LL.M. FAQ
FAQ Table of Contents
Academics | Admissions | Costs and Financial Aid | LLM Program | General
Yes. You can either complete a general degree in U.S. law or specialize in one of the following areas:
- Criminal Law
- Dispute Resolution and Legal Process
- Environmental Law
- Health Law and Policy
- International Business and Trade
- International Law and Human Rights
- Science, Technology & Intellectual Property
- Taxation
You may also elect to complete a Practice Training Track by taking a minimum of six credits of qualifying experiential learning courses.
LL.M. students must complete a total of 24 credit hours and complete the following courses: Introduction to Law, Legal Research and Writing for Masters Students, and one first-year course in the fall semester. Students are allowed up to three semesters to complete their programs, although most students complete all the requirements in two. In addition, all LL.M. students must attend and successfully complete a 2-week orientation in early August.
In addition to Introduction to Law, Legal Research and Writing for Masters Students, and one required first-year common law course (Torts, Contracts, Criminal Law, Property, Constitutional Law, or Civil Procedure), LL.M. candidates are generally free to take any courses subject to the course prerequisites or the permission of the instructor.
Yes. With the exception of Introduction to Law and Legal Research and Writing for Masters Students, you will take all of your courses alongside J.D. students.
UC Law SF offers a J.D. transfer program which allows qualifying UC Law SF LL.M. students to apply to the J.D. program using grades and faculty recommendations instead of an LSAT score. If accepted, the transfer will occur after you have completed the requirements for the LL.M. program. However, if you are admitted into the J.D. program as a transfer student, you will NOT receive your LL.M. degree. Instead, the credits you have obtained through the LL.M. program will be applied to your J.D. degree, and you will be required to satisfy all of the remaining requirements for the J.D. degree. LL.M. students from other law schools are not eligible for this transfer program.
The LL.M. program in U.S. Legal Studies is for candidates who have received, or will receive prior to enrolling at UC Law SF, a law degree from a recognized law school outside of the United States. If you have received a J.D. from a U.S. law school you are ineligible for the LL.M. program. View list of minimum degree requirements by country.
Candidates will need to have received their law degree by August and must provide transcripts showing that they were in good academic standing. LL.M. candidates must also demonstrate English fluency with a TOEFL score minimum of 90 iBT or 600 PBT or an IELTS score of 7.
Please visit the Educational Testing Service (ETS) website for more information on the test and exam dates. To have your TOEFL score report sent to LSAC, please use LSAC institution code 8395 to place an order. To have your TOEFL score report sent directly to UC Law SF, please use UC Law SF institution code 4342 to place an order.
LL.M. candidates must apply online through LSAC.* Please consult our LL.M. Admissions page for more information.
*The LSAC requirement will be waived and we will accept paper applications if you are a current student or a graduate of our exchange partner universities. Please contact us at llm@uclawsf.edu if you have any questions about the application process.
Tuition is estimated to be $47,500 for the 2021-2022 academic year. This figure is subject to legislative, gubernatorial, and UC Law SF Board of Directors action. For more information, please visit our LL.M. Cost of Attendance page.
Estimated living costs including housing, food, personal expenses, books, and transportation will cost about $27,000 for the academic year.
UC Law SF offers a limited number of scholarships to LL.M. students based on both merit and need. If you wish to apply for a scholarship, you will need to answer the scholarship application questions on your online LSAC application. For more information, please visit our LL.M. Cost of Attendance page or email us at llm@uclawsf.edu.
UC Law SF is one of a limited number of urban law schools with housing devoted exclusively to its students. Once you are admitted and have paid the enrollment deposit you will be welcome to fill out the housing application. View more information about housing. We recommend that you apply for housing early as space is limited and is offered on a first-come, first-served basis. The Housing Department also offers resources to assist students in finding off-campus housing.
For additional information please contact Housing Services at housing@uclawsf.edu or (415)581-8902.
Accepted students will be sent the required forms to apply for a visa with the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in your home country.
If you are already a practicing lawyer in your home country, you can apply to sit for the California State Bar examination.
If you are not admitted to the bar in your own country, but have a first degree in law, you may apply to sit for the California State Bar exam if (1) your law degree is equivalent to a Juris Doctor (JD) degree awarded by an American Bar Association (ABA)-approved or California-accredited law school in the U.S. and (2) you have the required number of years of study. In general, this means that in addition to your first law degree you must have been awarded an LL.M. degree from an ABA accredited law school with a minimum of 20 credits of legal education. You must also have taken at least 12 credits of courses related to subjects tested on the California Bar exam, including Professional Responsibility. For more information, you should consult the California State Bar Examiners Rules.
The requirements for taking the New York Bar Exam are similar to those of California. To learn more about the eligibility requirements for the New York Bar exam, visit the New York State Board of Law Examiners website.
If you are interested in being admitted to another state bar, please consult the rules for that state bar.
Our experienced Career Development Office and a dedicated LL.M. career counselor welcome the opportunity to work with LL.M. students. The Career Development Office offers specific resources and programming for LL.M. students, including workshops on resume and cover letter writing, networking, and interviewing, as well as ample opportunity for individual career counseling.
Foreign-trained LL.M. students should be aware that many factors affect an LL.M. student’s success in securing temporary or permanent employment as an attorney in the United States. These factors include the extremely competitive nature of the U.S. legal job market, the varied bar eligibility and admissions requirements, and the restrictions imposed by U.S. immigration laws. Job opportunities for foreign attorneys in the U.S. are limited. The applicants’ level of fluency in various languages, including English, academic performance, and prior legal experience greatly affect their marketability. However, despite the odds, the Career Development Office is committed to helping LL.M. students succeed in their career and professional development goals.