LLM

210 Science Drive, PO Box 90393, Durham, NC 27708-0365, USA
Phone: 919.613.7020 | Fax: 919.613.7257
E-mail: international@law.duke.edu (International LLM), llmle@law.duke.edu (Law and Entrepreneurship LLM)
Website: www.law.duke.edu

Introduction

Duke Law School is one of the nation's leading law schools, known for its outstanding faculty and scholarship, a curriculum that integrates professional skills development, and a cross-disciplinary approach to learning and teaching. Students come to Duke Law from every state in the US and from all over the world; alumni work in top law firms and companies across the globe. One of the reasons students choose Duke Law is its collaborative environment, where growth is encouraged not only through rigorous scholarship but also through cooperation and support. Because the school is small, students enjoy uniquely close interactions with faculty and fellow students. Duke Law's faculty members are among the nation's most respected experts in fields including environmental law, international law, intellectual property law, constitutional and public law, and international business and corporate law. In addition, professors are deeply dedicated to teaching and are accessible and responsive to students. Their open-door policy encourages students to ask questions, continue discussions, and seek advice on specialized interests. Faculty-student interaction extends beyond the classroom to committee work, research, pro bono opportunities, career counseling, and mentoring. Ultimately, students experience a supportive environment where the focus is on training and developing the whole person in an atmosphere that values different perspectives, backgrounds, and orientations.

Law School Enrollment

Duke Law admits a select group of students with diverse backgrounds who have in common a record of academic excellence. In 2011, JD students came to Duke from 38 states and 10 foreign countries, representing 96 different undergraduate institutions and a wealth of different experiences. The entering LLM class included 14 students enrolled in the Law and Entrepreneurship LLM program and 96 international LLM students from 32 countries.

Faculty

Central to Duke Law's success is its faculty. Well respected in the legal field, Duke Law professors are known for groundbreaking legal scholarship that impacts public policy and the legal profession. A large number of faculty also are practitioners in both the public and private sectors in the United States and abroad, and the school's six professors of the practice bring deep experience from extensive careers in law and business. Faculty members' backgrounds are as varied as they are distinguished: they are former Fulbright Scholars, Rhodes Scholars, and Marshall Scholars. A number of faculty members have served as Supreme Court clerks. Dean David F. Levi served 17 years as a federal judge before joining the Law School in 2007. Faculty members hold joint appointments in departments throughout the university and have obtained PhDs in a wide variety of disciplines. Several visiting professors from abroad teach at Duke Law each year, and many full-time faculty members have extensive international connections.

LLM Programs/Areas of Specialization

Duke Law School offers three LLM programs:

International Law Graduates

The LLM program at Duke Law School is designed to introduce foreign law graduates to the legal system of the United States and to provide the opportunity to take advanced courses in specialized areas of the law. LLM students are able to select courses from the full JD curriculum. Students also may take courses in other parts of the university, like the Fuqua School of Business or the Sanford School of Public Policy. Most LLM students at Duke are professionals with two or more years of experience at well-known law firms. They are also judges, prosecutors, academics, or members of government ministries, corporations, or financial institutions. The LLM program usually includes a small number of talented, very recent law graduates as well. Applicants must hold a first degree in law from an accredited institution outside the United States. The law degree should be the equivalent of the JD or LLB degree. Correspondence course degrees will not be considered for admission to the LLM program. Duke offers an Environmental Law Certificate and other concentrations in corporate, international, and intellectual property law as part of the LLM for International Law Graduates.

• Required credits: 21
• Application deadline: January 20
• Application fee: $70
• Tuition: $50,750 (2012–2013 tuition)

Admission will be based on the following criteria:

• the applicant's academic promise as revealed by previous academic performance;
• references (a minimum of two) that demonstrate the applicant's scholarly ability and professional qualifications;
• the applicant's professional plans, goals, and special interests as reflected on the personal statement and résumé; and
• the applicant's English language proficiency.

Contact Information

For additional information about this program, please visit the International Studies website, or contact:

Office of International Studies
210 Science Drive
Box 90365
Durham, NC 27708-0365
USA

Phone: 919.613.7033
Fax: 919.681.6550
E-mail: international@law.duke.edu

Law and Entrepreneurship

The Law and Entrepreneurship LLM (LLMLE) program is a two-semester, 23-credit program open to applicants who hold a JD or an LLM from a US law school approved by the ABA or are admitted to practice in a US jurisdiction. The program provides students with a deep understanding of the historical and current perspectives on entrepreneurship and its relationship to law; enables students to understand the business, institutional, and strategic considerations applicable to entrepreneurs; fosters an understanding of the public policy and legal frameworks that promote innovation; ensures that students master both the core substantive law and the lawyering skills that are necessary for effective representation of entrepreneurs; and provides students with an opportunity to explore their own potential for entrepreneurship.

• Required credits: 23
• Application deadline: Rolling
• Application fee: $70
• Tuition: $50,750 (2012–2013 tuition)

Admission will be based on the following criteria:

• the applicant's academic promise as detailed by law school transcripts and class rank information;
• the applicant's professional plans, goals, and special interests as reflected on the personal statement and résumé; and
• references (a minimum of two, including one academic reference if possible) that demonstrate the applicant's scholarly ability and professional qualifications.

Contact Information

For additional information about this program, please visit the Law and Entrepreneurship website, or contact:

Office of Admissions
210 Science Drive
Box 90393
Durham, NC 27708-0393
USA

Phone: 919.613.7259
Fax: 919.613.7257
E-mail: llmle@law.duke.edu

Master of Laws in Judicial Studies

Through Duke's Master's Program in Judicial Studies, judges learn the analytical skills and research approaches necessary for studying judicial institutions and apply those skills to studies of domestic and international judicial institutions, common and emerging legal issues, general judicial practices, and judicial reform efforts. The program is open to state, federal, and international judges and requires four weeks of coursework in two consecutive summers, plus the writing of a thesis based on original research. The program is offered under the auspices of the Duke Center for Judicial Studies.

• Required credits: 22
• Application deadline: Rolling (next class begins in May 2014)
• Application fee: $70
• Tuition: $16,750 per year (significant financial assistance available to admitted applicants)

State and federal judges in the United States, as well as international judges of equivalent position, are eligible for admission. Though applications submitted by sitting judges will receive priority consideration, applications from former judges will also be considered. The following application materials are required:

• The Judicial Studies Master's Program Application (PDF), which must be signed and submitted in hard copy form through the mail or electronically signed and submitted via e-mail to judicialstudies@law.duke.edu;
• A résumé or curriculum vitae; and
• A personal statement outlining (1) your significant personal experiences beyond what may be reflected in your academic transcripts and on your résumé, (2) why you are interested in the Judicial Studies program, or (3) how the program will impact your current work or future professional goals.

Contact Information

Please see the Duke Center for Judicial Studies website, or contact us for more information:

Center for Judicial Studies
Duke Law School
210 Science Drive
Box 90362
Durham, NC 27708-0362
USA

E-mail: judicialstudies@law.duke.edu

Special Programs

International Law Programs

Duke is home to a large and vibrant international law program. In addition to the LLM program for International Law Graduates, Duke has a variety of programs that bring students and practitioners from all over the world to Duke, including a robust exchange program, an SJD program, and a summer legal language institute. The Duke Center for International and Comparative Law hosts a number of events each year, including lectures and conferences featuring some of the world's most renowned scholars and legal leaders. Duke Law has pioneered a unique joint-degree program that makes it possible for students to earn a JD and a Master of Laws in International and Comparative Law concurrently in three years, which attracts a number of JD students who are passionate about international law. Many JD and LLM students from Duke and around the world participate in Duke's Summer Institutes in Transnational Law, either in Switzerland or Hong Kong.

Legal Clinics

Duke Law School's clinical program has grown exponentially and houses a variety of clinics that offer a wide range of hands-on opportunities. A recently constructed clinical office suite brings a number of the programs together, allowing them to function as a public interest law firm. Clinical opportunities include AIDS Legal Project, Animal Law Clinic, Appellate Litigation Clinic, Children's Law Clinic, Community Enterprise Clinic, Start-Up Ventures Clinic, Environmental Law and Policy Clinic, Guantanamo Defense Clinic, and Wrongful Convictions Clinic.

Duke Entrepreneurship

Duke Law's LLMLE program takes advantage of resources and programs produced by the university's Initiative on Entrepreneurship and Innovation, through which Duke aspires to create the best entrepreneurial learning environment in the world. The initiative is guided by the principle of knowledge in the service of society, the ideals of a liberal arts education, and a spirit of collaboration between academic disciplines and between academia and the community. Affiliated programs include the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, the Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute, the Center for Entrepreneurship and Research Commercialization, the Duke Start-Up Challenge, the Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship, the Duke Law Community Enterprise Clinic, the Duke Law Center for the Study of the Public Domain, DU Hatch, the Program for Entrepreneurs, and more.

« Back to LLM/Graduate Law Program Guide