Advanced Degree Programs Office, 214 Boalt Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720-7200, USA
Phone: +1.510.642.1476 | Fax: +1.510.643.3070
E-mail: llm@law.berkeley.edu | Website: www.law.berkeley.edu/llmjsd.htm
Watch this video featuring our Professional LLM Program.
Introduction
Berkeley Law is among the top law schools in the United States. We offer a superb education in both established and emerging fields of law, and our students are taught by distinguished professors who are also cutting-edge scholars.
Berkeley's location in the vibrant San Francisco Bay Area, with influences from Silicon Valley and the Pacific Rim, provides an unparalleled opportunity to study at one of the world's leading institutions of legal education and research. Our Intellectual Property program was the first of its kind and has been nationally recognized for 15 of the last 16 years. We were legal pioneers of the Green Movement, creating the nation's first Environmental Law program. Our Business Law and International Law programs are among the best in the world.
We are committed to top-tier education and scholarship, and to using our substantial intellectual capital to help solve real-world problems in order to create a more just society. We are distinguished by the extraordinary degree to which our students and faculty partner with people beyond the school to identify challenges, create alliances, solve problems, and spark change—in Berkeley and around the world.
LLM Programs and Certificates of Specialization
Berkeley Law is one of the premier law schools in the United States. Here, there are two tracks toward the LLM degree. Both are equal in length and substance, and both tracks lead to the identical LLM degree. Students in both tracks learn from our internationally recognized faculty, who not only are experts in their fields but also love to teach.
LLM Traditional Track
Students in our traditional track attend Berkeley during the standard academic school year, from August to May, and take classes with American JD students. LLM students in this program choose between two options for their study: coursework or thesis.
In both cases, the focus is on customization. Each student in the coursework option develops a unique curriculum that combines required and elective classes.
The thesis option consists of a research project culminating in a thesis. This option is appropriate primarily for individuals pursuing academic or other research-focused careers.
Traditional track students who seek in-depth training in a particular area of law are also able to earn Certificates of Specialization in Energy and Clean Technology, Law and Technology, Business Law, Environmental Law, and International Law. Traditional track students can qualify to sit for the California and New York bar exams.
LLM Professional Track
The professional track is designed for lawyers educated outside the United States who want an internationally renowned Berkeley Law LLM degree, but can't leave professional commitments for an entire year. Taking place over the course of two consecutive summers, this innovative program gives practicing attorneys the ability to obtain a Certificate of Specialization in Business Law or IP Law in two 10- or 13-week summer terms.
Professional track courses are taught by the same world-renowned, full-time Berkeley Law faculty who teach during the August–May school year. The classrooms are filled not with American JD students but with other experienced legal professionals from over 50 countries around the world.
The flexible curriculum includes business law, intellectual property, and core US law. Business law courses include Contracts, Business Associations, Securities Regulation, Mergers and Acquisitions, and Antitrust. Professional track graduates can qualify to sit for the California bar exam.
For more information, visit Berkeley Law's professional track page or download the Professional LLM Program flier (PDF).
Law School Enrollment
- Traditional track: 150–160
- Professional track: 200 (includes both new and returning students)
Physical Facilities
Berkeley Law recently completed a multiyear construction project, the South Addition. The two lower levels house the law library's renowned collection in efficient, compact shelving, and four glass-enclosed reading rooms that are bathed in natural light. The ground floor includes a state-of-the-art classroom, plus a café and a large commons area that opens onto an outdoor courtyard, both of which can be used for studying and socializing. Above is an elegant roof garden with bench and table seating.
Berkeley Law is also part of the University of California, Berkeley campus, which occupies a beautiful 1,232-acre space bordered by wooded rolling hills. And, of course, the City of Berkeley is known for its intellectual, social, and political engagement. With its multinational population, rich diversity of arts, and sense of political adventure, Berkeley reflects and influences the rest of the country. Yet, it remains an intimate city of friendly neighborhoods, renowned restaurants, coffeehouses, bookstores, parks, and open spaces. A short trip across the bay lies San Francisco, home to internationally recognized landmarks, museums, the opera, ballet, symphony, and a multitude of restaurants. The mild climate makes outdoor activities enjoyable year-round.
Library
Berkeley Law's Library is one of the finest law collections in the world. Its extensive holdings include the Robbins Religious and Civil Law Collection with titles in ecclesiastical, civil, comparative, and international law, and extensive collections of foreign, comparative, human rights, and environmental law. The law library is also a depository for United States, United Nations, and European Union documents and is linked to the university system's holdings of more than seven million volumes. The law library provides online databases, three computer labs with Internet access, four spacious reading rooms, a photocopying service, and multimedia capabilities. Wireless access is available throughout the law school complex and much of the Berkeley campus. The school comprises three adjoining buildings with classrooms, seminar rooms, auditoriums, the law library, a lounge, a reception room, a café, dining and study areas, and offices.
Housing
The campus Housing Office offers apartments, rental listings, residence halls, and student family apartments. The International House accommodates students from the United States and abroad in a residence hall setting.
Financial Aid—Traditional Track
ADP Scholarship ($15,000)
Berkeley Law offers a competitive scholarship program for admitted LLM students with superior academic credentials, for whom Berkeley Law is their first choice. Because funds are extremely limited, the $15,000 ADP Scholarship can only be provided to a few outstanding applicants each year. Recipients are selected after admission decisions are made; no additional scholarship application is necessary.
Financial Aid—Professional Track
Least Developed Countries Scholarship ($20,000)
The LDC Scholarship was developed to encourage enrollment of students from Least Developed Countries. As defined by the United Nations, these are the poorest and most vulnerable countries in our international community.
Award Requirements
- Proof of citizenship and primary residence in an LDC country.
- Statement of intention describing what the scholarship recipient plans on accomplishing in the LDC country after graduating from the LLM program.
Award Details
- $20,000 credit toward tuition ($10,000 per summer).
- Application forms and instructions are available only to admitted students; it is not possible to apply for the LDC scholarship until after an offer of admission to the LLM program is made.
- Admitted students interested in applying for an LDC scholarship must log onto the Admitted Students Website for the professional track and submit the scholarship application form found there. It is due within one week of admission.
- Recipients must maintain a minimum grade standard of "P" (pass) or higher in all classes during the first summer in order to maintain scholarship eligibility during the second summer.
The Guzman Scholarship (Full-Tuition Award for Students from Africa)
The Guzman Professional LLM Scholarship was developed to encourage the enrollment of students from Africa seeking advanced legal education at Berkeley Law.
Award Requirements
- Proof of citizenship or primary residence in Africa.
- Statement of intention describing what the scholarship recipient plans on accomplishing in Africa after graduating from the LLM program.
Award Details
- This is a full-tuition waiver. Recipients will be responsible for paying only the $1,000 seat deposit each summer, plus living expenses.
- Application forms and instructions are available only to admitted students; it is not possible to apply for the Guzman Scholarship until after an offer of admission to the LLM program is made.
- Admitted students interested in applying for the Guzman Scholarship must log onto the Admitted Students Website for the professional track and submit the scholarship application form found there. It is due within one week of admission.
- Recipients must maintain a minimum grade standard of "P" (pass) or higher in all classes during the first summer in order to maintain scholarship eligibility during the second summer.
Career Services and Professional Development
The Career Development Office provides career and professional development counseling, training, and resources to LLM candidates. Our Director of Student Advising, assisted by a dedicated LLM career counselor, assists LLM candidates throughout the job-search process through résumé and cover-letter review and interview preparation. In addition, the Career Development Office hosts several workshops and career-related programs throughout the year, organizes résumé collections, and maintains an online job database for legal positions.
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