Master of Laws Admissions Information
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Eligibility And Academic Requirements
To qualify for admission to this program, students submitting an application must have earned their first law degree (LL.B. or equivalent) outside the United States. Admissions are highly selective and those admitted will have excellent law school records, strong letters of recommendation and strong English skills and leadership potential as demonstrated by the Writing Sample and Personal Statement. Although not required, some work or research experience following completion of the first law degree is preferred. The Admissions Committee carefully examines all parts of the application. The LL.M. Program does not require applicants to take the LSAT, however we do require the TOEFL exam (see below for specific TOEFL requirements).
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Our Admissions Committee
The Admissions Committee carefully examines all parts of the application. The committee reads all files thoroughly and considers each application on an individual basis. All committee decisions are final. Interviews will be conducted at our discretion. We will contact the applicant if the Admissions Committee feels that an interview is necessary.
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To Apply
STEP 1-APPLY ONLINE OR DOWNLOAD PDF APPLICATION
There are two options to submit your application. You may either follow the instructions below to APPLY ONLINE (through our LSAC e-application), or you may download and fill-in the PDF application form, print and mail directly to USC Gould School of Law with each of your required application documents. We will provide priority review of all applications utilizing our LSAC e-application and the LSAC Credential Assembly Service.
The USC LL.M. application form may be submitted online through our LSAC electronic application. Please visit our APPLY NOW link and click on APPLY ONLINE. You will be directed to our LSAC e-application. If you do not have an LSAC account, please use the Register button on the left-hand side. You will be redirected to the LLM Credential Assembly Service site where you will register for the LLM electronic application service only.* Your account will be used for all future transactions with LSAC. If you have previously registered for any LSAC service, such as LSAT, LSDAS, LLM Credential Service, or you've purchased publications online or completed an electronic application for a law school through LSAC, you already have an account. Please use the Start button on the right-hand side.
*Note:This process will NOT register you with the **LLM Credential Assembly Service. You can convert your existing electronic application-only account to a Credential Assembly Service account by completing the full registration process at www.LLM.LSAC.org Be sure to enter as an existing user.
**LSAC Credential Assembly Service To save you time and money, we highly recommend that applicants use the Law School Admission Council's (LSAC) Credential Assembly Service to collect, authenticate and distribute your university records to each of the participating law schools to which you apply. We will provide priority review of all applications utilizing LSAC's service. You must register online at www.llm.lsac.org, pay the registration fee of $185 and submit your transcripts and TOEFL scores one time to be distributed to law schools of your choice. Registration for this service is valid for a period of five years and includes five free law school reports. If you have registered for LSAC's Credential Assembly Service please write your LSAC account number in the space provided on the top of your application form. If you decide to use this service we strongly suggest you register before you send us your application.
WE DO NOT GRANT FEE REDUCTIONS FOR THE LSAC CREDENTIAL ASSEMBLY SERVICE.
STEP 2-MAIL DOCUMENTS TO USC
Please submit your completed application form and required documents to USC Gould School of Law. Please visit the APPLY NOW link for a complete list of application requirements. We will NOT review your application until all of your materials have been received; therefore we highly recommend that you mail the above documents in one complete package in order to expedite the review by the Admissions Committee.
If you are applying online, in addition to submitting your LSAC e-application you MUST also print and mail your application to USC Gould School of Law with your TOEFL report, official sealed transcripts and degree verification documents (with notarized official English translations), original financial support documentation, and 2 sealed letters of recommendation. The remaining application documents may be attached electronically and submitted with your online application.
Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) Requirements
The ability to communicate effectively in English-to read, write and speak the language fluently-is vital to your success as a graduate law student. Receipt of a USC master's degree signifies that its holder is fully qualified to conduct academic and professional pursuits in English.
Therefore, the TOEFL exam (Test of English as a Foreign Language) is required by ALL international applicants seeking admission to our graduate law program. Test scores are valid for two years. A TOEFL score of 600 on the paper-based test, 250 on computer-based test, or 100 on the internet-based test, is the minimum score required by USC's Graduate Admissions. If you are admitted to our program and do not meet this requirement, upon arrival to USC you will be required to take the International Student English Examination (ISE) which is a free placement examination that determines the English proficiency of international students. Your level of achievement on the ISE will determine whether you must enroll in English-language courses at your expense at USC before or during your first semester.
Please request that your test scores are sent to USC at the time you pre-register to take the test in order to avoid delays in processing your application. The University's institutional code number is 4852. Please send a photocopy of your official TOEFL score with your application. However, official scores must be forwarded to USC by the testing agency. You MUST take the test well in advance of the March 1 application deadline since it may take several months for ETS to transmit TOEFL scores to USC. Applicants using the Law School Admission Council's (LSAC) LL.M. Credential Assembly Service should forward their official TOEFL test scores directly to LSAC. LSAC's TOEFL institutional code is 8395. Address all inquiries to: TOEFL, Educational Testing Service, Box 6151, Princeton, NJ 08541-6151, USA.
TOEFL Waiver Requests: Waiver requests will ONLY be considered if your native language is English or if you possess an undergraduate law degree from an institution in which English is the primary language of instruction. You must ensure that the academic transcripts you submit verify that your degree was obtained from an English-speaking institution. TOEFL waiver requests will be granted on a case by case basis.
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Deadline
Applications and all supporting documents must be postmarked by February 1 of the year in which you would like to enroll. Applications received after February 1 will be considered upon availability. Enrollment is limited to the fall semester, which begins in August.
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Admissions Decisions
The Admissions Committee normally begins to mail admissions decisions in March which will continue through May. We will review applications as quickly as possible. Once an admissions decision is reached, the applicant will be notified immediately via email and postal mail. Applications that are completed prior to the February 1 deadline will receive priority review.
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Degree Requirements
To earn an LL.M. degree, students are required to be present in residence at USC attending classes and must successfully complete 21 units of credit (two semesters' study). LL.M. students are required to take two courses - Introduction to the U.S. Legal System (2 units of credit) and Legal Research (1 unit of credit) in their first semester. Students will satisfy their remaining course requirements over the two semesters by enrolling in courses from among those offered in the J.D. and LL.M. program.
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Tuition and Costs
The tuition and fees for the 2009-2010 LL.M. Program will be approximately $42,968. Students should budget an additional $18,000-$25,000 for living expenses, books and school supplies. Please contact the Graduate & International Programs Office for current tuition and fee amounts.
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Financial Aid And Scholarships
Applicants requiring financial aid should make every effort to obtain assistance from their governments or other outside sources. USC offers very limited financial aid resources to foreign LL.M. students.
If you are a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or have been granted political asylum and are interested in securing student loans through USC, please contact Mary Bingham in our Law School Financial Aid Office at:lawfao@law.usc.edu.
If you are NOT a U.S. citizen or permanent resident and have questions about financial aid, please contact the Graduate & International Programs Office at: llm@law.usc.edu.
The Graduate & International Programs Office offers a limited number of merit-based scholarships each year. A small amount of scholarship assistance based on merit is awarded to outstanding applicants. Very qualified applicants should submit a letter requesting scholarship consideration when applying to the LL.M. Program. Please contact the Graduate & International Programs Office if you have any scholarship questions.
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Transferring
Law students who are enrolled in USC Law’s LL.M. Program may apply to our J.D. Program as Transfer LL.M. students during the transfer application period. Applicants must be in good standing.
The admissions process is very selective. The applicant’s LL.M. and LL.B. grades, LL.M. class standing and the difficulty of coursework taken in the LL.M. Program will be considered. Applicants will be required to provide two letters of recommendation, one of which must be from a USC Law faculty member. The Law School Admission Test (LSAT) is not required.
Transfer applications may be obtained by contacting the J.D. Admissions office. All J.D. application documents will be submitted directly to the J.D. Admissions office and will not be submitted through LSAC and JD-CAS. Application materials may be submitted no earlier than May 1st and no later than the postmark deadline of July 1st for fall matriculation. Admitted students may not defer their enrollment.
Interested USC Law students should visit the G&IP Student portal where our comprehensive “USC Transfer LL.M. Students to the J.D. Program: Policies, Guidelines & Graduation Requirements” can be located.
Only students currently enrolled in USC Law’s LL.M. Program may apply in this manner. Those who have already been awarded an LL.M. at another U.S. law school may apply as International J.D. applicants to our three-year program.
http://law.usc.edu/admissions/applications/international.cfm
http://law.usc.edu/admissions/applynow.cfm
All International J.D. application documents must be submitted through LSAC and JD-CAS. This will require the submission of a valid LSAT score.
Those who are admitted to the J.D. Program will be required to successfully complete all of the requirements of the USC Law J.D. Program. No credit will be given toward the J.D. degree for classes taken during a student’s LL.M. outside of USC Law. Advanced standing will not be granted. Admitted students may not defer their enrollment. With roughly 200 spaces to fill in each year’s entering class, admission is very highly selective.
