LL.M. candidates should note that the LL.M. Program consists essentially of a year of professional studies and is an opportunity for specialization in fields not fully covered in previous law work. Except for the Master’s Essay and some clinical offerings, the courses and seminars open to LL.M. candidates are generally those open to J.D. students in the second and third years. LL.M. candidates are required to earn twenty-four (24) points of academic credit and two LL.M. Writing Credits for the LL.M. degree. Of the candidate’s points of academic credit, no more than eight points can be earned through supervised research and no more than six points can be earned in courses outside the Law School.  Ordinarily, a candidate’s program consists of 11-14 points in each of the two terms, but with approval may consist of a greater number of points. The academic programs of all candidates for graduate degrees are subject to the approval of the Dean for Graduate Legal Studies.

Entry into seminars and popular courses is sometimes difficult because the number of candidates desiring to participate exceeds the places available. The Faculty, therefore, has voted to accord a certain preference for entry to LL.M. candidates. This preference is available only to those admitted LL.M. candidates who complete and return the pre-registration form, which is sent to admitted students in the summer, by the assigned date. Even with timely pre-registration, and even with some preference given to LL.M. candidates, enrollment in very popular seminars and courses cannot be guaranteed. In addition, students who request classes in areas entirely different from the areas of interest indicated on their applications will not receive preference in seat assignments.

LL.M. candidates must file a degree application several months before the anticipated degree conferral date. Dates for award of the LL.M. degree fall in May, October, and February. Students who expect to receive the degree in May must file the degree application during spring term pre-registration. If a student does not complete the requirements for the degree, the student is responsible for reapplying for the next degree conferral date. Any student who does not receive the May degree must reapply by August 1 for the October degree, or by November 15 for the February degree. Degree application forms may be obtained in the Office of Registration Services or on-line at http://www.law.columbia.edu/academics/registrar/Reg_Forms.

If an LL.M. student who is a candidate for the May degree receives a grade of incomplete (IN) in the fall semester, the work must be completed and submitted by April 1 of the spring semester. The due date for completion of all spring semester work is the last day of classes of that semester. If the student is not a candidate for the May degree but rather is a candidate for the October degree, all work must be completed and submitted by September 1. If the student is a candidate for the February
degree, all work must be completed and submitted by December 31.

No LL.M. candidacy will be extended or renewed beyond the second award date subsequent to the termination of the candidate’s period of residence, i.e., February for candidates going out of residence in May. The final date on which the requirements for the LL.M. degree may be fulfilled, including submission in final, accepted form of a Master’s Essay, is December 31 of the calendar year in which the candidate completed the required period of residency. Of course, every candidate registered for the LL.M. degree is strongly urged to complete all work in time to receive the degree in May of the year of residence.

LL.M. candidates must earn two LL.M. Writing Credits (“writing credit”) in the form of a writing project (“a paper”) or projects involving legal writing based on research. Each 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. The only exception to this rule is the research paper produced for CIAL which will be graded on a Credit (Pass)/Fail basis.

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 Credits can be earned several ways:

1. Comparative Introduction to American Law
   Students who take CIAL receive one writing credit in conjunction with two points of academic credit. Although this is a 3-point course and all 3 points of academic credit are counted in the total for graduation, only 2 points of academic credit are counted for writing credit purposes.
2. 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 2-credit seminar paper (approximately 6500 to 8000 words) will yield one writing credit in conjunction with 2 points of academic credit;
      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 6500 to 8000 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 one writing credit in conjunction with 2 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 one writing credit provided the final work product is comparable to that required by a 2-credit seminar (e.g., 6500 to 8000 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 (6500 to 8000 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 one writing credit in conjunction with 2 points of academic credit.
   Note: Reaction papers, journals, crituques, and other non-research based writing projects do not qualify for writing credit.
3. 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 2-credit seminar (approximately 6500 to 8000 words) should be awarded 2 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 3 points of academic credit and one 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 2 points of academic credit. A research paper worth one point of academic credit will not yield writing credit.
4. LL.M. or Master’s Essay
   An LL.M. candidate may earn all or a portion of the required writing credits 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 2-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 6500-8000 words, although individual professors may have different requirements. LL.M. candidates undertaking supervised research generally register for “Research for the LL.M. Degree” (L6691).
   
3. 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.
   
4. 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.
   
5. 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 member 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.
   

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 supervised research (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 24 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

1. 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.
2. 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 in 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.
3. 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 hand 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.

A student must earn all credits for the LL.M. degree by registering as a full-time student at Columbia University and paying full tuition and fees. If a student chooses to take a course at a school outside Columbia University in the absence of an agreement between that school and Columbia, he or she must do so with the understanding that payment for such a course may not be deducted from any tuition owed to Columbia University, nor may any credits earned at the other institution supplant any of the credits required for the Columbia
University degree.

While there are no joint degrees at the advanced degree level, candidates for advanced degrees in the Law School may be given permission to register for a limited number of courses in other departments of the University when such work seems appropriate to their academic programs (see above). Doctoral candidates seeking significant education in other disciplines may have an extended residence period in which to do so. As set forth above, the number of academic credits awarded for courses taken at other schools is limited to the actual number of hours a class meets per week, irrespective of the number of credits listed in that school’s catalogue (e.g., a 3-credit course which meets for 2 hours each week yields 2 credits, not 3). An exception to this rule occurs when the other school assigns fewer credits than the number of hours the course meets each week; in that case, the student will earn the number of credits assigned to that course by the school (e.g., a 2-credit course which meets for 3 hours each week yields 2 credits, not 3).

Legal education is generally a passageway to careers of service in law, either in private practice or in a public capacity.  The standards of responsibility for that service are high and exacting.  In part, the appreciation of these responsibilities is gained by habit and example; the Law School helps to form these professional attitudes as an integral part of the education it provides. 

The responsibilities of law students are of course different from those of lawyers.  Yet in a real sense professional responsibility begins upon entering law school.  Students are regarded, and should regard themselves, as committed to integrity and effectiveness in the legal profession.  That commitment requires consideration, honesty and fair dealing in academic enterprises, in the Law School community, and in personal and professional relations outside the Law School.  The Columbia Law School demands this rigorously of faculty and students alike. 

Students are expected to maintain the highest standards of academic integrity. Graduate students who commit plagiarism or other acts of academic dishonesty are subject to expulsion from the program. The issue of academic integrity is addressed at various points during the admission and orientation process, and students are therefore expected to become thoroughly familiar with Columbia's requirements in this area.