LLM

PO Box 877906, Tempe, AZ 85287-7906, USA
Phone: 480.965.1474 | Website: www.law.asu.edu

Introduction

The Arizona State University—Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law combines the best traditions of American legal education with innovative programs supported by strong community partnerships. As the sixth largest city in the United States and a state capital, Phoenix has countless opportunities for young professionals, and the law school takes full advantage of those. Our vision includes excellence in all we do, while reaching out to all parts of the university and the community, striving for inclusion, and having a meaningful impact on contemporary problems through teaching, research, and collaborative problem-solving. Students are attracted by the quality of the legal education, commitment to innovative teaching and scholarship, reasonable tuition, breadth and depth of the curriculum, numerous opportunities for experiential learning, and excellent student-to-faculty ratio. A busy calendar of conferences, seminars, and speakers enriches the student experience and fosters a strong sense of community. Committed to excellence, the college has an outstanding faculty, many opportunities for interdisciplinary learning, extensive pro bono opportunities, an exceptional legal writing program, and a variety of significant clinics.

Law School Enrollment

• Total law school enrollment: 625–675
• MLS enrollment: approximately 30
• LLM enrollment: approximately 25
• University enrollment (ASU): more than 68,000

Physical Facilities

The College of Law is composed of Armstrong Hall and the John J. Ross-William C. Blakley Law Library and is set on the eastern edge of the university's beautiful, 700-acre Tempe campus. Within Armstrong Hall, the Willard H. Pedrick Great Hall serves not only as a courtroom for annual visits from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, the Arizona Supreme Court, the Navajo Supreme Court, and the Arizona Court of Appeals, but also as a location for campus events. Armstrong Hall also houses the legal clinic; the Center for Law, Science, and Innovation; the Indian Legal Program; the Center for Law and Global Affairs; the Diane Halle Center for Family Justice; the ABA Jurimetrics journal; and the Cohen Student Center and Sidebar Café. The Ross-Blakley Law Library is a stunningly beautiful work of architecture with lots of windows to make use of the year-round natural light for which Phoenix is famous.

As a student at ASU, you have access to several world-class libraries on campus, performing arts venues, and well-equipped recreational facilities, including tennis courts, soccer fields, pools, weight training equipment, and classes with trainers.

Housing

The Phoenix Metropolitan area, fondly known as the Valley of the Sun, offers ample and affordable places to live—from tidy graduate-student studios, to slick urban lofts, to comfortable single-family homes. Because the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law is centrally located in Tempe, a city in the heart of the metropolitan area, many students choose to live in Tempe. However, it is only a short commute to school from the neighboring cities of Scottsdale, Mesa, Phoenix, and Chandler. Below are some resources to help make your search for housing run smoothly.

Living On Campus

With over 68,000 students attending Arizona State University, most on-campus housing is occupied by undergraduate students. ASU does provide separate graduate housing for single students; however, it is quite limited. Married students and families may explore family housing options available at ASU's Polytechnic Campus in Mesa, accessible to the Tempe campus by the ASU shuttle. For more information about on-campus housing, visit www.asu.edu/housing or call 480.965.3515.

Living Off Campus

The majority of law students live off campus. The apartment complexes immediately surrounding ASU's campus are largely occupied by undergraduate students, which can be a difficult arrangement for law students. Renting an apartment or home in Tempe a little further away from the campus, or in the neighboring cities, is typically the best option for law students to find an appropriate study environment. There are lots of options in the surrounding cities that are no more than a 20-minute drive away from ASU. Some students choose to live near downtown Phoenix and commute by light rail. Additional guidance about housing can be obtained through the Center for Off-Campus and Commuter Student Services (OCCSS).

LLM Programs/Areas of Specialization

LLM, Master of Laws Degree—Customized

Succeeding in today's legal market requires continual investment in yourself, your expertise, and your legal talent. With your future in mind, the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law offers an LLM that you design for your needs. Our customized LLM is an opportunity for you to examine in-depth the legal trends of the future and make connections with faculty members and fellow practitioners who are shaping that future. Whether you want to become an authority in your area of practice or transition into a new specialization, you can customize your LLM course of study to fit your vision.

International Students

Within its LLM program, the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law welcomes foreign lawyers who want to study the US legal system. Choosing to study with us means being integrated into JD classes, learning about the American legal system, and improving your legal research and writing skills. Two required courses will offer students a focused study in America's common law system. The US Law and Legal Analysis course will provide foreign students with an analytical approach to legal issues. The Professional Legal Writing course teaches foreign students how to research US cases and statutes, as well as prepare legal analysis memos in an American structure. International LLM students can design the remaining 20 credits of their studies to complement their personal legal career interests.

Health Law and Policy, Global Legal Studies, and Other Specialties

Because of the breadth of expertise within our faculty and the rich selection of courses offered each year, there are a variety of ways to focus LLM studies. In the areas of Health Law and Policy and International Law, there are research centers in place to assist with curriculum choices for interested students. Students may elect to pursue another focus in their LLM studies with relative ease and will find an administration that is very willing to assist in that enterprise.

Contact Information

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

BarbaraKaye Miller
Assistant Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid
Office of Admissions, Financial Aid, and Student Life
PO Box 877906
Tempe, AZ 85287-7906
USA

Phone: 480.965.1474
Fax: 480.727.7930
E-mail: llm-mls.admissions@asu.edu

LLM in Biotechnology and Genomics

This is the century of the gene. Advancements in technology, from stem cell research and genetically modified organisms to DNA forensic evidence and nanotechnology, are raising a multitude of legal questions about privacy, intellectual property, regulation, and liability. Today's lawyers must be prepared to handle these challenges and others surrounding international trade, evidentiary standards, personalized medicine, licensing, and business planning. Because most traditional legal studies don't offer in-depth exposure to these complex intersections of science and law, an LLM in Biotechnology and Genomics was developed at the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law at Arizona State University. The program is housed in the college's Center for Law, Science, and Innovation, the nation's largest and oldest multidisciplinary research center focusing on the legal implications of new scientific discoveries and emerging technologies.

Contact Information

For additional information, please visit the LLM in Biotechnology and Genomics website, or contact:

Joshua Abbott
Executive Director for the Center for Law, Science & Innovation
PO Box 877906
Tempe, AZ 85287-7906
USA

Phone: 480.965.2465
Fax: 480.727.7930
E-mail: josh.abbott@asu.edu

LLM in Tribal Policy, Law, and Government

The Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law inaugurated its LLM program in Tribal Policy, Law, and Government in August of 2005, in part because of the prominence of our Indian Legal Program (ILP) and the demand for expertise in this area. The LLM in Tribal Policy, Law, and Government (administered by the ILP) is designed for lawyers and law school graduates who desire to work on issues related to tribal law and federal Indian law at the professional and academic levels. The program provides students with a detailed understanding of the nature of tribal government, law, and policy development within the domestic federal structure. LLM candidates will benefit from the extensive resources committed to the Indian Legal Program at the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law, including a full-time director and staff; an award-winning Indian Legal Clinic with its own full-time director and staff; and a Tribal Economic Development Program, including a director and staff.

Contact Information

For additional information, please visit the LLM in Tribal Policy, Law, and Government website, or contact:

Ann Marie Downes
Interim Executive Director, Indian Legal Program
Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law
PO Box 877906
Tempe, AZ 85287-7906
USA

Phone: 480.965.6204
Fax: 480.727.7930
E-mail: ann.m.downes@asu.edu

Application Information

The Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law offers several LLM programs for students who have already completed a law degree within the United States or abroad. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis for fall or spring entry.

In order to be admitted to the LLM program, an applicant must have:

1. completed a JD degree domestically or a law degree at a foreign institution that would qualify the applicant to practice law or pursue license to practice in that country; and
2. submitted a complete application to the program.

Selection will be based on academic background, diversity of experience and background, career experience and ambitions, strength of experience related to the program sought, space and resource limitations in the law school, and other factors.

For an application to be considered complete, it must include the following:

• a $65 application fee (credit card/check/money order);
• a statement of interest that is no longer than 1,250 words on double-spaced, typed pages;
• a résumé that does not exceed three typed pages;
• a writing sample;
• explanations to affirmative answers to any conduct questions;
• two letters of recommendation;
• transcripts from all institutions attended, including the transcripts showing that the bachelor's degree and law degree were conferred;
• TOEFL^® score (if proof of English language proficiency is required by ASU rules—please see website for details); and
• the complete LLM application form.
• Applicants who have received an undergraduate or graduate degree from a foreign institution, please refer to the special instructions for foreign educated applicants on our website.

You may pursue the LLM on a full-time or part-time basis. Application deadlines can be found on the ASU College of Law website under Degree Programs.

Please refer to the ASU website for the most current information about tuition and fees. During the spring semester, the Arizona Board of Regents sets tuition rates for the following academic year for all ASU programs.

Student Services and Organizations

Outside of the classroom, many students enhance their legal education through student-run activities. There are a wide variety of activities within the law school, on campus more generally, and throughout the Phoenix community. You are sure to find groups that suit your interests. Within the law school, student organizations serve various purposes and use different leadership structures. Some groups sponsor professional presentations, others have large annual programs, some provide legal services to the community, and others provide frequent social activities.

The College of Law is proud to have almost 30 student organizations and approximately 20 registered pro bono organizations operating in any given year. The benefits from participating in these groups are as diverse as our student body:

• Exposure to specific areas of the law and community leaders
• Support for the law school experience
• A coming together of students who share similar backgrounds/interests
• A vehicle for community involvement/social change
• Membership in national legal organizations
• A social outlet
• Networking opportunities with local attorneys

Despite their diverse natures, all of the groups have at least one thing in common: they each provide ASU law students with a unique opportunity to connect with other students who share their interests/needs. You will find opportunities to take on leadership roles, to organize functions, and to serve the community. We encourage you to take a close look at our student groups. If you cannot find an organization that suits your needs, it is always possible to organize a new group—you will certainly find other students who share similar ideas and passions.

Career Services

The Career Strategy and Professional Development Mentoring Center offers LLM students career counseling on an individual basis and through numerous opportunities to network within the Phoenix legal community. LLM students also have full access to career services resources and the college's electronic job bank. Individual assistance is also provided for résumé/CV and cover letter review, interviewing skills development, and development of salary negotiation skills.

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