The Master's in Law (LLM) is an advanced professional 1 - 2 year degree in law. LLM degrees are often earned by students wishing to develop more concentrated expertise in a particular area of law. To be admitted to an LLM program in the US at American Bar Association (ABA) accredited institution in the US requires a law degree-usually a JD., but also the Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree if the lawyer was trained in a Commonwealth country which grants such degrees.
This leads to the unusual situation in which graduates from a US institution are required to possess a doctorate before pursuing the Master's degree, since there is no other first law degree in the United States.
Master's students in law can pursue graduate law courses and majors in a broad range of fields of study such as
Admiralty Law |
Gender & the Law |
Business Law |
Health Care Law |
Constitutional Law |
Intellectual Property Law |
Criminal Law |
International Business Law |
Elder Law |
Law & Technology |
Entertainment & Media Law |
Law (general) |
Environmental Law |
Public Law |
First Amendment Law |
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Part- and full-time study options, along with various delivery modes - residential programs, distance education programs and online programs - are also available. North American Master's programs in law welcome foreign students. However, fluency in spoken and written English is critically important.