The program of graduate studies at the Law School is designed for students who, having earned a basic law degree (the U.S. Juris Doctor [J.D.] degree or its foreign equivalent), wish to pursue a further course of full-time study in preparation for teaching, public service, or the international practice of law. To be eligible to apply for the LL.M. or the J.S.D. degree, applicants must hold a first degree in law. A degree in a field other than law, even if followed by a master's degree in law, generally does not suffice for admission. Applicants who have earned a law degree earned by correspondence course work or distance learning are not eligible for admission.
An individual program of study is arranged to meet the academic and professional goals of each student, whether they be to broaden her general preparation; to specialize in a particular field; or to acquire knowledge of the American legal system, international law, or other legal systems. The student enjoys a wide selection of courses and seminars available from the regular curriculum offered by the Law Faculty. Additionally, all LL.M. candidates except those who hold a J.D. from a U.S. law school are required to take an introductory course on the common law and the American legal system offered uniquely for them.
Candidates for either of the graduate degrees in law, Doctor of the Science of Law (J.S.D.) or Master of Laws (LL.M.), are required to spend one academic year (two terms) of full-time study and research in residence at the School. Candidates for the J.S.D. are encouraged, but not required, to spend a second year in residence.
Degree candidates are admitted for studies commencing only at the beginning of the academic year, in late August-early September (there is no summer term). Degree candidates are not admitted on a part-time basis and therefore may not accept employment during their academic year of residence. An exception to the prohibition of part-time studies is made for students who for family reasons (the care of children or elderly parents) may spread their studies over a three-semester period, taking eight points per term. A disadvantage of this approach, however, is that since the points are charged on a per credit basis, the degree costs more than if obtained in one academic year. Moreover, this approach is also incompatible with the University's 10-point per semester minimum requirement to qualify as a full-time student for F-1 visa purposes.
