LLM

504 East Pennsylvania Avenue, Champaign, IL 61820, USA
Phone: 217.333.6066 | Website: www.law.illinois.edu/prosepctive-students/apply-llm

Introduction

For more than 60 years, the University of Illinois College of Law has offered a Masters of Laws program to international lawyers, having graduated more than 1,000 lawyers from across the globe. Illinois LLM graduates have distinguished themselves in their careers and occupy some of the senior-most positions in their countries' judiciaries, corporations, law firms, and legal academies.

The Illinois LLM is taught at one of the world's leading research universities featuring one of the largest public university libraries in the world. The university's faculty and alumni include 23 Nobel Prize winners and 19 Pulitzer Prize winners. Nearly 150 current university faculty are members of prestigious National Academies in the United States.

The Illinois LLM program is grounded in the learning partnership approach, where dedicated faculty and staff, together with an exceptional JD student body, introduce LLM candidates to US law and professional life. It is a partnership where success will require motivated students who are committed to professional advancement and are prepared to work towards that goal.

Law School Enrollment

Figures for the 2011–2012 academic year:

• JD students: 639
• LLM students: 80
• JSD students: 14

Physical Facilities

• The nation's 14th largest law library, the Albert E. Jenner Jr. Library, offers students, faculty, and members of the community top-notch legal academic resources. The library's various seating areas provide comfortable space for research and scholarship, offering a variety of options for both quiet and group study.
• College of Law reference librarians are experts in legal research, with dual graduate degrees in law and in information science.
• Wireless access to the Internet is available to the Illinois and College of Law community.
• Students are provided with LexisNexis and Westlaw access.
• The Activities and Recreation Center is just down the street.

Housing

The majority of College of Law students live in off-campus housing; however, the University of Illinois has a limited number of graduate and family housing units available, as well as graduate student dormitories.

For information, contact the Housing Division:

Phone: 217.333.5656
Website: www.housing.illinois.edu

LLM Programs/Areas of Specialization

The Illinois LLM program is designed to introduce international lawyers to the US legal system while also providing the opportunity for further study in their own area of academic or professional interest. For students planning to take the New York bar examination, the Illinois LLM is fully compliant with the requirements of the New York State Board of Bar Examiners.

Program Features of the Illinois LLM

• Prior to the start of the academic year, all Illinois LLM students are required to take a three-week Legal Writing and Research class that is designed specifically for incoming LLM students. This class will develop skills for and offer practice in researching and analyzing legal problems, and structuring the analysis of these problems in a written form that adheres to the conventions of the US legal profession. The three-week period also provides students with the opportunity to develop time management and study skills critical to success in a US law school. The course fulfills the research and writing requirement for LLM students taking the New York State Bar Examination.
• All Illinois LLM students take a semester-long course on the Legal Profession. Taught by a senior member of the Illinois faculty, the course covers the history, goals, instruction, value, rules, and responsibilities of the US legal profession and its members. The course fulfills the professional responsibility requirement for LLM students taking the New York State Bar Examination.
• LLM sections of Contracts and Civil Procedure ensure that all LLM students have the opportunity to take two 1L courses. Limited space is further available to LLM students in JD sections of Torts, Property, Criminal Law, and Constitutional Law.
• Illinois LLM students complete a total of 32 credit hours for the LLM degree. A minimum grade-point average of approximately 2.75 based on a 4.0 scale is required to graduate. For general reference, grading details can be found in The Graduate College Handbook of Policy and Requirements for Students, Faculty, and Staff.
• Sharing classes and interacting with the JD students are hallmarks of the Illinois experience. LLM students select classes from the nearly 200 courses offered each year at the College of Law. Students can take a broad sampling of courses or concentrate in a particular area such as business law, international and comparative law, intellectual property law, labor and employment law, law and economics, tax law, property law, or environmental law.
• LLM students have the opportunity to build legal skills through participation in an LLM Negotiation Competition, Client Counseling Competition, and a Trial Advocacy class for LLM students.
• Illinois Global Law Fellows: Prior to completing their degree, students are eligible to compete for internship opportunities at a US law firm following graduation as part of the Illinois Global Law Fellows program.

Application Requirements

• Preferred application deadline: February 15 with rolling admission decisions starting December 1
• Completed application
• Résumé
• Statement of purpose
• Certified transcripts and credentials
• Supporting financial documents
• Two letters of reference
• TOEFL or IELTS score taken within 2 years of program term of entry (August 2013)
• Application fee of $70

Contact Information

For more information about the University of Illinois LLM program, please contact:

Office of Graduate and International Legal Studies
University of Illinois College of Law
504 East Pennsylvania Avenue
Champaign, IL 61820
USA

Phone: 1.217.333.6066
Fax: 1.217.244.1478
E-mail: law-llm@illinois.edu

Additional Information

• LLM Tuition: For academic year 2012–2013, tuition is $47,500; however, final tuition for the 2013–2014 academic year may change and will be set by the Board of Trustees in spring 2013. 2012–2013 fees are $3,566.
• Living Expenses: For 2012–2013, living expenses, including room and board, textbooks, and personal expenses, are approximately $16,683 for a single student.

Student Services and Organizations

The College of Law is a close community whether you come from a small town or a large city. As a student you will find activities to complement your legal education. You can visit the Activities and Recreation Center for some exercise. You may want to join in the College of Law softball league or socialize with your classmates at Peer's Pub every Thursday afternoon. The College of Law has more than 40 student organizations covering almost every interest, and there are opportunities for socializing with graduate students from across all departments at the University of Illinois.

There are groups and projects for every student networking interest and in all aspects of the law. Whether it is public interest or corporate law, Illinois provides opportunities for students to get involved.

Champaign-Urbana, with its big-city amenities yet small-town accessibility, is a vibrant and extremely affordable college town with a lively cultural scene, a wide range of restaurants, and numerous sporting opportunities.

Career Services

The Illinois LLM program is committed to helping students build their legal practice skills and to embark on a successful legal career.

The College of Law provides its students with

• tools for successful networking, career planning, job-search strategies, and more through regular workshops and resource sessions;
• individualized counseling; and
• opportunities to engage with practitioners in many different settings.

Features of the Career Development Program for LLM students include

• participation in the International Student Interview Program and
• an opportunity to compete for a Global Law Fellows internship following the completion of the Illinois LLM.

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