, including the LL.M. Essay, toward the 24 points required for graduation.
Writing Credit can be earned several ways:
1. Seminars:
a. By writing a research paper for a seminar which requires a research paper instead of an examination as the primary basis of evaluation. A two-credit seminar paper (approximately 6,500 to 8,000 words) will yield a writing credit in conjunction with two points of academic credit; Graduate Legal Studies
b. In seminars which require a short research paper (i.e., 10 pages), students may seek the instructor’s permission to write a longer research paper (approximately 6,500 to 8,000 words) in order to earn one writing credit. Once the student has secured the instructor’s permission, the student can register for one point of Research for the LL.M. Degree (L6691) in addition to the seminar and earn a writing credit in conjunction with two points of academic credit;
c. In seminars which provide the option of a final examination or a research paper, students who opt to write the research paper can earn a writing credit provided the final work product is comparable to that required by a two-credit seminar (e.g., 6,500 to 8,000 words); or
d. In seminars which use an examination instead of a research paper as the primary basis of evaluation, students may seek the instructor’s permission to write a research paper (6,500 to 8,000 words) in addition to taking the final exam in order to earn one writing credit. Once the student has secured the instructor’s permission, the student can register for two points of Research for the LL.M. Degree (L6691) in addition to the seminar and earn a writing credit in conjunction with two points of academic credit.
Note: Reaction papers, journals, critiques and other nonresearch based writing projects do not qualify for writing credit. Writing credit cannot be earned in courses taken outside the Law School.
2. Supervised Research:
By writing a research paper independently of any course under the supervision of a Columbia Law School faculty member (including clinical, visiting and adjunct faculty) who agrees to supervise the work and evaluate/grade the paper. The number of credits earned for supervised research should depend on the amount of work the project will likely entail. For example, a paper that will require work comparable to that required by a two-credit seminar (approximately 6,500 to 8,000 words) should be awarded two points of academic credit and will yield one LL.M. writing credit. Generally, a paper of the scope and length of a law review Note (approximately 10,000 to 12,000 words) would qualify for three points of academic credit and a writing credit. In general, longer papers should qualify for more points of academic credit than shorter papers. To yield writing credit, the paper must be worth at least two points of academic credit. A research paper worth one point of academic credit will not yield writing credit.
3. LL.M. or Master’s Essay:
An LL.M. candidate may earn a writing credit by writing a satisfactory LL.M. or Master’s Essay. See Master of Laws (LL.M.) Essay Requirements below.
Additional Information
1. Extent of Supervision: In the usual case, a student registered for research will communicate regularly with the supervising instructor over the course of the project. A typical project might proceed through the following stages:
• Topic selection: The student and instructor agree on a subject matter area and discuss possible research topics within that general area.
• Preliminary research: Following selection of a topic, the student conducts research aimed at narrowing and refining the project, and the instructor provides feedback that assists the student in formulating a research and writing plan.
• Project outline: The student prepares and submits a written outline of the research project and the instructor responds with substantive feedback. If the instructor deems it appropriate, revised and more detailed outlines may also be submitted and discussed.
• Preliminary draft: The student submits a preliminary draft of the paper and the instructor provides written or oral comments on the draft.
• Revised draft: The student submits a revised draft of the paper.
The instructor will then provide feedback on the revised draft, and may, in consultation with the student, choose to receive and to provide feedback on additional drafts. These stages will vary depending on the particular project undertaken. Students should consult with their instructors as needed on the appropriate plan of supervision in any particular case.
2. A two-point paper, whether prepared for a seminar or as supervised research, generally represents about 140 hours of work, or 10 hours per week, and is usually 6,500 to 8,000 words (20-25 pages), although individual professors may have different requirements. LL.M. candidates undertaking supervised research generally register for Research for the LL.M. Degree (L6691).
3. To qualify for writing credit, a paper must be graded on the letter scale set forth above; Credit (Pass)/Fail or other non-evaluative grades are not permitted.
4. The major and minor writing credit designations in course descriptions do NOT apply to LL.M. students; they apply to J.D. students only. LL.M. students should consult with their individual professors using the guidelines outlined herein to determine whether a course meets the LL.M. writing credit standards.
5. Neither academic nor writing credit is given for journal articles or notes unless prepared under the supervision of a professor as a supervised research project.
6. Both the supervised research option and the LL.M. Essay result in a final paper. The principal difference between the two options lies primarily in the formality of presentation required for an LL.M. Essay. The LL.M. Essay must be placed before the Faculty Supervisor well in advance of the final due date so that it can be reviewed by the Faculty Supervisor and revised by the student before it is finally submitted. A final copy of the LL.M. Essay is deposited in the Law School Library and its title appears on the student’s transcript.
LL.M. students must complete and submit the “LL.M. Writing Credit Worksheet” to the Office of Graduate Legal Studies no later than October 15 for writing credit earned in the fall semester and February 1 for writing credit earned in the spring semester so that GLS can verify that all students have earned or will earn their writing credit by graduation. The instructor's signature is not required on the Worksheet. If you or an instructor is unsure whether a writing assignment will meet LL.M. writing credit requirements, the guidelines are listed on page 2 of the worksheet.
The worksheet can be found in the GLS New Student Handbook we distributed to all LL.M. students at Orientation, or to download a copy of the worksheet, click the link below.
A research paper will qualify as a Master’s Essay only if it fulfills all of the following conditions:
a. It is a substantial and rigorous piece of legal writing based on research on a topic approved in advance by a faculty member (including clinical, visiting and adjunct faculty) who has agreed to act as Faculty Supervisor;
b. It has been submitted in draft form to the Faculty Supervisor who has provided comments on the draft, and a further version of the paper which responds to the Faculty Supervisor’s comments has been produced; and
c. It has earned a B or better grade.
The number of academic points to be granted for a Master’s Essay depends upon the scope and nature of the topic and is determined, in advance of registration, by the Faculty Supervisor. As with Research for the LL.M. Degree (see above), the number of credits earned for a Master’s Essay will depend on the amount of work the project will likely entail. A maximum of eight (8) points for the Master’s Essay may be counted toward the twenty-four points required for graduation.
Once the student has secured a Faculty Supervisor and has reached agreement with the Supervisor on the topic and the number of points to be granted for the LL.M. Essay, the student must obtain the signatures of the Supervisor and the Dean of Graduate Legal Studies on the appropriate registration form (“GLS Research & Writing Registration Form”).
The Law School's Academic Calendar specifies a final date by which a completed and approved Essay must be submitted to the Office of Graduate Legal Studies. A copy of the final LL.M. Essay is deposited in the Law School Library. By agreeing to deposit the Essay with the Law Library, the candidate consents to its being made available for library use, reproduction, distribution, and display in any regularly employed format, which may include microfiche or electronic forms. Other uses, such as derivative work use, remain the sole property of the student.
Additional Information
Scope and Title of Essay. The Faculty Supervisor must approve the scope and title of the Essay. The title will appear on the student’s transcript.
Number of Copies. One unbound printed copy in final form and one extra copy of the title page must be deposited with the Office of Graduate Legal Studies (Room 611, William and June Warren Hall) for submission to the Law School Library where it will be bound and shelved. For convenience of handling, the Essay should be submitted to the Office of Graduate Legal Studies in a manila envelope.
Form and Typing. a. The Essay should be double-spaced, using a font conventional for formal presentations. All text must be kept within margins of one-and-a-half inches at left and top; one inch at right and bottom. b. The title page should contain only the following information in the following order: 1. Title of Essay centered in upper one-third of page. 2. Full name of author (two spaces below title). 3. The following submission statement centered near foot of page:
Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Laws in the School of Law Columbia University (Do not include the month, year, or any other information.)
c. The essay should include a Table of Contents with page references at the front; a Table of Cases at the end; and, in some instances, a Table of Statutes or Bibliography at the end. d. All pages, including tables, bibliography, and appendices, should be numbered consecutively in Arabic numbers in the upper right corner (outside of the margin at the top). Prefatory pages, however, should be numbered in small Roman numerals. e. Footnotes and references may appear at the bottom of the page to which they refer, at the end of each chapter, or at the end of the Essay. Citations should conform to the style of the Columbia Law Review.
LL.M. students who are doing more work than a course or seminar requires to earn their writing credits (i.e. increasing the length of a paper by a minimum of 10 additional pages); writing a paper independent of a course or seminar (supervised research); or writing an LL.M. Essay need to complete the "GLS Research and Writing Registration Form" available in Registration Services or for download on their Web site at www.law.columbia.edu/academics/registrar/Reg_Forms. Students will need the professor's signature and the signature of the Dean or Director of Graduate Legal Studies on this form, and should return the signed form as soon as possible to Registration Services (5th Floor, William and June Warren Hall).
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Quick guidelines to determine whether a paper will earn LL.M. Writing Credit
A paper will qualify as LL.M. Writing Credit if:
It is research-based (based on original rsearch that you conduct independently of reading materials assigned by a professor for a course or seminar);
It is a minimum of 6500-8000 words in length (20-25 pages); and
It is in conjunction with two academic points of credit.
The following do not qualify for LL.M. Writing Credit:
Reaction papers, opinion papers, or critiques;
Journal entries;
A series of shorter research papers, whose total equals 6500-8000 words;
Non-research based writing projects; and
Papers for which the research is based entirely or mostly on reading materials (cases, articles, commentaries, etc.) assigned by a professor for a particular course.
The paper written for A Comparative Introduction to American Law (CIAL).
Do I need to complete a form to obtain my writing credits?
Yes, you need to complete the GLS LL.M. Writing Credit Worksheet (available for download above) and return it to the Office of Graduate Legal Studies by October 15 if you are earning your writing credit in the fall semester or February 1 if you are earning your writing credit in the spring semester.
Do I need the professor's signature on my GLS LL.M. Writing Credit Worksheet?
No.
When do I need to complete a form with Registration Services? If you are doing more work than the course requires to earn your writing credits (i.e. increasing the length of a paper by a minimum of 10 additional pages), if you are writing a paper independent of a course or seminar (supervised research), or if you are writing an LL.M. Essay, you need to complete the "GLS Research and Writing Registration Form" available in Registration Services or for download on their Web site at www.law.columbia.edu/academics/registrar/Reg_Forms. You will need the professor's signature and the signature of the Dean or Director of Graduate Legal Studies on this form.
How do I determine if a course offers LL.M. Writing Credit?
Check the course description or syllabus to see if the work you will be doing for the course meets the writing credit guidelines outlined above. If it is not clear from either the description or syllabus, ask the professor (being sure to provide the professor with the LL.M. Writing Credit guidelines as outlined on the LL.M. Writing Credit Worksheet and listed above).
