Law, LL.M.

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The Master of Laws (LL.M.) program is designed primarily for graduates of foreign law schools wishing to study U.S. law and legal methods, and for foreign and U.S. law graduates seeking careers in legal education or government service. Admission is limited to qualified students who have proven ability in the study of law.

Program Requirements

Degree Requirements and Coursework

Required Credits

Students must successfully earn a minimum of 24 degree credits.

Minimum Academic Standards

Students must maintain a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.7 and accumulate fewer than five exclusion points.

Residency

Students must complete two full semesters in residence. A semester in residence is one in which a student enrolls in a minimum of 12 credits toward the degree and receives passing grades (D or better) for at least nine of those 12 credits.

Writing Requirement

Students must satisfy the Law School’s upper-level writing requirement by completing at least one substantial research paper by one of the following methods:

Completing a Substantial Research Paper in course designated as satisfying the Upper-Level Writing Requirement;
Completing a Substantial Research Paper by special permission in a non-designated course;
Completing an Independent Research paper.

A passing grade alone does not satisfy the Upper-Level Writing Requirement Standard. A supervisor/instructor MUST certify that your paper met the requirement, before the course counts for the requirement.

Conduct

All students must conduct themselves in a manner consistent with the Law School’s academic and non-academic student conduct requirements.

Total Required Credits: 24

More Information

LL.M. students are generally enrolled in courses and seminars with upper-level J.D. students. For program and admission details, contact the Office of Graduate Studies, University of Virginia School of Law, 580 Massie Road, Charlottesville, VA 22903, or visit www.law.virginia.edu/graduatestudies.

Public Professional Licensure Disclosure

The LL.M. Program is not a licensure program, and the degree alone does not qualify foreign lawyers to practice law in the United States. Each of the 50 states has its own criteria and procedures for admitting lawyers to practice, and requirements vary. Lawyers from abroad seeking information on these requirements should contact the bar examiners in the state in which they wish to practice.