llm

Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law

530 West New York Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
Phone: 317.278.4701 | Website: indylaw.indiana.edu

Introduction

Why should you choose to study at the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law? If you are looking for a dynamic, urban law school, with top legal programs and a distinguished faculty, we are the school for you. The McKinney School of Law is located in one of the fastest growing cities in the United States, on an up-and-coming urban campus just blocks from city, county, and state government and courts.

  • Our Legal Writing program has been nationally recognized for four consecutive years.
  • We are a top school for Health Law.
  • Our Program in International Human Rights Law has been granted "Special Consultative Status" at the United Nations.
  • With five different LLM tracks to choose from, we provide variety in both the course of study you can pursue and the individual classes you can take once you arrive.
  • LLM students take classes alongside the JD students, and from the first day of orientation, our LLM students are a significant part of the overall law school community.

The school has enjoyed great success for more than 100 years in preparing students for legal careers. This is evidenced by the prominent positions graduates have obtained in the judiciary and other branches of government, business, civic leadership, and law practice. The school's more than 10,000 alumni are located in every state in the nation and several foreign countries. With an enrollment of more than 1,000 students, the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law is the largest law school in the state of Indiana. The law school occupies a spacious, new, technologically advanced building in the heart of Indianapolis, sharing a campus of more than 30,000 students with the prestigious Indiana University School of Medicine as well as the schools of Business, Education, Engineering and Technology, Dentistry, Public and Environmental Affairs, Art and Design, and Informatics, to name a few.

One of the most vibrant and exciting places to study law in the United States, the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law provides an energetic, urban environment that will inspire you to make a difference. Our students, faculty, and alumni use their expertise to transform lives and to influence change throughout the nation and the world. The opportunities that await you here are almost limitless, ranging from our centers of specialization in Health Law, Intellectual Property Law, Asian Law Studies, and International and Comparative Law to our programs in State Government, Environmental Law, International Human Rights, and Global Crisis Leadership.

New Faculty for 2012–2013

The law school is pleased to announce that two Justices of the Indiana Supreme Court have agreed to teach in our LLM program. Justice Steven David '82 will teach a course in Contracts to LLM students, and Justice Robert Rucker will teach a course in Torts. In addition, the Attorney General of the State of Indiana, Greg Zoeller, will be teaching a course in Constitutional Law. We are honored to include these distinguished state leaders among our teaching faculty.

Law School Enrollment

  • Total law school enrollment: 1,002
  • JD enrollment: 929
  • Graduate studies enrollment (SJD and LLM): 73

Physical Facilities

  • Inlow Hall: Lawrence W. Inlow Hall, the home of Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law, is designed to create a rare learning environment—one that combines the professional atmosphere of a modern law firm with the academic gravitas of a legal institution distinguished by more than 100 years of history. The award-winning architecture combines with state-of-the-art technology to enhance the school's classrooms, library, and study areas. The 200-seat Wynne Courtroom is the ideal setting for simulated trials and appellate proceedings, as well as for public lectures and continuing legal education programs. Inlow Hall is truly an excellent home for aspiring lawyers and legal scholars alike.
  • The Ruth Lilly Law Library: The Ruth Lilly Law Library is one of the largest legal research libraries in the United States, housing a collection of over 600,000 volumes in a 55,000-square-foot facility that includes a soaring two-story, glass-enclosed reading room overlooking downtown Indianapolis. The Ruth Lilly Law Library is one of the early United States government publications depositories. It is also a full depository of the United Nations, has a 20,000-volume Commonwealth collection, and is a depository for documents of organizations ranging from the American Bar Association to the European Commission of Human Rights. Internet and wireless connections for laptop computers can be found throughout the building—not only in classrooms, but in private study rooms and individual study carrels as well.

Housing

One benefit of being on an urban campus is the wealth of housing options. The city of Indianapolis has a very low cost of living, and the many possibilities include on-campus housing in apartments, townhomes, or residence halls, and off-campus housing in apartments, efficiencies, extended-stay suites, townhomes, rental homes, and many other options. The LLM program staff will provide assistance in finding housing and any other needs you may have as you make the transition into law school and the city of Indianapolis.

LLM Programs/Areas of Specialization

The LLM degree awarded by the McKinney School of Law is a single degree consisting of five tracks, allowing for curricular concentrations in the following areas:

  • American Law for Foreign Lawyers
  • Health Law, Policy, and Bioethics
  • International Human Rights Law
  • Intellectual Property Law
  • International and Comparative Law

Our Master's Program consists of 24 credits, with a wide range of elective courses. (Students may choose to take more than 24 credits, at the applicable tuition rate per credit hour, to satisfy bar admission requirements in some states.) You can choose to start your program in either the fall (late August) or spring (early January) term. Students have up to three academic years to complete degree requirements and may opt for part-time and evening study schedules, although foreign students ordinarily graduate in two or three semesters per visa regulations. All of the tracks, except the American Law for Foreign Lawyers track, require a research component and Master's thesis that is worth 2–4 credits. The school provides many externship and optional practical training (OPT) opportunities during your time in Indianapolis. We also provide, at no cost to you, advanced English as a Second Language instruction if a university placement test indicates this would be a benefit.

The minimum eligibility requirements for admission into the program are as follows:

  • You must hold either a JD from an ABA-accredited law school in the US or an academic degree in law or comparable from an educational institution in a country other than the US which makes you eligible to become licensed to practice in that country.
  • If English is your second language, you must have one of the following:
    • An internet-based iBT TOEFL of at least 81 (paper-based: 560; computer-based: 213)
    • An IELTS score of at least 6
    • A score of "First Grade" on the national Japanese English Proficiency STEP Exam
    • Completion of Intensive English Masters Level 112 at one of the ELS Language Centers

    (Qualifying language scores must be less than two years old at the time of application.)
  • You must demonstrate a combination of academic achievement, professional accomplishment, and English-language competency.

Significant scholarship assistance is available to students with demonstrated financial need and outstanding academic/professional credentials; however, the LLM Program does not typically offer full tuition waivers. The combination of generous scholarships, relatively low tuition, and a low cost of living make the McKinney School of Law one of the most affordable LLM programs in the United States.

Estimated Costs

  • Tuition (24 Credits) 2012–2013: $32,000
  • Mandatory Fee (per semester): $315
  • Books and Supplies (estimate): $1,100
  • Housing and Living Expenses (estimate for 9 months): $11,340
  • Health Insurance (mandatory for foreign students): $1,038
  • Total Cost: $45,793

Student Services and Organizations

The McKinney School of Law has a variety of vibrant student organizations that are open for you to join. The following are just a few of the organizations that are currently active:

  • Asian Law Students Association
  • Black Law Students Association
  • Business Law Association
  • Democratic Law Society
  • Environmental Law Society
  • Equal Justice Works
  • Feminist Law Society
  • Health Law Society
  • Hispanic Law Society
  • Intellectual Property Student Association
  • International Human Rights Law Society
  • International Law Society
  • Master of Laws Association
  • Sports and Entertainment Law Society
  • Student Bar Association
  • Women's Caucus

There are also many lectures, conferences, events, informal get-togethers, and brown-bag talks that take place around the law school. We are also just a few short blocks from a multitude of museums, theaters, restaurants, parks, stores, sports arenas, and even the Indianapolis Zoo.

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