UT Law has two LL.M. programs. The first is U.S. Law for Foreign Lawyers. This program is available to attorneys from foreign jurisdictions. Students in this program may concentrate in their own areas of interest, such as corporate, commercial, intellectual property, human rights or environmental law.
Our other LL.M. program is in Latin American and International Law. This program is designed to provide the legal practitioner an introduction to transnational law. The focus may be Latin American specific, or international. This LL.M. degree program is open to both attorneys with a U.S. law degree and attorneys with a foreign law degree. Students in this program will be required to demonstrate a basic proficiency in Spanish or Portuguese before graduation. In special circumstances, proficiency in another language may satisfy the language requirement.
Applicants who attended law school in another country must have earned the equivalent of the J.D. from an established university. In most countries other than the United States, this is a first degree in law, such as LL.B. If you are in the last year of your law studies and will receive your degree prior to starting the LL.M., you may also apply.
Applicants who have earned a J.D. from an ABA approved law school in the United States may apply for the Latin & International LL.M. Applicants should have a strong academic record.
Some countries do not require a law degree to practice law. In this case, applicants who have qualified to practice law by passing the bar exam may apply. Documentation of passing the bar exam and legal practice must be submitted along with the other required documents.
You can download an application form from our website
Completed applications and required documents should be mailed to:
University of Texas School of Law
LL.M. Admissions Coordinator
727 E. Dean Keeton St
Austin, TX 78705 US
The law school curriculum is rigorous and demands a strong command of English.
We require a TOEFL with a minimum score of 100 on the (IBT) internet-based test, 250 on the CBT (computer-based test), or 600 on the PBT (paper-based test). The TOEFL institution code is 6882 03. http://www.toefl.org/
We also accept an IELTS Overall Band Score of 7 or higher. There is no institution code for IELTS. The official score should be sent directly to the LL.M. Program Coordinator at the Law School address. http://www.ielts.org
If you hold a law degree from a U.S. law school you are exempt from the TOEFL.
Yes. A $200.00 deposit is required to confirm your place in the LL.M. program. The deposit may be paid with a money order, cashier’s check, Mastercard or Discover card. UT does not accept VISA or American Express.
The enrollment deposit will be applied to your fall tuition. If you do not matriculate into the LL.M. program, the deposit is forfeited.
You may reapply by sending a new application form and personal statement, an updated resume, the $75.00 application fee, and any additional new information, including a TOEFL or IELTS score if your score was below our minimum.
If you applied more than one year ago, you will need to submit all of the required documents as if a new application, including transcripts, letters of recommendation and TOEFL score.
Most of the courses are taken from the J.D. curriculum. There are a few specific requirements for LL.M. students.
LL.M. students with a civil law degree are required to take “Fundamentals of American Law”, a course designed specifically for the LL.M. students.
Students in the U.S. Law for Foreign Lawyers will also take one first year course, such as Contracts, Torts, Property, Civil Procedure, or Criminal Law.
Students in the Latin American & International LL.M. will take a minimum of 12 credit hours in courses with Latin American or International content. Graduate level classes may be taken at the Teresa Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies and will count toward this 12 hour requirement.
LL.M. students will enroll in one seminar or two hour directed research to meet the writing requirement.
The fall class schedule will be posted online in March 2008. Spring 2009 courses will be posted online in October 2008.
List of courses that are being currently taught
Course areas and related classes
Not all courses are taught each semester. There are conflicts that occasionally arise and changes in the schedule may occur.
Course selection and registration is during orientation. Please be aware that the current J.D. students preregister for fall classes in the previous spring semester. While we do hold some places in courses that are popular with LL.M. students, some courses may be full. It may not be possible to obtain every course you want during your initial registration. During the first 12 days of class there is a period of adds and drops. Most students are able to obtain preferred classes during this time.
Registration for the spring semester courses takes place in October for all current law students.
Tuition and fees are set by the Texas Legislature and the University Board of Regents. They are subject to change without notice. The 2007-2008 tuition and fees for 24 credit hours are $30,829.00 for Non Texas Residents and $17,821.00 for Texas Residents. The rates for 2008-2009 may increase.
Living expenses are estimated at about $14,000.00 for the year. This is based on a frugal student lifestyle.
Tuition is assessed and paid by semester. Fall tuition for new students will be due within a few days after registration in late August. Students may pay the full semester tuition, or they may pay in installments.
If the installment option is chosen, the first half is due immediately and then there will be two more installment payments, each one month apart. There is a small fee for the installment option.
The spring tuition will be due in early January. The installment option may be used in spring also.
The fee bill may be paid by Mastercard, Discovercard, echeck, cash or a check.
Financial aid for international LL.M. students is extremely limited. Applicants are strongly encouraged to investigate other sources of support, such as government or employer grants, scholarships, and loans.
Non-U.S. citizens may be able to apply for private loans with a co-signer who is a U.S. citizen.
U.S. citizens and permanent residence may apply for federal financial aid loans.
Yes, all international students must purchase coverage under the University of Texas student health insurance plan. Individual mandatory coverage will cost approximately $1175 per year. New students will have an additional $87 fee added to cover the 30 days prior to enrollment. Enrollment is automatic and the fee is added directly to the student’s fee bill.
If you have an insurance policy through employment or sponsoring agency that meets the University of Texas requirements, you may petition to waive the mandatory coverage through the International Office. Additional information is available on the International Office website.
Accompanying F2 dependent insurance coverage (spouse and children) is optional, but strongly recommended. Medical expenses in the United States can be very expensive. For 2007-2008, spouse insurance coverage is $3265 and child coverage is $1767.00. The child coverage includes one or more children. Rates may increase for 2008-2009.
Accompanying J2 dependent coverage (spouse and children) is mandatory.
Each state sets its own standards for admission of attorneys. Requirements differ from state to state. Review the requirements for any state in which you might want to practice and then contact the Board of Legal Examiners in that state. The American Bar Association provides a list of each state’s bar admissions offices and a comprehensive guide for bar admissions.
Many of our LL.M. graduates are eligible to take the New York Bar Exam.
Requirements for the NY Bar (Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on Foreign Legal Education)
Austin is the capital city of Texas and considers itself the “The Live Music Capital of the World.” Austin is a lively and exciting place to live. The quality of life is excellent—the cost of living is very reasonable and the climate is moderate.
The University has limited housing for graduate and professional students.
Information on graduate student apartments (Click on apartments)
Law students do not usually live on campus, as the dormitories are geared toward incoming first year students.
There are many private apartment complexes near the University in different price ranges. You will be able to find many amenities in these apartment complexes, such as fitness centers, pools, tennis courts, clubhouses, etc. The UT shuttle bus system provides access to apartments that are further away from campus.
Admittedly, transportation is easier with a car. However, many students do not buy a car and are fine.
The university has a very effective shuttle bus system along with the city of Austin bus system. UT Austin students may ride on the city buses at no charge with their student ID card. Access to the many parts of the city is available through the bus system, Capital Metro.
Some students buy used cars fairly inexpensively (sometimes from graduating students). If you decide not to buy a car, it is recommended that you live near the campus, on a shuttle bus route, or a city bus route.