LL.M. Program and Curriculum

For information on the New York State bar examination, contact the New York State Board of Law Examiners directly. The rules which govern the eligibility of foreign-trained lawyers who can qualify for the bar examination by earning a U.S. LL.M. are governed by Section 520.6 of the Rules of the Court of Appeals for the Admission of Attorneys and Counselors at Law (22 NYCRR 520.6).

It is your responsibility to have your eligibility to sit for the bar determined by the Board of Law Examiners. You begin that process by completing the process described on their website. The first step is completing this evaluation and sending all supporting documentation. Only the Board can make the determination, and it takes generally around six months, so it is best to send your requests early. It is also your responsibility to make sure you meet all deadlines for applying to take the bar exam and to submit all of the required materials to the Board. Columbia Law School and the Office of Graduate Degree Programs are not responsible for monitoring bar exam deadlines or for updating you if the deadlines or rules for applying change.

The Office of Graduate Degree Programs cannot make copies of your foreign law school transcripts, nor can we give you the copies we have on file. No exceptions will be made. It is your responsibility to obtain additional copies of your transcripts if you plan to take the bar exam. We recommend that you do this as soon as possible during the fall semester, if you did not request them prior to arriving at Columbia (as we recommended in our pre-arrival materials).

The courses below have been approved by the New York State Court of Appeals as satisfying the requirements of Rule 520.6(b)(3)(vi)(a)-(d). This list is comprehensive and accurate as of July 2019.

1. Rule 520.6 (b)(3)(vi)(a): The following courses satisfy the requirements of subsection (3)(vi)(a) – Professional Responsibility.  These courses also satisfy subsection (d), but the same course cannot be used for both requirements. Also please note that students may only take one Professional Responsibility course at Columbia Law School.

•                 L9039 – Legal and Ethical Obligations in Complex Litigation

•                 L6274 – Professional Responsibility

•                 L9274 – Professional Responsibility: Becoming a Lawyer

•                 L6367 – Professional Responsibility for the Transactional Lawyer

•                 L6359 – Professional Responsibility in Criminal Law

•                 L6362 – Professional Responsibility Issues in Business Practice

•                 L6363 – Professional Responsibility Issues in Public Interest Practice

•                 L6366 – Professional Responsibility: Representing Business Organizations

2. Rule 520.6 (b)(3)(vi)(b):  L6561 – LL.M. Legal Research and Writing satisfies the requirements of Rule 520.6 (b)(3)(vi)(b).

3. Rule 520.6 (b)(3)(vi)(c): The following courses satisfy subsection (3)(vi)(c) – American legal studies:

•                 L6132 – American Constitutional Law

•                 L6131 – American Civil Procedure (previously called American Litigation Practice)

•                 L6101 – Civil Procedure 
* This is a mandatory first-year JD course and is generally unavailable to LLM students. L6131, American Civil Procedure, is an alternative course for LLMs.

•                 L6133 – Constitutional Law
* This is a mandatory first-year JD course and generally unavailable to LLM students. L6132, American Constitutional Law, is an alternative course for LLMs.

•                 L6560 – Introduction to American Law

4. Rule 520.6 (b)(3)(vi)(d): The following courses satisfy the requirements of subsection (3)(vi)(d):

•                 L6204 – Administrative Law

•                 L6246 – Advanced Administrative Law

•                 L8669 – Advanced Civil Procedure

•                 L6478 – Advanced Constitutional Law: Equal Protection

•                 L6407 – Advanced Constitutional Law: First Amendment

•                 L6408 – Advanced Constitutional Law: Religious Liberty

•                 L6737 – Advanced Torts

•                 L6132 – American Constitutional Law

•                 L6106 – American Contract Law

•                 L8082 – American Jurisprudence: Judicial Interpretation and the Role of Courts

•                 L6131 – American Civil Procedure (previously called American Litigation Practice)

•                 L9331 – Church and State

•                 L6101 – Civil Procedure 
* This is a mandatory first-year JD course and is generally unavailable to LLM students. L6131, American Civil Procedure, is an alternative course for LLMs.

•                 L6214 – Civil Rights

•                 L6422 – Conflict of Laws

•                 L6133 – Constitutional Law
* This is a mandatory first-year JD course and is generally unavailable to LLM students. L6132, American Constitutional Law, is an alternative course for LLMs.

•                 L6105 – Contracts
* This is a mandatory first-year JD course and is generally unavailable to LLM students. L6106, American Contract Law, is an alternative course for LLMs.

•                 L6231 – Corporations

•                 L6238 – Criminal Adjudication

•                 L6109 – Criminal Investigations

•                 L6108 – Criminal Law
* This is a mandatory first-year JD course and is generally unavailable to LLM students.

•                 L6241 – Evidence

•                 L6252 – Family Law

•                 L6425 – Federal Courts

•                 L9350 – First Amendment and the Press (previously called First Amendment and the Institutional Press)

•                 L6229 – Ideas of the First Amendment

•                 L9039 – Legal and Ethical Obligations in Complex Litigation

•                 L6169 – Legislation and Regulation

•                 L6981 – Modern Constitutional Interpretation & Scholarship

•                 L6386 – Payment Transactions

•                 L9328 – Political Theory and the First Amendment

•                 L8187 – Pretrial Commercial Litigation

•                 L6274 – Professional Responsibility

•                 L9274 – Professional Responsibility: Becoming a Lawyer

•                 L6367 – Professional Responsibility for the Transactional Lawyer

•                 L6359 – Professional Responsibility in Criminal Law

•                 L6362 – Professional Responsibility Issues in Business Practice

•                 L6363 – Professional Responsibility Issues in Public Interest Practice

•                 L6116 – Property
* This is a mandatory first-year JD course and is generally unavailable to LLM students.

•                 L6483 – Real Estate Transactions

•                 L6245 – Remedies

•                 L6538 – Secured Transactions

•                 L8996 – The Constitution

•                 L6118 – Torts
* This is a mandatory first-year JD course and is generally unavailable to LLM students.

•                 L6294 – Trusts, Estates and Estate Planning

In addition to the bar examination, there are character, fitness, and other qualifications for admission to the bar in every U.S. jurisdiction. Applicants are encouraged to determine the requirements for any jurisdiction in which they intend to seek admission by contacting the jurisdiction. Addresses for all relevant agencies are available through the National Conference of Bar Examiners.

For answers to questions regarding bar admissions in other jurisdictions and contact information for each state's board of bar examiners, the National Conference of Bar Examiners’ Comprehensive Guide to Bar Admission Requirements provides an excellent resource.