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International LL.M. Program Details

Admission

Enrollment is limited to applicants who have received a JD from an American Bar Association (ABA)-accredited American law school or the foreign equivalent. Applicants for whom English is a second language and who have not studied law at an institution where English was the primary language of instruction are required to submit standardized English language test scores.

The law school reserves the right to cancel the program in the unlikely event of insufficient enrollment or other unforeseen circumstances. If the program is cancelled, all fees, deposits and tuition will be refunded.

Degree Requirements [top]

The degree of Master of Laws in American Law and International Legal Practice will be awarded upon the satisfactory completion of at least 24 units of coursework in the program.

Required Courses

American Law School Graduates

In the fall, American law school graduates attend the Loyola Law School campus in Los Angeles.  They must complete twelve units comprised of three required courses and one elective.  The required courses are:

• International Law (3 units)
• European Union Law (3 units)
• Choice of one of the following courses: Introduction to Civil Law Legal Systems or Comparative Law (3 units)

The elective can be chosen from international and comparative courses or other available electives.  Students attend the spring semester in Bologna.

International Law School Graduates

International law school graduates are required to complete all units in Bologna. To meet the degree requirements, international students must complete the following four required courses in the fall:

• Introduction to American Law (2 units)
• Legal Writing and Research (4 units)
• One First Year course (such as Contracts, Civil Procedure) (4 units)
• One Advanced American Law course (such as Constitutional Law, American Trial Process) (2 units)

PLEASE NOTE:

The First Year course and the Advanced American Law course may vary from year to year as well as the number of units assigned to each required course.  Please click here for courses offered for the 2008-2009 academic year.

Advanced Courses

In Bologna, during the spring semester, both American and International students choose from advanced elective courses. A number of public and private international law courses are regularly offered. Actual course offerings and number of units will vary by semester and are subject to enrollment.  Students should check Course Listings for 2008-2009 for updated information on courses offered during the next academic year.

Students who have previously taken equivalent coursework at Loyola Law School or another ABA-accredited law school may petition to be excused from taking a required LLM course. Such students are expected to complete the 24-unit requirement for the LLM by substituting an advanced course for each required course from which they have been excused.

All students must complete the program within one year.  Under special circumstances, with prior approval of the Director, a student may be allowed to complete required units in any Loyola Law School-sponsored summer program.

To accommodate students engaged in full-time employment, courses in Bologna will be offered on Fridays and Saturdays. Because of this only a limited number of electives can be scheduled. The fall courses at Loyola Law School for the American students will generally be scheduled in the evening with some advanced courses scheduled during the day.

 

IS THIS LL.M. EQUAL TO AN LL.M. EARNED IN THE UNITED STATES?

This degree is an American LL.M. awarded by Loyola Law School Los Angeles, an ABA accredited law school.  Therefore, the answer to this question is unequivocally yes! Please note an important exception: in order to sit for the New York Bar Exam, the Rules of the Court of Appeals for the Admission of Attorneys and Counselors at Law require the LL.M. be offered within the United States; this program will thus not qualify a non-U.S. law graduate for admission to the New York bar.  However, some states allow a lawyer who does not hold an American first degree in law (J.D.) to sit for the bar if the applicant has taken a minimum number of credit hours in courses offered by an ABA approved law school. For more specific information, applicants should contact the state's licensing agency.

An American LL.M. is a valuable degree for foreign lawyers pursuing a career in international legal practice even if they never seek admission to a U.S. state bar.  The world job market is rapidly changing and many law firms prefer to hire foreign attorneys who hold an American LL.M. and have strong English language skills.  Many law firms and corporations are interested in hiring lawyers from their home countries, who are familiar both with their own legal system and also with the American legal system.

Tuition for 2008-2009 [top]

The cost of attendance for 2008-2009 for an American law graduate is $27,700 and for an international graduate is $15,900.  At least half of the tuition is due on June 30, 2008.  There is a $125.00 graduation fee for the commencement ceremony in Los Angeles.

Financial Aid

U.S. Citizen or Permanent Residents

Students who are U.S. citizens or permanent U.S. residents may apply for federal student loans to assist with their tuition and living expenses. All students who wish to borrow these loans must complete the Federal Application for Financial Aid (FAFSA) to begin the process.

Note: The 2008-2009 FAFSA will be available beginning January 2, 2008. Detailed information regarding how to apply for financial aid, priority deadlines and the loan certification process will be provided once the FAFSA is available.

International Students (Non U.S. Citizen/Non Permanent Resident)

International students are not eligible to apply for federal student loans. However, assistance in the form of private student loans may be available under certain conditions.

There are several different lenders and private loan programs available. As such, the terms and conditions of the loans can vary. In general, interest rates range from 7% to 12%, repayment is deferred while enrolled in the LLM degree program, and students may borrow up to the cost of attendance. Regardless of the lender or loan program, all students must have a credit worthy U.S. citizen or permanent resident co-signer in order to be eligible for these funds.

Listed below are links to some of the more prominent lenders who offer loan programs for international students. This is not an all inclusive list, nor is it a recommendation of these lenders and their loan programs. The list is being provided as a reference for students who would like additional information on these types of loan programs.

Access Group Comprehensive or Sponsored Loan
http://www.accessgroup.org/Student-Loans/international-student-loans.htm

Citibank CitiAssist Law Loan                                    
http://studentloan.citibank.com/slcsite/fr_apnow.htm

Nellie Mae Law Excel Loan
http://www.nelliemae.com/loancenter/index.html

Wells Fargo Graduate Loan                                       
https://www.wellsfargo.com/student/loans/graduate

Note: In addition to the private loan programs listed above, Italian students may be eligible to obtain financial assistance from UniCredit Bank in Bologna.  For further information, please write to: italian.co-director@email.it

Questions regarding the process for applying these loan programs, should be directed to Debbie.Esparza@lls.edu.

Housing[top]

Loyola Law School provides a roommate matching service, as well as listings of apartments available in Los Angeles. For more information, contact the Law School Information Center at (213) 736-1001 or info@lls.edu.

Please contact italian.co-director@email.it for information about obtaining housing in Bologna.