The LLM degree in the United States is a degree which follows the J.D. Degree; the J.D. Degree follows the earning of a degree from a four-year college. Thus, the earliest age at which a US Student would typically earn the LLM degree would be about 26 years.

Very few US students who earn the J.D. degree go on to take the LLM degree, and most who do obtain an LLM degree do so either to improve their credentials to obtain a law teaching position or to increase the likelihood of employment in a highly specialised field of law (most commonly taxation).

It is, however, not necessary to obtain an LLM degree for any purpose. It is not a credential looked to by any state for purposes of determining who can take the bar examination, assuming the applicant for the bar exam already has a J.D. degree.

A number of law schools have, for many years, had LLM programs designed primarily for holders of a foreign law degree; the number of such programs and enrolment in them has increased significantly in recent years. It is still expected that there will be many foreign LLM students. The law school offering the largest number of any type of LLM program is New York University, with nine different programs.

The law schools offering more than five programs are George Washington, Georgetown, Golden Gate, Houston, John Marshall (in Chicago), Loyola-Chicago, Miami, Pacific (McGeorge), San Diego, Temple, Tulane, University of Washington, and Washington University in St. Louis. According to the 2005 edition of the American Bar Association/Law School Admission Council Official Guide to ABA-Approved Law Schools, about half of all LLM students are from countries outside the United States. While many LLM students from foreign countries return to their home countries, an increasing number seek to remain in the United States and become licensed to practice in the state.

Foreign students seeking to obtain admission to an LLM program should understand that very few states permit holders of a foreign law degree who have only an LLM degree from a United States law school to take the bar examination and be admitted to practice in the United States. New York State is the most notable exception to the general practice of states, as New York does permit someone who holds only the LLM degree to take the New York bar examination and be admitted to practice there. The most common subjects offered are taxation and international or comparative law, with subjects like banking, corporate and finance, health law, energy or environmental law and intellectual property also being reasonably common.

Other subjects offered by more than one school include dispute resolution, estate planning, government and public policy, indigenous law, labour and employment law, litigation and advocacy, real estate/land development and urban affairs. Admission requirements for the LLM degree vary from one school to another, so it is important to obtain information from the individual school about the admissions process and requirements. It is generally not particularly difficult to obtain admission to most LLM programs. It is, however, highly unusual for a school to offer any form of scholarship aid to LLM students. Most LLM degrees do not require a thesis of the type typically required for a PhD Degree (or an SJ.D.), but do require a substantial paper. Typically 24 credit hours of instruction will be required, so an LLM can be completed in one year.

Anyone interested in obtaining more detailed information about law school LLM programs should visit the website of the Association of American Law Schools, which includes a link to the websites of all accredited law schools. Those websites need to be consulted to obtain the most up-to-date and reliable information on LLM programs in the United States.

Author:
Carl Monk
Executive Director
American Association of Law Schools
www.aals.org