Master of Laws (LL.M.) for International Lawyers
This LLM program is designed for international law graduates who seek an academic program in order to qualify to take the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE). An applicant who has studied in a foreign country may qualify to take the Uniform Bar Exam to practice in New York state by submitting to the New York State Board of Law Examiners satisfactory proof of the legal education as required by Part 520.6 of the Rules of the Court of Appeals for the Admission of Attorneys and Counselors at Law. For foreign law graduates whose law degree does not meet the durational equivalency requirements, the applicant can satisfy the requirements by earning an LLM degree from a full-time or part-time program in an approved law school in the United States. The LLM Program at Albany Law School is an approved program that prepares and qualifies foreign-educated law graduates to sit for the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE).
See here for advanced evaluation of eligibility to sit for the UBE
Applicants for the LLM for International Law Graduates who intend to take the Uniform Bar Exam should be aware that success on the examination is a difficult task. Therefore, LLM candidates who plan to take the Uniform Bar Exam are strongly encouraged to take core courses, listed below, to maximize each candidate's ability to pass the bar examination.
Required courses are:
- Legal Profession or Professional Responsibility Seminar (3 credits)
- Legal Research and Writing (2 credits)
- At least one of the following:
- U.S. Constitutional Law I (4 credits)
- U.S. Constitutional Law II (2 credits)
- Federal Civil Procedure (4 credits )
- Advanced Legal Analysis II (bar preparation course) (2 credits)
In addition to the required courses set out above, at least six credit hours must be successfully completed from the following bar courses:
- Criminal Procedure: Investigation
- Criminal Procedure: Adjudication
- Constitutional Law I
- Constitutional Law II
- Contracts I
- Contracts II (Contracts I is a prerequisite)
- Commercial Law Survey
- Federal Civil Procedure
- Torts
- Evidence
- Business Organizations
- Property I and/or II
- Trusts & Estates
- Criminal Law
Experiential Requirement:
Students must complete at least six credits from the menu of experiential courses, one of which must be a clinic or field placement. (A student who has been authorized to practice law in another country, or territory or commonwealth outside the continental United States may waive this requirement by establishing and submitting proof that the student has been in good standing and practiced law in that jurisdiction full-time for at least one year or half-time for two years following the student’s authorization to practice.)
Summer Session: A maximum of four credit hours may be earned in courses completed during summer semesters. (See Court of Appeals Rules for the Admission of Attorneys )
Distance Learning: No credit shall be allowed for correspondence courses, on-line courses, courses offered on DVD or other media, or other distance learning courses (See COA Rules)
Evidence of English Proficiency
All applicants for the LLM for International Graduates are required to provide evidence of English proficiency, if English is not the primary language in which your prior education was delivered. TOEFL® or IELTS is preferred. TOEFL® Minimum score Albany Law School Fall 2023 - LLM International Application Page 1 of 13 = 580 on paper (range 310 to 677); 250 on computer (range 0 to 300); and 100 on Internet-based (range 0 to 120).
Financial Documentation (not required for U.S. citizens or permanent residents)
A completed "International Student Financial Statement" is required to document your ability to pay the cost of attendance and in order to prepare the I-20 necessary to obtain the F-1 student visa. This financial statement should be submitted upon receipt of an official offer of admission.
Questions
Contact the Albany Law School Admissions Office at 518-445-2326 or admissions@albanylaw.edu.
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