Form Instructions:
Please read the instructions below carefully. This will inform you of your next steps and program obligations.
To earn an LLM in US Law, students must complete 26-27 credit hours of coursework. These hours will be made up of required courses and restricted electives to fulfill the LLM requirements.
The 26-27 credits making up the LLM in US Law are designed to support internationally-trained law students and other qualifying law students in pursuing a bar exam in a United States jurisdiction. Flex students must complete a minimum of 27 credits in order to graduate and qualify for the D.C. bar exam. Other programs also seeking to qualify for D.C. will need to take additional credits. Admissions to an LLM program does not guarantee you meet the qualifications of a jurisdiction. Rules for qualifying vary widely from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. These rules include requirements for both your LLM program at Scalia Law and for your previous education, licensure, and work experience. States may change these rules or interpretations of their existing rules at any time for any reason or no reason. It is upon you to be aware of the requirements for your jurisdiction and to ensure you are planning your LLM program in conjunction with your academic advisor to comply with your jurisdiction's rules. We have a bar planning advising sheet to help support you and your advisors are available upon appointment to talk through bar planning processes. Remember, the only way to guarantee eligibility for a bar exam in the United States in any jurisdiction is to graduate with a Juris Doctorate (JD) from an ABA-accredited law school.
Students may be able to complete the program in one academic year, though most will take a year and a half to two years to do so. Full-time students typically take 12-15 credit hours per semester; part-time students typically take 8-12 credit hours. For the purposes of the F-1 and J-1 visas, 9 or more credit hours are required to meet the full-time requirement of the visa, 6 of which must be on campus.
All students must finish the degree requirements within five years of matriculation unless granted a waiver or leave of absence. In order to remain in the LLM program, students must present a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.33 on a 4.33 scale at the end of each spring semester.
Students may be able to complete the program in one academic year, though most will take a year and a half to two years to do so. Full-time students typically take 12-15 credit hours per semester; part-time students typically take 8-12 credit hours. For the purposes of the F-1 and J-1 visas, 9 or more credit hours are required to meet the full-time requirement of the visa, 6 of which must be on campus.
The course requirements and electives are below. The required and elective LLM courses are not offered every semester and new offerings for approved LLM electives may become available. Students should check with the Records Office for a current schedule of courses. A limited number of courses also will be available in the summer.
Next page, please check the courses you have already completed or are registered to complete this coming semester. Please check the box for courses you're currently registered for in column 2. You only need to provide the Course Registration Number for courses you are currently registering for. You may find course registration numbers on the academic schedule: https://www.law.gmu.edu/academics/schedule/ Please select how many credits the course is worth in the final column.
The academic advisor for the LL.M. program may, in his capacity, approve up to 1 course substitution that is not on the program list of electives below. Any non-program course MUST be approved but approval does NOT mean this course satisfies the requirements of a bar exam. If you would like to approve more than 1 course, an additional approval may be required by the associate dean of graduate programs or designee. Please reach out to your academic advisor for more information.
Course transfers must be approved and noted in your admissions record prior to your enrollment in the program. Policies and procedures may be found in a separate form. Please reach out to lawgradm@gmu.edu for more information.