Home / Programs / LLM
LLM for International Lawyers

  • LLM Home

    The University of Cincinnati College of Law is pleased to offer a program of study on the US legal system to practicing attorneys and law school graduates who received their legal education outside the United States.  The LLM program is a one-year program which provides a substantive introduction into the U.S. legal process while allowing students to tailor their studies to particular areas of law.

    Our program is designed to introduce internationally trained lawyers to the US legal system while also giving each student an opportunity to design a course of study that best advances his or her professional agenda.  Students who complete the program are better abled to represent U.S. clients and more prepared for negotiations and litigation with U.S. parties.

    LLM students will improve their English legal writing skills, develop an in-depth understanding of the U.S. legal process, and hone in on the particular areas of law that most interest them.  Students will enjoy the opportunity to make lasting relationships with other international lawyers in the LLM program as well as students in the J.D. program, to work closely with our esteemed faculty members, and to network with local lawyers, judges and business leaders. 

    Students generally complete the program in one academic year.  The program begins with an orientation and the first course--Introduction to US Law--in August and concludes in May.  During the course of the year LLM students are required to take two additional courses: The US Legal System and Legal Research and Writing for LLM Students.  With the advice and assistance of the program director and other faculty, students will select the rest of their classes from our full range of course offerings.  Doing so allows LLM students to focus their studies on areas of law most relevant to their careers, and to study side-by-side with our JD students.

    Students will be practicing attorneys or recent law school graduates; provide evidence of their English language proficiency;  demonstrate their overall academic promise as indicated through letters of recommendation, education and professional accomplishments.

    Preference will be given to applicants who earned marks equivalent to a U.S. G.P.A. of 3.0 or higher. 

    Scholarships are available. Multiple scholarships of up to $23,000 are NOW available. Upon submitting your application, please write to us via uclawllm@uc.edu to express your interest in a scholarship.

    English Language Proficiency and Conditional Admission

    The LLM program involves in-class dialogue about complex legal issues and substantial reading of sophisticated legal text.  Therefore, if English is not your country’s primary language, you will be required to take and submit an exam that shows your English proficiency.  Applicants with the following scores will be given preference: 1) TOEFL internet-based 100, computer-based 250 or paper-based 600; 2) IELTS 7.0 or 3)ELS completion of Level 112. Applicants with TOEFL scores of 80 and above will also be considered.

    If you are otherwise qualified for the program but need additional English language training you will be eligible for a Conditional Letter of Admission that will allow you to come and study English on our campus prior to beginning the LLM program.  The ELS-Cincinnati Language Center is located at the University of Cincinnati and is the largest ELS center in the U.S.

    Admissions Process

    Please begin your application as soon as possible.  It can be a lengthy process to gather all of your relevant documents for submission to the credential evaluation agency, and if you are accepted you will also need sufficient time to procure a visa.  This may take several months.  We will evaluate your application as soon as we receive your documents and your credential evaluation report.  There is currently no fee to apply to the LLM program. Earlier applications receive priority on admission and scholarship decisions.  Additional application instructions are available here.

    Please contact us at uclawllm@uc.edu with any questions about our program or the application process.

     

    *Full approval by the Ohio Board of Regents is pending and expected in December.

  • LLM Resources

  • University of Cincinnati

    The University of Cincinnati is ranked among the top 25 public research universities in the United States and has been named by Forbes as one of the world’s most beautiful campuses. UC is proud to host over 2,000 international students each year, and the International Student Barometer ranks UC highly in areas such as International Services. Help with visa, language skills, and other issues is available on campus. For more information about the international services and programs, visit the UC International website.

    University of Cincinnati