12月30日(火) 朝けっこう早めに目が覚めたが嫁は起きてこない。昨晩書き終えた年賀状を郵便局に投函に行った。朝食は朝マックしてみた。すごくひさしぶり。店も静かでよかった。読書できた。夕方からは大学時代のクラブの忘年会が三宮であった。ゼロ次会から参戦。3つ上から今の4年生まで、計10世代が集まる大忘年会となった。楽しかった。帰りのJRが途中で止まったが何とか大阪まで行き着いた。地下鉄はもう終わっていたのでタクシーで帰宅。

22日(月) 職場の忘年会。
23日(火) 天皇誕生日で会社は休み。胃に違和感を感じていたのだが、就寝後の2時半ごろに我慢できなくなって起き出し、嘔吐。その後5時にも起きて嘔吐。翌24日(水)は会社を休んだ。昼間に38.6度まで熱が上がり、インフルエンザかと思ったが、胃腸と発熱以外には症状が出ないので違うようだと思った。
25日(木) 熱は37度台まで下がってきた。インフルエンザではないと判明。会社はもう1日休ませてもらうことにした。
26日(金) ほぼ回復したので出社。しかし、夕方くらいになってくると体力的にきつくなってきて、定時後早々に帰宅した。
27日(土) 今年は会社の決定で今日も出勤日。翌週29日を休みにするためと思われる。普通に出社して仕事ができた。
28日(日) 一日家で休養。年賀状作りをした。

読書
西村高等法務研究所 編「金融商品取引法と企業戦略」
金融技術の発達などで規制が追いつかなくなっている状況を実務の第一線に立つ弁護士が説明しており、臨場感があって面白かった。


アンソニー・プラトカニス他著「プロパガンダ」
常に情報に取り囲まれて生活しているわれわれは、その情報を発信している者の意図を立ち止まって考える必要があります。そうしないと、無意識のうちに行動をコントロールされることになります。


塩野七生著「ローマ人の物語〈6〉― パクス・ロマーナ」
天才でない人が、天才が成しえなかった事業を完成させる。

Georgetownからの、うす～い封筒がポストに入っていた。
開封する前から察しがついたが、不合格の通知であった。

Georgetownについてはビジネス関係の法分野はあまり強くないという話も聞くが、正直「当てにしていた」学校のひとつだったので、少し落ち込んだ。

George Washingtonからの合格通知を先に受けていなかったら、相当なショックを受けていただろうと思う。GWにかなり親近感が湧いてきている今日このごろ。願書を取り寄せたときに一緒に送ってきてくれた資料（Bulletinなど）を引っ張り出して読んだりしている。

Note PCはOSがWindows Vistaなのだが、スリープ機能に障害を抱えていて（勝手に復帰してしまい、放置しておくと異常終了する）、いちいち使用後にシャットダウンしなければならず不便だったが、ネットで検索するとほかにも同じ問題で悩み、解決した人がたくさんいるらしいことがわかった。結果として、ネットワークアダプタのWake on Lanの機能をOffにすることで、解決したようだ。使いたいときに起動時間の間待たされることがなくなり、だいぶ使い勝手がよくなりそう。

12月20日早朝、米国時間19日に、George Washingtonから合格を知らせるEメールが来ていた。別途郵便で正式な通知が来るとのこと。

まずは、会社から留学派遣者として選定されているにもかかわらず「どこにも行くところがない」という最悪の事態は免れることができ、ひと安心。

Eメールには、来年1月末までに、500ドルのデポジットと「入学意向書」を提出するように、との指示が記されている。ほかの多数のLaw Schoolの結果が出るのはもっと先と思われるので、期限の延期を申し入れる必要があると思われる。

火曜は、半年前に受けた健康診断で、少し異常があったので受けることになった「６ヶ月後再検診」。当日の朝は絶飲食のうえで、血液検査をした。

今週のうちに、NYU, Penn, Northwestern, USC, BU, GWについてコンプリートの確認ができた。（OnlineでのStatus CheckまたはEメールでの確認。）
残るはStanfordのみ。

読書
池田信夫他著「ネットがテレビを飲み込む日」
２００６年の本で内容が少し古くなっている部分もあるが、それでお通信と放送の融合を考える上で大いに参考になる。


水村美苗著「日本語が亡びるとき―英語の世紀の中で」
ネイティブの域には到底到達できないことを知りつつも、やはり真剣に英語を勉強しようと思った。


三浦哲著「できる人はビジネス洋書を読んでいる」
洋書を読もうかなと思ったタイミングでちょうどこのタイトルと出会ってしまったがために購入してしまった本。内容薄く、おすすめしません。

今週、12月中にApplication Deadlineを迎える、いわゆる難関校に提出するには最後のTOEFLとなった、11月15日の試験の結果が出た。結局、6月7日に出た104を超えることはできなかった。Speakingの対策（定型フォーマットを覚えて諳んじられるようにしておく）をやってみたのだが、残念ながらスコアアップには結びつかなかった。

Georgetown、UCLAについてはOnline Status CheckでApplicationの状況を確認でき、コンプリートしていることを確認できた。
他のLaw Schoolについては特にコンプリートの連絡がないので、まずはEmailを出して状況の確認をしているところ。

読書
保田隆明「実況LIVE 企業ファイナンス入門講座」：コーポレートファイナンスに関する入門書で、たしかに読みやすい。しかし、会社法について理解不十分なところや誤解を招くのではないかと思われる点も散見され、まあファイナンスの専門家っていうと大体こんなものなのかなあと思った。まあ会社法に関する部分はファイナンスを本論とすれば傍論ともいうべきもので、目くじらを立てるべきところではないのかもしれないが、傍論にいい加減なことが書いてあると、本論のところの正確性も大丈夫なんかいな、という疑問を抱かざるを得ないのもたしか。


パトリシア A.マキリップ「妖女サイベルの呼び声」：ファンタジー小説であるが、子供向けというレベルのものではなく、構成・人物描写がしっかりしている。面白かった。

ほとんどのLaw Schoolが、Onlineで出願を受け付けるようになっている。ブラウザ上でテキストで情報を入力していくところもあるが、PDFのフォームに入力していく形のところもある。
また、いまだに紙の出願書類を要求するところでも、フォーム自体はPDFで提供されているところがほとんど。

効率的な出願書類（電子的または紙）の作成には、PDFをいかに効率的に操作するかという面が大きい。
ここで、いろいろなツールが紹介・推奨されているが、私はこれに関しては迷うことなくこれが一番と思う。
それは Adobe Acrobat。問題点は高価格。職場で導入している場合は問題ないだろうが、個人で買うには高い。私は職場でAcrobatにアクセスできる環境にはない。しかし、トライアル版を30日間は利用できる。これを、使わせてもらった。ほかのツールと何が違うかというと、フォームフィールドを一気に抽出できるところ。これは強烈に効率がよい。何かの具合で抽出しそこなった部分にも、簡単にフィールドを作成していける。これはほかのツールと同じ要領だが。

フォームへの入力自体はフリーのソフトでもできるものがあるので、それでかまわない。しかし、フォームフィールドを作っていくのが手間がかかる。これを効率化できるAcrobatはぜひ使うべきだと思う。30日間にその作業ができるよう、出願作業のピーク時に導入するか、出願校のApplication Formや他の書類のPDFをひととおり手に入れた時に導入して一気にフィールド抽出をやっつけてしまうかだと思う。
フィールドさえ一気に作ってしまえば、そこに入力していく内容は後からじっくり考えながら、フリーのツールで入力していけばよい。

もちろん、お金を気にしない人は普通に製品を購入されればよいと思いますが。

履歴書及び推薦状についても、こちらの書籍を参考にさせていただいた。


また、書籍以外にも、ブログなどで先達の皆様がいろいろと残しておられるので、あまり書くことはない。

ただ一点。
エッセイもそうだが、自分の文章として英文を書き、大学に提出するものについては、ネイティブチェックを受けるべきであると多くの先達も言われている。ここで気をつけたいのは、英文の質はネイティブチェックで改善できるとしても、「ネタ」は自分で考えるしかないということ。つまり、「ネタ」を振り絞ってドラフトに入れておかないと、ネイティブチェックではそこはサポートできない。ネタづくり→ネイティブチェック→実際の出願
、という段取り、ロジスティクスをよく考えておかないと、たとえば次のようなことが起こる。

大体こんな感じでネタ出しができたなーという段階までドラフトを仕上げる
↓
ネイティブチェックをお願いし、自然な感じの格調高い（と感じられる）英文になる
↓
さあ出願、という時期になって、追加したい、よさそうな「ネタ」を思いつく
↓
追加ネタについて自分なりに英文を作るが、その部分だけ英文がぎこちなく、周りと調和してない（ような気がする）
↓
さあどうしよう

ということで、ネタづくり→ネイティブチェック→実際の出願、という段取りはしっかり考えておいたほうがよいと思います。

出願書類の中でも最も重要と思われる、エッセイ、またの名をPersonal Statement。

これについても、先達がアドバイスを残してくださっている。特に的確だと思ったもの：

ロースクール出願準備｜グラ可愛系働きマン＠東京～ニューヨーク:
http://ameblo.jp/juicy-611/theme-10006755913.html

Nikkimemo
http://nikkimemo.blogspot.com/2007/01/law-schoolpersonal-statement-1.html

書籍も参考にした。

大学院留学のためのエッセーと推薦状―ビジネススクール、ロースクール出願完全ガイド

米国Law Schoolに留学することが決まったらすぐに取り組むべきなのが、TOEFL対策だと思う。
TOEFLは英語を母語としない留学志望の人のための英語の試験で、Reading, Listening, Speaking, Writingの4つのセクションからなる。英語に不自由のないバイリンガルな人は別にして、普通の日本人は一般にSpeakingを苦手とするようである。TOEFLを主催するテスト機関の統計で、Readingのスコアは日本人は他の先進国と比べてもむしろ高い一方、Speakingはというと、他の先進国に大きく水をあけられている。同じくらいの平均点をとる受験生の属性は、あまり聞いたことのない国・地域の方々のようである。

対策としては、まず何はともあれ試験の形式を知ること。試験を主催する機関・ETSがガイドブックを出しているので、一読することをおすすめする。

各セクションの実践的な対策については、先達の方々が非常に参考になる情報を提供してくださっている。特に私が的確だと思ったのはこちら。
ロースクール出願準備｜グラ可愛系働きマン＠東京～ニューヨーク:
http://ameblo.jp/juicy-611/theme-10006755913.html

それなりの点を狙うには、試験の形式への「慣れ」も相当あるので、何度か受ける必要があると思われる。私は結局10回受けたが、うち2回ほどは試験場・設備のトラブルでまともなスコアが出なかった。こういう場合、救済措置としては、もう一度試験を受けることのできる無料クーポンをもらえるということになる。また、1回は行く途中のトラブルで開始時間に間に合わず、結局受けることができなかった。こういったこともあるので、時期的に余裕を持って、何回か受けるつもりでスケジュールを組むことが大事と思う。

日本の大学を出てLLMに出願するのに一般に必要となるものは次のとおり。

1. 法学部や法学大学院の学位／成績
2. TOEFLスコア
3. エッセイ（Personal Statement）
4. 履歴書（Resume/CV）
5. 推薦状

法学部を出ていれば、基本的にLLMに出願できる。大学の際の成績を証明する英文の書類を大学に作成してもらう必要がある。ほとんど全部のLaw Schoolが、LSACと呼ばれる機関に参加しており、特に多くのLaw Schoolに出願する場合には、LSACの利用が便利である。LSACに成績証明書を送付しておけば、個々のLaw SchoolにはLSACに照会がいき、LSACがレポートを発行してくれる。LSACの利用料は185ドル、レポートは5校分までが利用料に含まれており、追加分は1校につき15ドル。私の出身大学の場合は、証明書の発行は無料で、英文の書類の作成や、発行した証明書を封筒に封緘するといったような米国Law Schoolへの提出にも慣れており、対応も早かった。Law Schoolによっては、大学が学生を順位付けしていないことを証明する書類を求めるところもあったが、これも先例があったようで、すぐに対応してくれた。

予定通り、StanfordとGeorge Washingtonへの出願書類を発送。この２校は、Onlineでの出願ではなく、紙のApplication Formを作って提出する必要があり、したがってApplication FeeもOnlineでクレジットカードで支払うことができず、銀行で小切手を作る必要があった。

これで、当初出願する予定だった１０校すべてについて、ひととおり出願作業を終えたことになる。
年末から春先にかけての合否通知を待つ状態となった。場合によっては、追加的な推薦状などの手立てを講じる必要があるかもしれない。仮に、それでもまったくどこにも合格できなかったら、追加で出願する学校を探して、急いで出願する必要がある。そうはならないと予想しているのだが、まあ当然将来のことなので確実なことはいえない。

LLM出願について、参考にした情報源を下記に記す。また、順次、必要なステップについて書いていこうと思う。

［主な情報源］

• 会社派遣でLLM留学した先輩のファイル：　企業派遣ならではの情報源。具体的な作成書類の体裁や、細かい部分の言い回しなどが参考にでき、出願作業がピークに入り、多くの書類を急いで作らなければならないときに、非常にありがたかった。また、社内手続についてはほぼ唯一の情報源。
• 書籍　日米教育委員会・アルク編著「アメリカ留学公式ガイドブック」：　LLMに関する情報は少ないが、アメリカへの留学全般について、大学選択、出願、渡航に必要なビザ、現地での生活等々、重要な情報が網羅されていると思う。
  
  
  LLMについては、日米教育委員会のWebサイト「アメリカ留学の基礎知識（法律大学院）」がある。http://www.fulbright.jp/study/res/law.html
• LLM GUIDE：　LLMに関するポータルサイト。学校に関する情報があるほか、掲示板等もあるようだ（見たことはない）。http://www.llm-guide.com/usa
• US News　http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/grad　Law Schoolのランキング。

以下、先達の方々のブログ。

• From Center of the City http://internationallegal.blog22.fc2.com/
• グラ可愛系働きマン＠東京～ニューヨーク　http://ameblo.jp/juicy-611/　官庁派遣でコロンビアに留学されている才媛。特にTOEFLに関するアドバイスは傾聴に値すると思う。
• アメリカのロースクールへ行こう！　http://uslawschool.cocolog-nifty.com/blog/　
• Nikkimemo　http://nikkimemo.blogspot.com/　論理的な文章、効率を追求する姿勢がかっこいい。
• アメリカのロースクールへの留学を目指します　http://donotdisturbme.blog50.fc2.com/　
• NY THEMES　http://chicagolaw.exblog.jp/

出願の状況。（GTは完了済み。）

1. Columbia　Supplemental materials（紙の資料）をEMSで発送。
2. NYU　Supplemental materials（紙の資料）をEMSで発送。
3. Penn　Supplemental materials（紙の資料）をEMSで発送。
4. Northwestern　Supplemental materials（紙の資料）をEMSで発送。
5. UCLA　Supplemental materials（紙の資料）をEMSで発送。

LSACのWebサイトを見ると、

• GT、UCLAについてはLSACにRequestが行き、既にLSACからReportがされている模様。
• NYU、USCについては、LSACにRequestが行っている模様。
  

BU、USC、GWの「財政証明書」については、前回の派遣者の書類を参考にドラフトを作成して人事部に提出したところ、すぐにサインしていただけた。

• BU　財政証明書を含め、Supplemental materials（紙の資料）をEMSで発送。
• USC　ちょうど今日外出する用事があったので、その途中で証明写真の撮影機でパスポート用写真を作成。財政証明書、証明写真を含め、Supplemental materials（紙の資料）をEMSで発送。

Admission Feeをクレジットカードで支払えず、Check 小切手を作らざるを得ないStanfordとGWについては、次のとおり。

• Stanford　Admission Feeについては銀行（邦銀）の支店で小切手を作成する手続をとった。２日かかると言われたが、１日でできたと自宅に連絡があったもよう（家族が対応）。明日11/27に小切手を受け取り、それを封入してEMSで発送する予定。
• GW　Admission Feeの小切手をStanfordと同じく銀行で作成手続済み。すでに作成されたとの連絡を受けている。明日、銀行で小切手を受け取り、Application Formなど必要書類を一式まとめてEMSで発送予定。
  

ということで、残るはStanfordとGWのみとなり（両校とも明日発送予定）、出願についてはゴール目前。後は引き気味だった仕事のラインに戻りつつ、合否結果を待って、願わくは「追加出願校選定＆出願作業」ではなく、「（複数合格の場合）入学先の検討」「渡航中の費用面、人事面の手配」「渡航手続き（ビザなど）」を仕事の合間に進めていく、という感じになればよいのであるが。

11月はじめに受けたTOEFLの結果が出た。結局、6月にとったスコアを超えることはできなかった。
6月のスコアで出願を進めるほかないと判断。以下、現在の状況。

1. Stanford　紙の出願書類を準備。あとはApplication Feeを用意するのみ。
2. Columbia　Onlineでの出願を完了。
3. NYU　Onlineでの出願を完了。
4. Penn　Onlineでの出願を完了。
5. Northwestern　Onlineでの出願を完了。
6. UCLA　Onlineでの出願を完了。
7. Georgetown　Onlineでの出願を完了。Supplemental materialsもEMSで送付。LSACへのRequestを確認。
   
8. BU　Onlineでの出願を完了。

会社の「財政証明書」が必要なLaw Schoolが３校（BU、George Washington、USC）あり、週明け早々に対応する予定。

その他のLaw Schoolに関しては、一部Application Feeを除いては既に必要書類が揃っているので、週明けに最終確認してEMSで送付予定。

それにしても、TOEFL iBTのSpeakingは、点数が伸びない。

11/4(火)　前日が祝日だったので今週は火曜日からスタート。午後に職場の避難訓練が予定されていたが、例年寒い中で震えながら消防署長ほかのありがたいお話を拝聴するうちに風邪をひいてしまったりしていたが、今年は違う。この日に母校の神戸大学に行き、恩師の法学部教授に、米国Law Schoolに提出するための推薦状にサインをいただきに伺った。手土産はデパートで買った菓子折りと、実家の果樹園で収穫された葡萄（ピオーネ）。お忙しい中時間を割いていただき、10校分の多量の書類にサインをいただいた。感謝。

11/9(日）　兵庫県民ホッケー選手権大会＠篠山ホッケー場。対GENESIS戦。前半１－１、後半２－２と、計３－３という試合。個々のプレーヤーの実力的には相手のほうが数段上だが、カウンター攻撃がはまって得点を重ねた。結局Penalty Stroke戦となり、３－４で敗れた。惜しかった。個人的にはポジション取りと周りとの連携があまりうまくいかなかったのと、少ないシュートチャンスを活かせなかったのが心残り。ともあれ、今年のホッケー納めとなった。来年はシーズン明け直後くらいに渡米予定なので、当分ホッケーはできないかもしれない。

映画
「フラガール」
「バンテージ･ポイント」

読書
ニコラス・G・カー「クラウド化する世界」
D・カーネギー「人を動かす　新装版」
竹中平蔵「竹中式マトリクス勉強法」

TOEFLを受けた。
10月中旬に受けた結果がつい数日前に出たのだが、かなり手ごたえのあったSpeakingが、はじめて受けてほとんど「アーウー」しか言えなかったときと１点しか違わないという惨憺たる結果に。Hardware Checkのときにヘッドフォンから何か「バリバリ」という割れるような音がしがちだったのに、そのまま流したのが悪かったと今にして思う。やはり不審な点があれば、しっかり申し出なければ。もう受験する機会も少なくなっていることだし、そういう面も含めて真剣に取り組む必要がある。Speaking以外は、Readingではじめて満点（30点）をたたき出しており、ますますSpeakingの失敗（というか、回答自体はかなり手ごたえがあったのに。）が悔やまれる。

今回は、マイクの割れる音もなく、Speakingもまあがんばってしゃべれたと思うので、半月後のスコアを楽しみに待ちたい。

各Law Schoolへの出願のほうはもう進めていく必要があるので、スコアは後日Updateという形にする。

来週は大学の教授の研究室に推薦状をいただきに伺う予定。

夜は、名作映画「Ben Hur」を鑑賞。うーん、重厚。演技はもちろん、衣装や撮影セットもすごい。長いけど苦にならない。

金曜日に浜松町にある事業所に出張。目的地のビルにつく直前、いわゆるゲリラ豪雨に襲われ、びしょ濡れに。すさまじかった。
午後から夜にかけて、東京タワーと芝公園のよく見える会議室に缶詰め状態だった。
無事にミッションを終了して、浜松町北口近くに確保しておいたビジネスホテルに宿泊。
電話で予約するときには「喫煙ルームしか空いていません」とのことで、空きが出れば禁煙ルームに移してくれるとのことだったが、当日行ってみれば禁煙ルームかつツインルームをシングルユース。しかもシングル料金。幸運。

土曜は、まずはホテルの朝食ブッフェでゆったりと朝食を摂ったあと、東京駅のコインロッカーに重い荷物を預けて、観光に出かけた。
まずは日本橋の千疋屋総本店へ。三越をのぞいたあと、丸の内方面へ。
将門塚を訪ねた後、大手門から皇居へ。博物館でパリ万博に出展した名品を観た。
天守台、二の丸庭園をはじめ、皇居内をくるりと一周。
ふたたび大手門をくぐり、皇居外苑を歩き、楠公像を見つつ日比谷方面へ。

帝国ホテルのParkside Dinerで昼食。クラブサンドをいただいた。
有楽町からJRに乗って東京駅に戻り、荷物をピックアップして新幹線にのり、大阪へ戻ってきた。

実家の果樹園で収穫された葡萄 ピオーネを採用いただいているケーキをいただきました。
さわやかな甘みでGood!

今日は職場のレクレーションで京都に出かける予定だったのだが、昨日から体調を崩して欠席。
家で"A River Runs Through It"のDVDを観た。モンタナの景色が美しくてよいのだけれど、なんとも切ない映画だ。もう何回も観ている。

陽気に誘われて、ロードバイクにまたがって淀川沿いの自転車道を走った。
枚方まで行くと、広い芝生のスペースが広がっていて、寝転がって少し眠り、読書した。
空は晴れ渡っていて、腕がすごく日に焼けた。
よい休日を過ごした。

Northwestern Law

• The Application for Admission form which must include the signed certification statement at the end
• A nonrefundable $100 application fee in the form of a check or money order in U.S. dollars, payable to Northwestern University
• A personal statement
• One letter of recommendation from a member of the applicant’s law faculty or from a previous or current employer
• Official transcripts from all undergraduate, graduate, and law schools attended (translated into English)
• An official copy of the applicant’s TOEFL score report
• Curriculum vitae/resume written in English
• Evaluative interview (encouraged but not required)

Application Deadlines

January 14 Deadline for receipt of completed applications for LLM/Kellogg program
February 1 Deadline for receipt of completed applications for LLM, LLM IHR, and Two-Year JD programs


Application Filing Period

The Admissions Committee may exclude from consideration any application received after the deadline or incomplete at that date. LLM/Kellogg applicants whose files are
complete by the deadline will be notified of admission decisions by the end of March; LLM, LLM IHR, and Two-Year JD applicants will be notified by the end of May. All prospective students for the Degree Programs for International Students are encouraged to submit their completed applications before January 1 of the year in which
they wish to begin their studies. Early submission of application materials allows time for correspondence between the school and the applicant in case of deficiencies in the application. Applicants should note that the delivery of mail from abroad may be delayed.


Online Application

You may complete your Law School application on the Web at www.law.northwestern.edu/admissions.


Application Updates

While the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid seeks to keep the applicant informed of progress on the application and the receipt of documents, it is the applicant’s
responsibility to ensure that all parts of the application reach the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid by the deadline. Upon submission of an application, applicants will
be provided with instructions on how to check the status of their applications via an online tool. Applicants who do not provide an e-mail address will be responsible for
tracking their application status by directing inquiries to the Office of Admissions. The Admissions Committee does not review incomplete applications.

All correspondence should be addressed to Northwestern University School of Law, Office of Admissions and Financial Aid, Degree Programs for International Students,
357 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60611-3069, U.S.A.; phone 312-503-8465; fax 312-503-0178; e-mail admissions@law.northwestern.edu.


Personal Statement

Applicants must provide a summary of background information and a statement of objectives. The background summary should relate personal and academic history in brief, including educational experience and career aspirations. Information that highlights individual interests and abilities, including academic honors, publications, community or professional activities, and relevant work experience, is particularly helpful. The statement of objectives should describe in detail the reasons for pursuing graduate work. Other specific questions to answer are provided in the application.


Letter of Recommendation

Applicants must submit a confidential letter of recommendation from a previous or current employer or from a member of the applicant’s law faculty. This booklet contains one form for requesting a letter of recommendation; the form may be photocopied for additional recommenders, if any. Please note that the recommender does not need to use the form. After completing the introductory part of the recommendation form, the applicant should give the form and a self-addressed, stamped envelope to the recommender. The recommender should insert the completed form and the letter of recommendation into the envelope, seal it, sign the envelope across
the sealed flap to ensure confidentiality, and return the envelope to the applicant. The applicant should mail the unopened recommendation envelopes with the Application for Admission to Northwestern University School of Law, Office of Admissions and Financial Aid, Degree Programs for International Students, 357 East Chicago
Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60611-3069, U.S.A.


Transcripts

You may follow one of two procedures for submitting your transcript for review, neither of which gives an advantage or a disadvantage with our Admissions Committee.
You may enclose your transcript with your application, or you may submit it directly to the Law School Admissions Council LLM Credential Assembly Service for International Applicants. Further information regarding the LLM Credential Assembly Service can be found at http://llm.lsac.org. Applicants submitting their transcript
directly to the law school with their application, should provide the identifying information required on the transcript request form in this booklet and send the form to the registrarís office of each college or university. Applicants who have attended more than one college or university should make a photocopy of the request form for each institution attended. Official academic records should give results for all course work as well as results of comprehensive or yearly examinations. Transcripts that do not bear the registrar’s signature and/or the institution’s seal are not official and are unacceptable. All transcripts should be in English or accompanied by a certified English translation. The applicant should mail them, unopened, to Northwestern. In instances where a school does not furnish transcripts, school officials should certify courses completed and grades received as well as results of qualifying, comprehensive, or professional examinations, where possible. If the applicant’s college or university is not
able to provide such a certification of academic record due to special circumstances, the applicant should obtain from school officials an explanation of the circumstances and submit it and a self-reported summary of studies, including, where possible, courses or seminars attended at that institution, grades received, examination results, and copies of certificates or instructor’s evaluations. The Admissions Committee may request verification of self-reported academic records.


English Language Requirements

Students in the Degree Programs for International Students must have a high level of English proficiency in order to read the large amount of course material, to research and write papers and exams, and to participate in class discussions. Foreign applicants who are not native speakers of English should take the TOEFL examination and have an official copy of the score report sent to Northwestern University School of Law, Office of Admissions and Financial Aid, Degree Programs for
International Students, 357 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60611-3069, U.S.A.
(When indicating where the TOEFL score report should be sent, write on the form that the institution code for Northwestern University School of Law is 1565 and the
department code is 03.) Since it may take two months or more for the score report to reach the Law School, an applicant should take the TOEFL no later than December of the year prior to enrollment. An application will not be complete and ready for review until the Law School receives the official score report. Northwestern looks for a TOEFL score of at least 250 on the computer-based test, and 100 on the internet-based test. The Law School will accept scores up to two years after the test date.We are beginning to phase out the acceptance of the paper-based TOEFL (PBT) examination. If you plan on submitting a PBT score this year you will be asked to also sign up for an evaluative interview. Interviewscan take place via phone, on campus, or via the alumni interviewing program. For more information, please see the section titled “Interviews for LLM/Kellogg and LLM Applicants.” Beginning in 2009, we will not accept the PBT score. For further information about TOEFL write or call TOEFL Services, Post Office Box 6151, Princeton, New Jersey 08541-6151, U.S.A.; phone 609-771-7100; fax 609-771-7500.


Curriculum Vitae/Resume

LLM/Kellogg applicants should have a minimum of one year of full-time legal or businessrelated work experience. A description of that employment should be included in a one- to two-page curriculum vitae or resume written in English. Applicants to the LLM programs are also required to submit a CV or resume.


Interviews for LLM/Kellogg and LLM Applicants

A small number of interviews will be available within a limited number of major international cities. Conducted by alumni of Northwestern’s LLM and LLM/Kellogg programs, these evaluative interviews provide the Admissions Committee with additional information about your interpersonal skills, English proficiency, maturity, and motivation. Interviews are also available via phone or on-campus in Chicago. These conversations also provide you the opportunity to gain additional insight into the Northwestern Law experience. Once you have submitted an application to the Degree Programs for International Students, the Office of Admissions will provide you with complete instructions on how to request an interview.


TUITION AND FINANCIAL AID

Tuition for the LLM programs for the 2008–09 academic year was $46,244. Tuition for the LLM/Kellogg program was $62,760. Tuition for the Two-Year JD programs for the 2008–09 academic year was $45,062. Increases should be anticipated in subsequent years. In addition to tuition, the Law School charges the following nonrefundable fees:
Application fee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $100
Deposit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $500
(required of all accepted students and applied toward tuition and fees)
Late payment penalty fee . . . . . . . . . . $200


Visa Requirements

To qualify for a visa, foreign students admitted to the Degree Programs for International Students must demonstrate their ability to fund one year of graduate study at the Law School.Most students choose to enter the United States under an F-1 student visa or a J-1 exchange visitor visa. For additional information about visa options and regulations and immigration policies, contact a U.S. embassy.

NYU Law

LL.M. NEW YORK

Corporation Law

Professor William Allen, Director
Professor Stephen Choi, Director 

The LL.M. in Corporation Law is designed primarily for applicants who earned their first degree in law from a non-U.S. law school. This program is offered on a full-time basis only beginning in the Fall semester.

The program leading to the Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Corporation Law is aimed primarily at international students seeking an intensive one-year program of academic training in the legal regulation of U.S. and global business activity. The program is built around a rigorous and broadly based curriculum that starts with a required course in U.S. corporation law and includes an exceptionally rich array of courses in finance, bankruptcy, securities regulation, and numerous specialized seminars. For those with a special interest in finance or international business a limited number of credits can be taken in the world-renowned departments of finance or international business of New York University's Leonard N. Stern School of Business. Maximum flexibility for students to design their own course of study within the broad area of relevant courses is afforded by the program.

Detailed Requirements

Corporations (L03.2010)
All International LL.M. students in the Corporate Law Program who have not taken a course in Corporation law in a common law country must register for Corporations (L03.2010) for either 4 or 5 credits. International LL.M. students may choose either the 4 or 5 credit course to satisfy this Corporation Law Program requirement. International LL.M. students in the Corporation Law Program are prohibited from registering for the three-credit U.S. Corporate Law and Theory (L03.4602) since this course is intended for students in other LL.M. programs.

International LL.M. Corporate students must register for Corporations (L03.2010) by selecting from sections 006, 007, 008, 009 or 010 depending upon preference and schedule. Please note that the name of the professor, course description, date, time, and location are the same for both J.D. and LL.M. students. In order to ensure enrollment in a Corporations course, students should list all sections in the lottery in order of preference.

Therefore, students must enter the section and lottery number with one of the following:
L03.2010.006 Corporations - Allen - Lottery # 20512
L03.2010.007 Corporations - Kahan - Lottery # 20513
L03.2010.008 Corporations - Slain - Lottery # 20514
L03.2010.009 Corporations - Miller- Lottery # 21012

Core Business Courses 
All students must enroll in at least 4 credits within this group:

•   Accounting for Lawyers (L03.3001)
•   Corporate Finance (L03.3020)
•   Mergers and Acquisitions (L03.3043)
•   Survey of Securities Regulation (L03.3040)

Related Courses
All law school courses related to legal regulation of business activity, which include:

•    All courses and seminars designated L03 (except for Contracts L03.2001)

•    Advanced Corporate Tax Problems (L11.3055)

•    Alternative Dispute Resolution (L09.3523)

•    Antitrust in High-Tech Industries (L12.3526)

•    Antitrust: International and Comparative Economic Development and Globalization (L12.3543)

•    Antitrust and Intellectual Property Rights (L12.3519)

•    Antitrust Issues in the Distribution of Goods and Services (L12.3015)

•    Antitrust Law (L12.3020)

•    Antitrust Law and Economics (L12.3506)

•    Antitrust and Regulatory Alternatives I and II (L12.3022/23)

•    Business Crime (L04.3051)

•    Chinese Business Law (L05.3074)

•    Conflict of Laws (L09.3010)

•    Copyright Law (L12.3001)

•    Corporate Tax l & ll (L11.3080)

•    Corruption and Corruption Control (L04.3515)

•    Economic Analysis of Law (L06.3020)

•    Entertainment Law: Deals & Negotiations (L12.3535)

•    European Competition Law and Economics (L05.3079)

•    European Union: Economic Law (L05.3013)

•    Evidence (L09.2010)

•    Foreign Investment: Law and Policy (L05.3594)

•    Income Taxation (L11.2001)

•    Intellectual Property and Globalization Seminar (L12.3522.001)

•   International and Regional Trade Law: The Law of the WTO (L05.3049.001)

•   International Commercial Arbitration (L05.3554)

•    International and Comparative Competition Policy (L12.3543)

•    International Economic Transactions (L05.3017)

•    International Intellectual Property Law (L12.3003)

•   Law and Economics Colloquium (L06.3531.001)

•   Law, Economics, and Politics Colloquium (L06.3531)

•   Negotiation (L09.3545)

•   Patent Law I (L12.3010)

•   Real Estate Deals (L10.3036)

•   Real Estate Financing (L10.3513)

•   Real Estate Transactions (L10.3035)

•   Structure and Financing of Corporate Transactions (L11.3507)

•   Taxation of Affiliated Corporations (L11.3002)

•   Taxation of Business Conduits (L11.3050)

•   Trademarks (L12.3002)

The following courses are highly recommended for a strong background in Corporation Law for international students:

•    Accounting for Lawyers (L03.3001.001/2)

•    Corporate Finance (L03.3020.001)

•    Corporate Tax l & ll (L11.3081.001/2/3)

•    Mergers & Acquisitions (L03.3043.001/2)
 
Stern Business Courses
All graduate-level Stern courses may count towards the 21-credit Corporation requirement. Stern School of Business preferential courses are listed online. Please note that students may not take more than 6 credits through Stern. In order to be eligible to sit for the bar exam, 20 semester hours of credit must be in professional law subjects, and the credits must include basic courses in American law. Stern cross-listed courses do qualify within the 20 credits.
Please note that Stern Business classes do not qualify within the 20 credits, with the exception of cross-listed courses indicated by the footnote "z" on the schedule of classes.

Please note that the Stern course Corporate Finance is recommended only for students with a strong background in mathematics and requires permission from the instructor in order to register.

Students must submit the Request to Register for Non-Law School Graduate-Level Course form to register for Stern courses that are not cross-listed.

No Writing Requirement
There is no writing requirement for this program, but it is recommended that you take at least one seminar that offers a writing opportunity.

Corporations (L03.2010) as a prerequisite/corequisite 
For International LL.M. students registering for Corporations, please note that this course serves as a corequisite for any course requiring Corporations as a prerequisite. This information is not specifically listed in each course description. When registering for a course that has Corporations as a prerequisite, a prerequisite warning message will appear in Albert. If students have registered for L03.2010, they should disregard this warning.

Prospective students should direct their inquiries to the Office of Graduate Admissions.

Eligibility and Admission Standards

Standards of Admission

LL.M. and Executive LL.M. Programs 
Admission to the Graduate Division for all LL.M. programs and the Executive LL.M. in Taxation is highly selective and is based primarily upon prior legal studies. Standards of admission are equal across all specializations and for study in New York City, in Singapore, and online. For the Fall 2008 semester, the Law School received more than 2,000 applications for full-time programs for a New York City class of about 425 students, and a Singapore class of approximately 50 students. Though there are no inflexible rules about class rankings or grade point averages, those admitted have excellent law school records and strong academic and/or professional recommendations. Evidence of significant professional accomplishment is also taken into consideration.

Checklists 

Master of Laws (LL.M.) Applicants 
All materials for application to the LL.M. programs in New York City and Singapore, including the online application and application fee, must be submitted by the appropriate deadline (please refer to When to Apply).

• NYU School of Law Graduate Online Application
  - submitted electronically
• Application fee ($75)
  - submitted electronically with a major credit card (preferred)
  or by mail with Payment Identification Form
• Official transcripts of all law degrees and translations
  - submitted to the LSAC Credential Assembly Service
  (required for international students) or NYU School of Law
• Official TOEFL score report
  - submitted to the LSAC Credential Assembly Service (institution code: 8395)
  or NYU School of Law (institution code: 2599)
• Letter(s) of recommendation
  - submitted electronically (preferred) or by mail
• Personal statement
  - electronically attach to the online application
• Résumé
  - electronically attach to the online application
• Hauser Global Scholarship and Singapura Scholarship essays (if applicable)
  - electronically attach to the online application
• Transitional Justice Scholar Program essay (if applicable)
  - electronically attach to the online application

Personal Statement and Résumé
All applicants must electronically attach to the online application a brief statement of no more than 500 words. You may describe your professional interests and goals or, since the Committee on Graduate Admissions does not grant interviews, you may use the statement to describe aspects of yourself and/or your work that are not apparent from your other application materials. You should include your reasons and qualifications for applying for a particular program or specialization. All applicants must also electronically attach a résumé to their application; it may be one to two pages in length.

Applicants to the part-time LL.M. in Taxation, the E-LL.M., or the A.P.C. in Taxation, who additionally received their first degree in law from a U.S. or Puerto Rican law school may submit a personal statement, but are not required to do so.

Recommendations

We strongly prefer that your recommender submit his or her recommendation using the NYU School of Law online recommendation service because this allows faster processing of your application. Please read the instructions available on the online application carefully so that you may advise your recommender appropriately regarding the completion of an electronic recommendation. Recommenders using the online recommendation service must submit their letters in English. If the recommendation is submitted electronically, kindly instruct your recommender not to mail a duplicate copy to our office.

Alternatively, the recommender may attach his or her letter to the recommendation form and return the form to you in a sealed envelope. Ask your recommender to sign across the seal of the envelope to ensure confidentiality.  If a translation is required, the certified translator may break the recommender’s seal for translation purposes, and then should seal the original recommendation and certified translation in a second envelope and sign across the seal. Applicants should not break the seal on the envelope, rather, it should be forwarded to the Office of Graduate Admissions. If your recommender prefers to send the letter directly to the Law School, he or she may do so.

Whether submitted electronically or by mail, all recommendations must be submitted by the appropriate application deadline. Applicants will be able to confirm the receipt of a letter of recommendation that is submitted through the NYU School of Law online recommendation service. Given the large volume of mail received, we unfortunately are unable to confirm the receipt of a letter of recommendation sent through the mail.

LL.M. and E-LL.M. Programs
One academic letter of recommendation is required for application the full-time LL.M. program, the part-time LL.M. program, and the E-LL.M. program. You may submit only one additional academic or professional letter if you wish to do so.

Applicants to the part-time LL.M. in Taxation program or the E-LL.M. program, who additionally received their first degree in law from a U.S. or Puerto Rican law school, may submit a letter of recommendation, but are not required to do so.

Transcripts

Original, official transcripts issued from the degree-granting institution for all law degrees conferred or in progress are required. Foreign applicants must provide original, certified translations if the official transcripts are not in English.

The transcript form should be given to the registrar at your law school(s) who should return the form and transcript to you in a sealed envelope with a signature across the seal. If a translation is required, the certified translator may break the registrar’s seal for translation purposes, and then should seal the original, official transcript, and certified translation, in a second envelope and sign across the seal. Under no circumstances should an applicant break any seal on an envelope to be submitted for application.

Transcripts from undergraduate colleges and graduate programs other than law may be submitted but are not required.

LSAC Credential Assembly Service 
The Committee on Graduate Admissions requires that applicants with foreign legal education credentials use the Law School Admission Council’s (LSAC) Credential Assembly Service. The service assists with the processing of applications by collecting, authenticating, and distributing credentials in an electronic report to all the schools to which an applicant applies. For registration information, visit www.llm.lsac.org. The registration fee for the LSAC Credential Assembly Service is $185; this fee permits you to request that your report be sent to five schools, with the option to purchase additional reports, and your credentials will be kept on file for five years.

Applicants using the LSAC Credential Assembly Service do not need the NYU School of Law transcript form. These applicants must submit their official transcripts (and certified translations, if required) and documentation of class rank directly to LSAC by the appropriate application deadline.

LL.M. applicants with foreign education credentials wishing to be considered exclusively for NYU@NUS, or for both locations of study, may use the LSAC Credential Assembly Service. However, because of time constraints, we recommend that these applicants instead send the transcript form, official transcripts (and translations, if required) and documentation of class rank directly to the Office of Graduate Admissions.

NYU School of Law is unable to provide a reduction of the fee for the LSAC Credential Assembly Service. Those applicants with foreign education credentials for whom the fee represents a significant financial burden may submit the transcript form, official transcripts (and translations, if required) and documentation of class rank directly to the Office of Graduate Admissions.

The LSAC Credential Assembly Service is not available for applicants whose first degree in law is from a U.S. or Puerto Rican law school. These applicants should submit the transcript form, official transcripts (and translations, if required) and documentation of class rank directly to the Office of Graduate Admissions.

Rank in Class
If you attended a school that releases information about class rankings, please ensure that your registrar includes that information with your transcript. Where class rank is not available, your law school should submit an explanation of its grading system and the guidelines or regulations that govern it and attest that the school does not rank its students. In addition to these documents, applicants must calculate the grade point average and provide a class rank for each law degree in order to submit the online application. Self-Reported Transcript In addition to the official transcript(s) described above, an optional Self-Reported Transcript section is available on the online application for applicants to complete. Applicants who choose to self-report should record all grades received for courses that are counted toward completion of their first law degree.

Self-Reported Transcript
In addition to the official transcript(s) described above, an optional Self-Reported Transcript section is available on the online application for applicants to complete. Applicants who choose to self-report should record all grades received for courses that are counted toward completion of their first law degree.

If there is additional information that you believe will be helpful to the Committee on Graduate Admissions to evaluate your academic credentials which is difficult to include in the online application format, please feel free to electronically attach an addendum. Please complete the Self-Reported Transcript to the best of your ability.

In order to make the process more efficient and to facilitate timely decisions, the Committee on Graduate Admissions will use this data to begin the review of applications.

Applicants who complete the Self-Reported Transcript must submit official transcripts and certified translations by the appropriate application deadline because no decision will be made final until the self-reported transcripts have been determined accurate by comparison to the official transcripts. Intentional misrepresentation or omission on the self-reported transcript may result in the revocation of an admission offer or dismissal from the Law School.

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) 
Applicants whose first law degree program was not taught in English must take the TOEFL. Applicants whose law degree program was taught in English but the school is located in a country where English is not the primary language, must take the TOEFL.

You should request that the Educational Testing Service (ETS) send your TOEFL score report directly to LSAC Credential Assembly Service (institution code 8395), and it will be reported in your credential evaluation. Applicants not using the LSAC CAS, such as NYU@NUS applicants or those with a law degree from a Puerto Rican law school, should request that ETS send their TOEFL Score Report directly to NYU School of Law (institution code: 2599). Under no circumstances may an applicant submit a score report directly to the Law School; only official reports issued by ETS are acceptable. Please do not send photocopies or examinee copies because they are not permitted, such copies will not expedite the review of your application.

For the paper-based TOEFL, a total score of at least 600 with minimum scores of 60 in each of the three sections (listening comprehension, structure and written expression, vocabulary and reading comprehension) is required for consideration. Applicants who take the computer-based TOEFL must achieve a minimum total score of at least 250 and minimum scores of 25 on each of the subsections. Applicants taking the Internet-based TOEFL (iBT) are required to achieve a minimum total score of at least 100, a minimum score of 26 on the reading and listening subsections, and a minimum score of 22 on the writing subsection. Because the speaking subsection is unique to the iBT, we do not set a minimum score for this subsection. However, the Committee on Graduate Admissions will look for scores of at least 22. The Test of Written English (TWE) portion of the TOEFL is also recommended.

There is no conditional admission status for applicants who do not achieve the minimum standard.

J.S.D. applicants must present scores substantially higher than the minimum.

Applicants are advised to take the TOEFL as early as possible. LL.M. applicants wishing to be considered exclusively for NYU@NUS, or for both locations of study, should take the TOEFL no later than mid-October. All other applicants should take the TOEFL no later than Novemb

Submitting Your Materials

Applicants to the LL.M. program in either Singapore or New York City and applicants to the J.S.D. program must use the NYU School of Law Graduate Online Application (application fee: $75).

We prefer that the application fee be paid online using either an American Express, Discover, MasterCard, or Visa credit card. However, if you are unable to pay your application fee online, you may mail your fee with the Payment Identification Form (accessible from the online application) using an international money order, or check drawn on a U.S. bank, payable to New York University in U.S. dollars. Do not send cash or traveler's checks.

LL.M. and J.S.D. applicants are required to submit the personal statement and resume via electronic attachment to the online application. LL.M. applicants to the Hauser Global Scholarship, the Singapura Scholarship, and/or the Transitional Justice Scholars Program must also electronically attach the required essay(s) to the online application. J.S.D. applicants must electronically attach the proposal of study to the online application. Additionally, all applicants have the option of using the online recommendation service.Please do not mail paper copies of electronically submitted materials to the Office of Graduate Admissions. Such duplicate submission of materials only slows down the admissions process for all applicants.

The Committee on Graduate Admissions requires that applicants with foreign legal education credentials use the Law School Admission Council’s (LSAC) Credential Assembly Service. The service assists with the processing of applications by collecting, authenticating, and distributing credentials in an electronic report to all the schools to which an applicant applies. For registration information, visit www.llm.lsac.org. The registration fee for the LSAC Credential Assembly Service is $185; this fee permits you to request that your report be sent to five schools, with the option to purchase additional reports, and your credentials will be kept on file for five years.

Applicants using the LSAC Credential Assembly Service do not need the NYU School of Law transcript form. These applicants must submit their official transcripts (and certified translations, if required) and documentation of class rank directly to LSAC by the appropriate application deadline.

LL.M. applicants with foreign education credentials wishing to be considered exclusively for NYU@NUS, or for both locations of study, may use the LSAC Credential Assembly Service. However, because of time constraints, we recommend that these applicants instead send the transcript form, official transcripts (and translations, if required) and documentation of class rank directly to the Office of Graduate Admissions.

NYU School of Law is unable to provide a reduction of the fee for the LSAC Credential Assembly Service. Those applicants with foreign education credentials for whom the fee represents a significant financial burden may submit the transcript form, official transcripts (and translations, if required) and documentation of class rank directly to the Office of Graduate Admissions.

The LSAC Credential Assembly Service is not available for applicants whose first degree in law is from a U.S. or Puerto Rican law school. These applicants should submit the transcript form, official transcripts (and translations, if required) and documentation of class rank directly to the Office of Graduate Admissions.

All correspondence sent via regular postal service or international mail: Office of Graduate Admissions P.O. Box 904 New York, NY 10276-0904

All correspondence sent via an express or special mail service requiring signature:  Office of Graduate Admissions 245 Sullivan Street, 3rd Floor New York, NY 10012

Penn Law

APPLICATION PROCESS

Deadlines

Applications for admission to graduate programs at Penn Law are reviewed by the International Programs Committee on a rolling basis. Candidates who submit completed applications online prior to the December 1 "Early Notification" deadline, and who ensure that the Law School receives all supporting documents by the same date, will receive a response by February 8. We strongly advise all candidates to submit their completed applications at the earliest possible date.

The deadlines are: 

December 1 for LL.M. and LL.C.M. applications submitted for “Early Notification” (response by February 1).

February 1 for all other LL.M. and LL.C.M. applications (absent special authorization).

Required Materials

As detailed in the application materials, a completed application to any of Penn Law's graduate programs must include the items listed below. (Please note: (1) candidates applying solely to the Summer Program need only provide the Summer Program application form and TOEFL or IELTS scores; (2) candidates applying to the LL.M. Program are automatically enrolled in the Summer Program upon acceptance and need not apply to the Summer Program separately).

• An application data form.
• A personal statement.
• Two letters of recommendation.
• A transcript from each degree granting post-secondary school attended.*
• TOEFL or IELTS test scores.*
• An application fee of $75 ($150 for the S.J.D. program)**
• (S.J.D. candidates must also submit a scholarly project proposal and copies of prior publications)

Please send the required documents directly to the Office of Graduate Programs, University of Pennsylvania Law School, 3400 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104. 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

* Please see the option below applicants to use the LSAC LL.M. Credential Processing Service described atwww.lsac.org. By "transcript" we mean an official record from the academic institution that clearly indicates what courses were taken and what grades were received.

Online and Paper Forms

The International Programs Committee strongly encourages candidates to submit their application data form, personal statement, and application fee online via Penn Law's website,www.law.upenn.edu/cf/adms/gradapply_online/login/index.cfm. Materials sent online are often received in a more complete and efficient manner that better facilitates the Committee's own prompt action. Furthermore, those applying online may pay their application and acceptance fees by credit card and track the status of their application via our website. The Law School is unable to accept credit card payment from applicants submitting their applications via paper forms.

Again, only applicants applying online are eligible for Early Notification (see above).

Similarly, we recommend that applicants who plan to apply to several law schools in addition to Penn Law submit their transcripts and test scores online via the LLM Credential Processing Service. This service, described on the Law School Admission Council website at www.lsac.org, greatly simplifies the process by requiring original transcripts to be submitted only once. The LSAC then translates the transcripts, confirms their validity, and distributes electronic copies and verified TOEFL scores to select law schools as instructed by the applicant.

The International Programs Committee also accepts applications submitted via traditional paper forms. These, along with Recommender Forms and other materials, are available for downloading at the Penn Law website,www.law.upenn.edu/cf/adms/gradapply_online/login/index.cfm. Forms may also be requested by sending us a message to gradadms@law.upenn.edu.

Letters of Recommendation

A completed graduate application to Penn Law must include two letters of recommendation, ideally from law professors or others who have personal experience instructing and evaluating the candidate. We appreciate the burden this requirement places on recommenders. Such subjective evaluations from knowledgeable references, however, are important factors in weighing the relative merits of international candidates whose objective credentials necessarily reflect many distinct grading systems and national standards for legal education.

An applicant may, alternatively, submit letters from academic instructors outside of the field of law, from employers, or from others with a personal knowledge of the candidate's intellectual and other strengths. The International Programs Committee strongly advises that all letters be submitted in conjunction with the Recommender Form, but it will review letters submitted without the form attached. Please note, however, that the online "Status Page" cannot track the receipt of letters that lack an accompanying Recommender Form or come from individuals other than those recommenders listed on an applicant's online data form.

Please note that the deadline for submission of a completed application has recently been changed to December 1 for Early Notification, February 1 for all other LL.M. and LL.C.M. applicants (absent special authorization, and April 15 for S.J.D. applicants). Application forms and further information for the TOEFL and IELTS tests may be obtained online at www.toefl.org and www.ielts.org. For TOEFL registration purposes, please note that:

• the University of Pennsylvania Law School’s code is 2926
• the department code is 03.

Columbia Law School



Admissions Standards



Strong preference is given to applicants who have at least one year of work experience after earning their first law degree. Only in exceptional circumstances are applications from candidates who are in their final year of law school considered. Applicants who have not yet graduated must demonstrate that their admission to the program would enable them to realize an immediate and specific career objective that would not otherwise be attainable. Foreign applicants who have already had a year of residence in an American law school are ineligible for admission.

Graduates of All Other Law Schools

The purpose of the LL.M. Program for these degree candidates is to provide an introduction to new areas of interest to them as well as the opportunity to further specialize in their current area of practice, and is generally restricted to those who achieved honor status in their undergraduate legal studies.

International lawyers who intend to reside permanently and to practice law in the United States should apply for the J.D. degree, the first degree in law, rather than the LL.M. The J.D. program is normally three years of full-time study. Generally, a maximum of one year's advanced standing toward the J.D. degree at Columbia may be granted for graduate legal studies completed in the United States or another common law country. Such standing, however, is determined on an individual basis by request of the student after an offer of admission has been made. No advanced standing is given for legal studies completed in a civil law country. Completion of an LL.M. degree at Columbia Law School does not guarantee admission to the J.D. program.  Law firms have proved generally reluctant to offer permanent employment to foreign-trained lawyers. Internships for periods of up to one year may be available, but should not be expected.

Special Application Procedure for LL.M. Admission

(Not applicable for admission to the J.S.D. or Associates-in-Law Programs)  We recommend that applicants to the LL.M. program who graduated from law schools outside of the U.S.A. or Canada register with the Law School Admissions Council's (LSAC) LL.M. Credential Assembly Service. This service is designed to save you time and money, especially if you intend to apply to a number of U.S. or Canadian graduate law degree programs. For a registration fee of U.S. $185, LSAC will collect and authenticate your university records and TOEFL/TOEFL iBT and TWE scores, and will distribute them to the schools to which you are applying. Thus you will need to obtain only one set of transcripts and other required academic credentials. The registration fee includes five law school reports; for an additional fee, applicants can purchase additional reports. Further information about this service is available at www.LLM.LSAC.org. Please note that all applicants for admission to the LL.M. Program, including those who register with LSAC, must complete Columbia Law School's application form and submit it directly to Columbia Law School, together with your letters of recommendation, Personal Statement, and application fee (see below).  LSAC will not collect these materials for Columbia.

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Application Deadlines

Completed applications for both the Early Review Program and the regular admission cycle, together with the required supporting materials, should be sent to: Office of Graduate Legal Studies Columbia University School of Law 435 West 116th Street, MC 4036 New York, NY 10027-7297 The Office of Graduate Legal Studies telephone number is (212) 854-2655; the fax number is (212) 854-9742; and the e-mail address is gls@law.columbia.edu. We regret that we cannot acknowledge receipt or completion of applications by telephone, fax or e-mail. Faxed applications will not be accepted. We cannot download any attachments. If you plan to send your application by courier, please note that Columbia University does not accept courier deliveries on Saturdays or Sundays. All application materials become the property of the Graduate Legal Studies program and as such will not be returned to the applicant under any circumstances. Please note: Applicants who submit an online application should not include a paper application with their supporting documents, as doing so will significantly delay the processing of the application and the timing of the admissions decision.  Early Review Program (LL.M. Applicants Only) LL.M. Program applicants for the 2009-2010 academic year except those who are in their final year of law school in their home countries and reapplicants from 2008-2009 have the option of applying through the Early Review Program. Applicants wishing to be considered under the Early Review Program must submit their applications online; we will not accept paper applications for the Early Review Program.  In addition, to be considered for Early Review, all application materials, including supporting documents and TOEFL scores, must be postmarked no later than November 3, 2008, and the applicant should specify that he or she wishes to be considered for Early Review by checking the appropriate box on the application form. If all materials are not postmarked by November 3, 2008, the applicant will automatically be considered for admission in the regular cycle. The Office of Graduate Legal Studies will provide a decision for early applicants at the end of December. Applicants will be admitted, rejected, or deferred to the regular admission cycle. Applicants admitted through the Early Review Program will not be required to withdraw their applications to other LL.M. programs or to make an early binding commitment to Columbia Law School. Admitted candidates will be required to notify us of their intention to matriculate in early March. Regular Application Deadline Applications and all supporting documents for the 2009-2010 academic year must be postmarked no later than December 15, 2008. Applications postmarked after this date will be returned unread. Admissions decisions are made on a rolling basis, in most cases no later than late April.

Application Forms

Applicants for admission to the LL.M., J.S.D., and Associates-in-Law Programs must complete, sign and submit Columbia Law School’s Application for Admission to Graduate Legal Studies (“application form”). Applicants should carefully follow the application instructions.  We strongly encourage all applicants to submit their applications online. While submitting a paper application will not affect an applicant’s admissions decision, it may significantly delay the processing of the application and the timing of the decision.  If you are unable to complete the application online, you may send an e-mail to the Office of Graduate Legal Studies (gls@law.columbia.edu) to request a paper application.  Include in your message the reason you are unable to complete the application online.  (Please note: if you are applying online, you should not submit a paper application form with your supporting documents, as doing so will significantly delay the processing of your application and the timing of your admissions decision.  Send the documents alone, with your name clearly marked on each piece, and we will match them to your online application.)  Provide as much information as possible on the online application. To avoid any confusion or delay in the processing of your application, please make sure to consistently use the same form of your proper name and to keep us informed of any changes to your contact information (including mailing address, e-mail address and telephone number). When mailing your supporting documents, please do not place each sheet in a separate folder or sleeve.

Application Fee

You must submit an application fee of U.S. $75 with your application. This fee is non-refundable and will not be credited against tuition if you enroll. The fee must be paid in U.S. dollars, and may be paid by credit card (MasterCard or Visa only), a check drawn on a bank located in the U.S., traveler’s checks, or a bank or postal money order. Checks must have mica numbers and fraction numbers (the numbers at the bottom of the check) which may not be typed in. Payment should be made out to “Columbia University.” To pay by credit card, please provide the following information: (1) type of card: MasterCard or Visa; (2) the name exactly as it appears on the card; (3) the account number; and (4) the month and year of expiration (month first, then year). We cannot accept Japanese International or Canadian Postal Money Orders; checks drawn on foreign banks (even if in U.S. dollars); UNESCO coupons; wire/bank transfers; or cash.  Online applicants will be able to pay the fee by credit card after they submit their application.

TOEFL/TWE or TOEFL iBT

(Test Of English as a Foreign Language/Test of Written English)  All applicants except those whose both native and working language is English or who earned their first law degree entirely in English must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and the Test of Written English (TWE) or the TOEFL iBT.  The minimum scores required for admission are: TOEFL iBT: 105 overall score, 26 on the Reading and Listening sections and 24 on the Writing and Speaking sections; Paper-based TOEFL / TWE: 620 overall score, 59/60 on the Structure/Writing and Reading sections and 60/61 on the Listening section, and 5.0 on the TWE If your scores fall below these levels, your chances of admission could be adversely impacted even if other factors in your application are strong.  You must decide whether to repeat the test based on how far below these scores your results fall; we cannot make this decision for you. Applicants should register for and take the TOEFL by the November 3 or December 15 deadline.  Although applicants may include a copy of their student score report with their application, Columbia must receive the official test results directly from ETS. Applicants who register with LSAC (see “Special Application Procedure” above) do not need to send an official report to Columbia Law School; LSAC will send it. Columbia University’s institution code is 2163; the Law School’s code is 03. No other examination is required. Waivers of the TOEFL/TWE requirement are almost never granted. Therefore, applicants who request a waiver should assume the request will be denied and make arrangements to take the test by the deadline. Requests for waivers on the grounds that an applicant has run out of time to take the exam or works primarily in the English language will not be granted.

Certificate of Proficiency in English

This form must be completed and returned with your application.

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Personal Statement

You must submit a detailed Personal Statement describing your background, academic interests, the program of study you wish to follow and your reasons for doing so. This statement should be prepared without assistance from others, and should not exceed three double-spaced pages. Your application will not be considered without such a statement. We will not accept a résumé or curriculum vitae in place of the Personal Statement.

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Resume or Curriculum Vitae

While resumes are not required, you may submit one for consideration as part of your application. Individuals applying for an Associates-in-Law position must include their resume with their applications.

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Transcripts and Diplomas

(Forms are not provided.)  If you have not registered with LSAC, you must submit an official transcript and, where applicable, a diploma or proof of degree from each college, university, graduate school and law school you have attended, whether or not you earned a degree. If you are unable to submit original documents, you may submit certified copies. If the originals are not in English, you must submit an official, certified translation of each document in addition to the original document. If you are in school at the time you submit your application, please send us your most recent transcript with your application, and send us an updated one once your fall grades are available. Please note: evaluations of transcripts from companies other than LSAC, such as those from WES, are not acceptable alone as they do not include original or official copies of your transcripts.  They are acceptable only if accompanied by both the original (or certified copies of the original) and certified translations of your official transcripts.  If your rank does not appear on your transcript, we must receive a separate, official statement of rank from your law school. If your law school does not rank its graduates, we must receive an official statement to this effect.

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Letters of Recommendation

(Forms are not provided.) We require two original letters of recommendation from your law school professors, employers, supervisors, or other persons qualified to appraise your academic potential for graduate legal studies. At least one letter should come from a law school professor. If you have work experience (in addition to internships while in school), one letter should also come from a work supervisor.  "To Whom It May Concern" letters (which tend to be very general), letters from friends, and letters from prominent persons who have not supervised your work are not helpful. Letters of recommendation must be written by the recommender on official letterhead and addressed to the Office of Graduate Legal Studies. If your recommenders are unable to print the letters on official letterhead, ask them to include an explanation as to why they are unable to do so. (If your recommenders cannot write in English, please submit certified translations together with the original letters.) We reserve the right to disqualify letters written or translated, in part or in whole, by the applicant.  Please do not submit more than two letters. Even if you indicate that you are submitting more than two letters of recommendation, we will consider an application complete once we have received two letters of recommendation and all other required supporting documentation. Note: Transcripts and letters of recommendation should be sent with your other supporting documents in sealed envelopes.

Admissions Decisions

Admissions decisions for the Early Review Program are made at the end of December.  Applicants will either be accepted, rejected or deferred to the regular admission cycle.  All other admissions decisions are made on a rolling basis, in most cases no later than early May.  Decisions will first be sent by e-mail.  It is therefore imperative that you give us an e-mail address that is valid.  Many companies have put up firewalls and messages get returned to us.  Therefore, we recommend using a personal e-mail account (gmail, hotmail, yahoo) or speaking with your firm's or company's IT department to make sure that messages from Columbia Law School will not be blocked.  All decisions are mailed from gls@law.columbia.edu.