Program Description

Connect to the World

At UC Hastings we believe it is important for students to connect to the surrounding community and to the world. The school prides itself on its international legal programs and its innovative programs in clinical legal education and alternative dispute resolution. Through our International Law Clinic LL.M. candidates have an opportunity to work on path-breaking cases.

We have also established a number of innovative research and legal services centers to address a range of national and international issues, including the Center for Gender and Refugee Studies, which is the leading organization for women asylum-seekers fleeing gender-related harm; the Center for Negotiation and Dispute Revolution, which organizes research and professional programs for the study of lawyering skills in negotiation and mediation; and the Center for WorkLife Law, which is a research and advocacy center that seeks to eliminate employment discrimination against caregivers, such as parents and adult children of aging parents.

Connect to our Faculty

At UC Hastings you will have ready access to some of the leading law professors in the United States. Our faculty prides itself on its teaching and scholarship. More than 25 of the leading law textbooks used by most law schools in the United States are authored by Hastings faculty. Our professors include leading figures in a wide range of fields. Most have clerked for U.S. Supreme Court justices or other prominent federal or state judges. Many have worked as prosecutors or practiced with top national and international law firms. Several have served in the federal government, and many have studied or taught in other countries and draw upon their international experience in their classes and writing. Numerous faculty members are regular commentators on legal developments on television or the Internet or in the print media.

We offer LL.M. candidates approximately 130 courses, including 50 small seminars. Our faculty nurtures students to develop their own arguments and express their views freely in a mutually supportive environment. Typically, most classes have 50 or fewer students and none is larger than 100. Few other U.S. law schools have as wide a selection of courses open to LL.M. and J.D. candidates alike. You can review a list of courses on our website.         

Connect to the Community

dynamic economic forces transforming the global economy. As a bridge linking Asia, Latin America, and North America, the San Francisco Bay Area has long been a trendsetter. UC Hastings, located in the heart of the city’s vibrant Civic Center, is surrounded by the city’s concert halls, theaters, opera, and ballet, as well as, the federal, state, and city courts and government offices.

Degree Requirements

LL.M. candidates are required to complete successfully at least 24 credit hours of classes, including Introduction to U.S. Legal Systems (a legal writing and research seminar) and one first-year required course (contracts, torts, criminal law, property, or civil procedure).   LL.M. candidates must attend a 2 week orientation program before classes begin.  LL.M. candidates who choose to concentrate in one of the areas of specialization, must pass at least 12 credits in their chosen area. 

The Director of the LL.M Program helps each LL.M student select courses that are tailored to his or her interests. An LL.M. candidate may select any course (except a clinic) with the consent of the LL.M Director and subject to any prerequisites determined by the instructor for the class. LL.M. candidates are required to receive a passing grade in classes in order to obtain course credit and receive the degree. LL.M. students are otherwise subject to all of the academic and related regulations promulgated by the College.

Download or Review our LL.M. Brochure here