LLM

2130 Fulton Street, San Francisco, CA 94117-1080, USA
Phone: 415.422.6586 | Website: www.usfca.edu/law

Introduction

Founded in 1912, the University of San Francisco (USF) School of Law is located on a hilltop campus in a quiet residential neighborhood overlooking Golden Gate Park, the Pacific Ocean, and downtown San Francisco.

The San Francisco Bay Area is an extension of the campus and plays a vital role in the educational experience. The law school is located minutes away from the Civic Center, home to federal, state, and local government agencies, as well as federal and state courts, including the California Supreme Court. The city and its surrounding communities provide unsurpassed learning, practice, placement, and service opportunities to complement the academic program. The graduate law program attracts outstanding students from around the world, including more than 75 countries.

USF sponsors a range of institutes, centers, and special projects. Those with an international focus include the Center for Law and Global Justice which develops and implements international rule of law projects. USF's innovative Frank C. Newman International Human Rights Law Clinic affords many students—including those enrolled in the LLM program, the opportunity to personally present their research and policy proposals to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva or the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women in New York. USF is also home to the J. Thomas McCarthy Institute for Intellectual Property and Technology Law. The Institute advances the body of knowledge related to intellectual property (IP) law, with an emphasis on the relationships among IP law, cyberlaw, emerging technologies, and globalization.

The USF School of Law is fully accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools.

Law School Enrollment

• Total law school enrollment: 743
• Full-time: 614
• Part-time: 129

Physical Facilities

The USF School of Law is housed in the Koret Law Center, which comprises Kendrick Hall, where classrooms and faculty offices are located, and the Dorraine Zief Law Library. Kendrick Hall, built in the 1960s and recently renovated, features a rotunda skylight, spiral stairways, and circular configurations that enhance natural light and offer informal gathering spaces for students and faculty. Classrooms offer power and wireless connections at every seat. Administrative offices are located in Kendrick Hall to provide easy access to services and staff. Office space for student organizations and clinical programs, a student lounge, and a café are all found here as well.

Linked to Kendrick Hall by a soaring glass atrium, the Dorraine Zief Law Library, which opened in 2000, is a modern, technologically advanced study building that features a comfortable, flexible, fully accessible, and fully wireless environment for student research. It houses an extensive collection and connects to countless online resources. The library also features individual and group study rooms equipped with audiovisual equipment, computer classrooms, and research rooms.

By being a part of a larger campus community, USF law students benefit from the amenities and facilities one expects to find at a major urban university, including the outstanding recreational and fitness facilities at USF's award-winning Koret Health and Recreation Center. The University's 55-acre campus also features a main library, bookstore, student center, and dining facilities.

Housing

The majority of law students, including LLM students, prefer to live off campus within the city of San Francisco and the Bay Area. The law school is very accessible to public transportation. The LLM office sends information and a roommate housing questionnaire to all admitted students in May before the programs begin in August. There are some on-campus housing options for graduate students, but these options are limited and not guaranteed. Most graduate students are assigned to Loyola Village, an apartment-style complex, and will be asked to share a bedroom in a two- or three-bedroom unit. For additional housing information, including an on-campus housing application, please visit the USF Residence Life website.

LLM Programs/Areas of Specialization

The USF School of Law offers two Master of Laws (LLM) programs. The basic requirements for eligibility to apply to the LLM programs at USF are a first degree in law and fluency in English. Both LLM degree programs require completion of 25 units (with a maximum of 30 units) and can be completed in two full-time semesters (August through May). A part-time option is available with approval from the program director. LLM students and JD students enroll in the same courses, except the American Legal System I and II classes which are offered exclusively to foreign LLM students. All international LLM students meet weekly in the ALS courses.

Information about each of USF's LLM programs is available below. You may also visit the LLM Programs website, or contact:

Julianne Carwright Traylor
Associate Director
International Programs
University of San Francisco School of Law
2130 Fulton Street
San Francisco, CA 94117
USA

Phone: 415.422.6658
Fax: 415.422.5440
E-mail: masterlaws@usfca.edu

LLM in Intellectual Property and Technology Law

USF's LLM program in Intellectual Property and Technology Law (IPTL) is open to students who have received a first degree in law from an American or foreign university. The IPTL program provides a thorough exposure to American, international, and comparative intellectual property law. The program equips students with a sufficient grounding in legal theory and practical skills to pursue gainful employment in the intellectual property field in the US and abroad.

Application Information

• Application available: September 1, 2011, through July 1, 2012
• Application deadline: The priority deadline for applications for August 2012 admission is February 15, 2012. Maximum consideration for both admission and scholarship opportunities will be given to applications received by this deadline. Applications received after February 15, 2012, will still be considered, but on a space available basis only.
• Application fee: $70
• Personal statement: Required
• Letters of recommendation: 2 required
• Transcripts required for applicants with an international law degree can be submitted electronically or in hard copy; LSAC LLM Credential Assembly Service optional
• JD transcripts and LSAT scores required for applicants with US law degrees
• TOEFL^®/IELTS™/PTE (Pearson Test of English) score report required for international applicants (exception: those with education and training at schools where the medium of instruction was in English)
• Tuition: $40,464 (2011–2012)

More information is available on the LLM Admissions website.

LLM in International Transactions and Comparative Law

USF's program in International Transactions and Comparative Law (ICL) is open to students who have received a first degree in law from a university outside of the United States. The ICL program offers two options for specialized study:

1. law relating to international commercial transactions; or
2. a student-selected area of American law as a comparative law study.

Completion of either option leads to the LLM degree in International Transactions and Comparative Law.

Application Information

• Application available: September 1, 2011, through July 1, 2012
• Application deadline: The priority deadline for applications for August 2012 admission is February 15, 2012. Maximum consideration for both admission and scholarship opportunities will be given to applications received by this deadline. Applications received after February 15, 2012, will still be considered, but on a space available basis only.
• Application fee: $70
• Personal statement: Required
• Letters of recommendation: 2 required
• Transcripts required for applicants with an international law degree can be submitted electronically or in hard copy; LSAC LLM Credential Assembly Service optional
• TOEFL/IELTS/PTE score report required for international applicants (exception: Those with education and training at schools where the medium of instruction was in English)
• Tuition: $40,464 (2011–2012)

More information is available on the LLM Admissions website.

Student Services and Organizations

Our students and faculty form a diverse, supportive, intellectually vibrant community that allows each individual to excel. Faculty are accessible, dedicated teachers and scholars who engage students in the classroom and in their scholarly pursuits. At USF, you are not just a number. Much of a USF law student's education takes place outside the classroom. The representative student government, the Student Bar Association (SBA), oversees more than 40 student organizations that reflect the diversity and varied interests of USF law students. All law students, including the LLM students, are members of the SBA. The LLM students elect their representative to the SBA in September. The SBA sponsors social and cultural activities and gives students a voice in school policy. The SBA also funds and oversees student organizations such the Business Law Association, Environmental Law Society, Intellectual Property and Cyberspace Law Association, International Law Society, and Women's Law Association.

Frequent panels, guest speakers, special programs, and symposia provide students with regular opportunities for informal interchange with faculty, alumni, members of the bench and bar, and visiting international dignitaries.

The USF International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) Office works to create a welcoming environment and provides high-quality services for our international students and scholars. It assists them with many support services and immigration advising.

When it's time to unwind, our backyard is Golden Gate Park—a favorite spot for running, cycling, or studying in the afternoon sun. Cafés, restaurants, clubs, and all the fun of city life are at your doorstep. Entertainment options are limitless, from ballet, opera, theater, and symphony to the Chinese New Year Parade, Carnival Parade, and other cultural events. With a thriving arts and music scene, unique shops, restaurants and clubs, postcard perfect views, and professional sports teams, it's no wonder San Francisco is the number one tourist destination in the US. One of the first social activities for the LLM students is a visit to the beautiful coastal town of Montara. On that day, students have the opportunity to mingle with fellow students, staff, USF faculty, visiting international faculty and scholars, and LLM alumni who live in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Career Services

The USF School of Law recognizes that finding employment as an attorney in the United States can be very challenging. The Office of Career Planning (OCP) guides students and alumni through the process of seeking employment. OCP helps create a personalized job search strategy, reviews job-related documents, prepares students with mock interviews, and provides information throughout each phase of the job search. OCP advises the LLM community on their professional development, suggests legal specialties to explore depending on an individual's interests, and generally acts as a sounding board and resource for career exploration and options.

Career planning services include individual career counseling, résumé and cover letter review, career workshops and programs on job search skills and practice areas, on-campus interviews, and job postings database. In addition, the LLM program and OCP organize the International Career Program event during the academic year. The event features a panel of legal professionals from various fields who discuss challenges LLM graduates face when transitioning from jobs abroad to jobs in the US, information on representing overseas clients doing business in the US, and job opportunities that may be available for LLMs in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond.

LLM Mentor Program

This is the 10th year of the International Mentor Program (IMP) for LLM students at the USF School of Law. This unique program matches international LLM students with practicing attorneys—many of whom have earned JDs and, in some cases, LLMs from USF. The goal of the program is to pair current USF LLM students with San Francisco Bay Area attorneys who have expressed an interest in volunteering their time and sharing their knowledge about their legal experience. International students learn from, and exchange information with, attorneys specializing in a variety of legal fields. The program provides students with valuable information regarding how law is practiced in California, while mentors often benefit from the unique areas of expertise of the LLM students. Mentors are encouraged to discuss the current economic conditions in the legal field, job prospects for LLM graduates in the region, and share their thoughts on careers for LLM students and career planning. Some mentors also include their students in social and recreational activities, such as wine tasting, hiking, biking, soccer matches, and sailing.

Court Visits and Prison Tour

During the fall semester, LLM students study specific cases and then visit and hear oral arguments before the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals and the California Supreme Court in San Francisco. In the spring, LLM students attend a jury trial and participate in a guided tour of San Quentin Prison.

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