LLM

3900 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
Phone: 412.648.1413 | Fax: 412.648.1318
E-mail: cile@pitt.edu | Website: www.law.pitt.edu/cile

Introduction

The University of Pittsburgh School of Law (Pitt Law), founded in 1895, is a leader in the world of legal education. It features a broad and varied curriculum, an internationally accomplished faculty, state-of-the-art physical facilities, and a talented and diverse student body hailing from all over the globe. The School of Law is located in its own modern six-story building on campus in Oakland, the cultural and educational center of Pittsburgh. State and federal courts, major corporate headquarters, and hundreds of law firms are located nearby in downtown Pittsburgh, only minutes from campus. The dynamic Oakland area is home to four colleges and universities, the world-renowned, multihospital University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, numerous scientific and high-tech offices and research centers, museums, art galleries, coffee houses, and libraries. The Pitt campus abuts a beautiful 429-acre city park. Desirable and affordable residential areas are situated nearby. Quality housing is readily available, and all mass transit in the city is free to Pitt students with ID cards.

Law School Enrollment

• Total law school enrollment: approximately 700 (full time)
• LLM program enrollment: 15 (full time) maximum

Library and Physical Facilities

The newly renovated Barco Law Library is an attractive, 440,000-volume, open-stack research facility, housed on three floors of the School of Law building. Full of natural light, it contains two computer labs and ample carrel and seating space. The Fawcett Student Commons in the library is a comfortable gathering spot for students, faculty, and staff. Faculty offices ring the perimeter of the first and third floors of the library, encouraging ease of interaction between students and faculty. Classrooms with state-of-the-art technology are located on the first and ground floors of the School of Law building. A spacious and comfortable student lounge and the elegant Teplitz Memorial Courtroom are located on the ground floor. Student computing is supported through a wireless network and wired carrels and seating.

Housing

The University of Pittsburgh, being an urban campus, does not provide any graduate housing. However, the Center for International Legal Education (CILE) will assist LLM students by providing contact information for potential housing providers. Students can take advantage of the University of Pittsburgh's Housing Resource Center to find potential locations.

LLM Programs/Areas of Specialization

The University of Pittsburgh's Master of Laws (LLM) Program for Foreign Law Graduates provides lawyers who have obtained their law degree outside the United States with an opportunity to study common law in a United States context. Students pursue their goals with the help of a close-knit community of intelligent and energetic scholars who are at the forefront of domestic and international legal research and scholarship.

Because interaction with US lawyers is integral to understanding US law, the program allows students to study the US legal system and institutions along with American students who are enrolled in the University's Juris Doctor (JD) program. This permits students to participate in the full social and intellectual life of the law school, establishing relationships that extend beyond the classroom.

One of the unique academic benefits of our LLM program is that we have our own professional writing specialist who works with LLMs, individually reviewing their written work and teaching them how to produce English that is clear and effective. We also work very hard to place LLM students in postgraduation internships that match their professional interests and needs. Past LLM internship placements have included the Allegheny County District Attorney's Office, Alcoa, H.J. Heinz Co., Westinghouse, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, private law firms, and professional organizations.

Unlike many other LLM programs, the University of Pittsburgh intentionally limits the size of its class in order to offer each student a personalized course of study and experiences. Students benefit from inclusion in the entire Law School community, but with the advantage of a separate small community of global scholars dealing with common experiences. Special opportunities are arranged for the LLM class to visit important legal institutions in order to see the practical side of the laws they study. Postgraduation internship experiences are offered to students willing to stay through the summer and include placements at a number of private and public legal entities in the city of Pittsburgh.

Keeping the class small allows faculty members to deal with student needs on an individual basis. The required LLM courses (Introduction to American Law, US Legal Research and Writing, and the Spring Colloquium) also are kept small enough to allow for substantial discussion and comparison with home legal systems by each student, and personal feedback on both written and oral presentations.

At the same time, a class of about 15 LLM students is large enough to have a significant impact as they join their American colleagues in other classes, providing an important contribution to the life of the entire Law School. In an age when revenue generation is encouraged, and numbers often rule, we are pleased that the University of Pittsburgh School of Law has seen fit to focus on quality, rather than quantity, in this program.

LLM Admission

Applicants are admitted to the LLM program based on their ability to thrive in a demanding, competitive academic atmosphere, as evidenced by their academic record and professional accomplishments. The program accepts applications from lawyers with a law degree from a non-US law school who can demonstrate a proficiency in English, as measured by a minimum score of 600 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL®) or a minimum score of 7.0 on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS™). Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. We will continue to accept applications until the class has been filled. We suggest that you submit your application by March 31 of the year in which you would like to begin your studies for better consideration.

Contact Information

For additional information, please visit the LLM Degree website, or contact:

Cynthia Yializis
Assistant Director, Center for International Legal Education
3900 Forbes Avenue
Barco Law Building—Office 312
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
USA

Phone: 412.383.6754
Fax: 412.648.2648
E-mail: cjy16@pitt.edu

Special Programs

• US Law and Language, previously called English for Lawyers or EFL, is a certificate course in which students learn to use English in a legal context and become better prepared for class discussions and assignments in American LLM programs. The University of Pittsburgh is one of very few law schools in the United States to offer this type of comprehensive introduction to Legal English and American legal education. It is offered on the Pitt Law campus for three weeks every summer.
• The Center for International Legal Education (CILE) administers the LLM Program for Foreign Law Graduates at Pitt Law. CILE works closely with the LLM students to help them adjust to the American legal education system and to provide them with opportunities throughout their program of study in the United States. In addition to educational and professional development opportunities, CILE works to provide LLM students with the chance to take advantage of social activities at the University of Pittsburgh and in the city itself.

Scholarships

There are limited financial aid opportunities available through the CILE for the LLM program.

Student Activities

LLM students are encouraged to take advantage of the numerous student activities open to all law students at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. More than 30 law-student organizations exist under the auspices of the Student Bar Association, reflecting the diverse social and intellectual interests and experiences of our students. They include the Asian Law Students Association, the Black Law Students Association, the Environmental Law Council, the Federalist Society, the Hispanic Law Society, the International Law Society, the Jewish Law Students Association, the Lesbian-Gay Rights Organization (OUTLAW), the Pitt Law Women's Association, and the Pitt Legal Income Sharing Foundation, to name a few.

In addition to these activities, CILE also arranges a weekend trip to Washington, DC, for each year's LLM class to visit key legal and governmental institutions in the nation's capitol, including the White House, the Capitol Building, and the National Archives. Each trip also includes a visit to the US Supreme Court to hear decisions read and a private tour of the Court followed by a personal visit with the Clerk of the Supreme Court. Students are also given the chance to engage in personal sightseeing and CILE pays for a cultural activity, usually a play, concert, or similar event, oftentimes at the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts.

Career Services

The LLM Program for Foreign Law Graduates is designed around graduates who plan to return to their home countries for legal employment. Some students do decide to stay in the United States, but individual students must secure the proper immigration status before seeking employment.

Cost

• Estimated LLM Tuition and Fees: $34,000 tuition plus approximately $800 in fees
• Estimated LLM Living Expenses: $1,400/month—Apartments in Pittsburgh can be very inexpensive. This estimate includes phone, electricity, groceries, and social expenses. Your student identification card entitles you to free bus rides throughout the county. See Life in Pittsburgh for more information including links to apartment ads and foreign cultural affiliations such as churches and nationality clubs in Pittsburgh.

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