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International and Comparative Law Programs

LLM in American Legal Studies

The Master of Laws in American Legal Studies is specifically designed for students who hold a law degree from an institution outside of the United States. Our LLM students take all their courses together with the JD students, so they have immersion in the US law school experience. The required courses (listed below) provide a solid foundation in US law and US legal method. Some US states permit foreign lawyers who earn an LLM in US law to take the bar exam and be admitted to practice in their state, if certain other requirements are met. The bar admission requirements for each US jurisdiction are available in the Comprehensive Guide to Bar Admission Requirements, available here. Students in our LLM program have taken either the New York or Washington DC bar exam, and have an excellent pass rate.

1. ELIGIBILITY

To be eligible for admission to this degree program, applicants must:

  • Have a first law degree from a university outside the United States;
  • Demonstrate proficiency in English through the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or the Pearson Test of English (PTE). This requirement is waived if the applicant's native language is English or if the applicant has a university degree from an institution whose courses are taught in English in a country whose language is English.
    Minimum TOEFL required:
    600 paper-based;
    250 computer-based; or
    100 Internet-based    		 Minimum IELTS required: 6
    Minimum PTE required: 68

2. SCHEDULE

Students enrolled in this LLM program begin in the fall semester and take the full set of required courses in the fall and spring semesters. Students may not begin their coursework for the LLM in the spring semester because some courses in the spring are a continuation of fall semester courses.

3. ORIENTATION

Students in the LLM program participate in the Orientation for JD students the week before the fall semester begins. This orientation includes an introduction to the basics of the United States legal system and a session on teaching methods at the law school. Special sessions designed for the LLM candidates are also held.

4. PROGRAM OF STUDY

  • Course load: A minimum of 29 credits is required for the LLM degree. An LLM candidate may take a maximum of 33 credits.
  • Each LLM candidate must satisfactorily complete the following courses:
    • Fall semester:
      • Constitutional Law I
      • Civil Procedure I
      • Contracts
      • Torts
      • Legal Research and Writing
    • Spring semester:
      • Constitutional Law II
      • Civil Procedure II
      • Criminal Law
      • Property
      • Optional additional course of student's choice
  • LLM candidates have the option of enrolling in one additional course in the spring semester, with prior approval of the Director of International and Comparative Law Programs. For those students interested in taking the New York or Washington DC bar examination, we recommend taking or auditing the course in Evidence.
  • A cumulative average of 2.20 is required for successful completion of the LLM degree (the top grade available is 4.0).
  • Residence requirement: To obtain this degree, students must be in residence at Vermont Law School for two semesters.

5. VISAS, HOUSING, and CLASS SCHEDULE

Entering candidates receive information on visas, housing, and other details several months before the fall semester, along with course information. Each student's course schedule is distributed during orientation.

6. TUITION AND FEES

The fees are listed on our tuition pages.

7. HOW TO APPLY

Our admissions webpages have a link to the application form and list the materials to submit with the form. Review of applications is conducted on a rolling basis. In general, the application deadline is March 1, 2011, with decisions made by the end of March, to allow sufficient time for the visa application process to be completed. Applications may be accepted after that date depending on space availability.