Graduate Admissions
http://www.nyulawglobal.org/graduateadmissions/masteroflaws/index.htm
LL.M. Applicants with Foreign Education Credentials
- Full-time programs in New York City and Singapore: December 1, 2007
Applicants with foreign education credentials who enroll in New York City are required to begin their studies in the fall semester.
Applicants to New York City must choose one of the following specializations: Corporation Law, General Studies, International Legal Studies, International Taxation, Taxation, or Trade Regulation. Applicants to NYU@NUS will pursue an LL.M. in Law and the Global Economy and may choose the general LL.M. in Law and the Global Economy or an optional concentration in either U.S. and Asian Business and Trade Law or Justice and Human Rights. Please note NYU@NUS students may elect a concentration but are not required to do so.
Application Fee Payment
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.
Checklists
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 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 NYU School of Law or the LSAC Credential Assembly Service - Official TOEFL score report
-submitted to NYU School of Law (institution code: 2599) or the LSAC Credential Assembly Service (institution code: 8395) - Letter(s) of recommendation
-submitted electronically (preferred) or by mail (not required for part-time Taxation applicants) - Personal statement
-electronically attach to the online application - Résumé
-electronically attach to the online application
The Letter of Recommendation Form and the Law Transcript Request Form may be downloaded and printed.
We strongly prefer that your recommender submit his or her recommendation using the NYU School of Law online recommendation form because this allows faster processing of your application. Applicants submitting recommendations using the online recommendation form do not need to print and mail the Letter of Recommendation Form.
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.
Applicants are advised to take the TOEFL as early as possible. Applicants wishing to be considered for NYU@NUS should take the TOEFL no later than mid-October, and applicants requesting to be considered exclusively for study in New York City (LL.M. and J.S.D.) should take the TOEFL no later than November.
For how long are TOEFL scores valid?
The Educational Testing Service (ETS) reports scores for up to two years.
How are applications evaluated? How competitive is admission to the Graduate programs? Do the admissions criteria vary from one Graduate program to another?
Admission to the Graduate Division for all LL.M. programs 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 and in Singapore. For the Fall 2007 semester in New York City, 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 40 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.
The J.S.D. is NYU School of Law's most advanced law degree. Only a very small number of students who demonstrate outstanding academic promise are admitted to J.S.D. candidacy. A student is admitted to the program only if he or she meets the application requirements and shows potential for completing a dissertation of publishable quality that will make a significant scholarly contribution to the field in which it is written. Equal consideration is given to those candidates who have completed an LL.M. at NYU and those who have completed their degree at other law schools. Applicants who have completed or are enrolled in the graduate law program at NYU School of Law must have attained a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.50.
My grading system is different from that of American schools. How will the Committee know how to evaluate my grades?
The Committee on Graduate Admissions is comprised of faculty and admissions officers who have extensive experience evaluating grades from foreign law schools using different grading systems.
What is the Law School Admission Council's Credential Assembly Service?
Many applicants with foreign education credentials applying to U.S. law schools use the Law School Admission Council's (LSAC) Credential Assembly Service as it 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. If you choose to use this service, your law school(s) must submit your transcripts and documentation of your class rank directly to LSAC. Because of time constraints, those applicants applying to the LL.M. program in Singapore should not use this service. Rather, we recommend that applicants to NYU@NUS send transcripts (and translations, if required) 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. law school.
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. Please note that NYU School of Law is unable to provide a reduction of this fee. For registration information, please visit www.llm.lsac.org.
I am a foreign student; will I be given visa information?
Yes. If you are admitted to a Graduate program, your admission packet will include the AFCOE (a certificate of financial support) form. This form is to be returned to the Office for International Students and Scholars (OISS) at the University. The OISS will help you apply for your visa.
Can I apply to more than one NYU School of Law Graduate degree program simultaneously?
Applicants for the LL.M. degree may apply to study in New York City, in Singapore, or in both cities. Applicants who apply to both programs must indicate their preference between the two programs. Applicants to the J.S.D. program may also request to be considered for the LL.M. program. Please note that you can not apply to two New York City LL.M. specializations at once.
How long from the time my application is complete may I expect to receive a decision by mail?
Applications are not reviewed until all required information and the application fee has been received.
Decisions regarding the full-time LL.M. program in New York City will be communicated in early to mid-March to applicants with foreign education credentials who supply all materials necessary to complete their files by the December 1 deadline, without preference to date of application. Those foreign applicants who do not supply materials to complete their application by the December 1 deadline will receive decisions as they are made following completion of their file. All decisions for foreign applicants to the LL.M. program in New York City will be communicated by late June.
Is the LSAT required for admission to an LL.M. program?
No.
Laptop Computer Requirement for 2007-08 Academic Year
New York City
Overview
All students, whether in the J.D. or Graduate Division, enrolled in or registered for any course at New York University School of Law are required to have, for exams and other purposes, a Windows-based PC laptop with a wireless Internet connection. Every student is required to type his or her exams on a computer, and handwriting will not be permitted on exams. Whether you are studying in the Law Library, collaborating in a study room, or taking an in-class exam, you will be using a computer with wireless connectivity.
Although you may of course use a Windows-based laptop of your choice (provided that the laptop meets our minimum specifications, outlined below), the Law School has made arrangements with the NYU Computer Store for a Windows-based laptop configuration for purchase.
To be clear, for all students, including newly admitted students, dual-booted laptops will not satisfy the NYU School of Law laptop requirement. In particular, this means that a dual-booted Mac Laptop will not satisfy the NYU School of Law laptop requirement.
A printer for personal use, though not required, is recommended for a variety of uses including printing class handouts and take-home exams. Although laser printers are available in the Law School's computer labs for printing course-related assignments, reports, research projects, and the like, you should not count on these community printers to print take-home exams which are sometimes severely time-limited. Thus, if you are not comfortable reading take-home exams on a computer screen, you should purchase a printer.
Minimum Hardware Requirements
- Windows XP PCs
- Pentium M, equivalent or better
- 512 MB of memory
- 40 gigabyte hard drive
- 56K internal modem
- USB Flash Drive 256 MB or bigger *
- CDRW/DVD combo drive
- 10baseT Ethernet card and cable**
- Wireless card, IEEE 802.11b ***
* This device can be used to transfer and save files between your personal laptop and any of the public law school lab machines.
** The Ethernet card and cable are required to take advantage of ResNet for high speed internet access from the residential halls and the Laptop Roaming Network to gain internet access from various locations at in Vanderbilt Hall. If your laptop doesn’t have internal Ethernet support, we recommend the 3 Com brand 10baseT Ethernet p-card and cable.
***A Wireless card is needed to take advantage of the Wireless network, for high speed internet access from various access points in Vanderbilt Hall, D’Agostino and Mercer Residence Halls, and Furman Hall. Most IEEE 802.11b, g, and pre-n compliant Wireless cards will work with the NYU Wireless network, but you will need to install a VPN client for connectivity.
Minimum PC Software Requirements
- XP Home or Professional with Service Pack 2 Operating System (no multiple-boot OS or simulation)
- MS XPSuite2002 or higher (Word, Powerpoint, Excel) or equivalent
- Symantec Antivirus current version (provided free through the University)
- Acrobat Reader 6.0 or higher (provided free through the University) or equivalent
- Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher or Firefox 1.5 or higher (provided free through the University)
General Studies
The LL.M. in General Studies allows students to design their own program of study. Unlike students in the specialized LL.M. programs, candidates for the General Studies degree are not limited in their course selection. The curriculum provides over 200 rich and diverse courses from which General Studies students can choose in order to develop a coherent and intellectually stimulating program. Students are able to take any course from across the curriculum, subject to availability and the usual prerequisites or restrictions. Students may develop an area of concentration if desired, but it is not required. At least 8 credits of the required 24 credits must be taken in courses that are graded on the basis of examinations. To view courses on offer at NYU School of Law, please visit the Office of Academic Services Web site.
There is no formal writing requirement for this program, but students are strongly encouraged to take at least one seminar that allows a substantial research paper to be written. Furthermore, like students in other specializations, General Studies students have the opportunity to expand the typical research assignment into a thesis under the supervision of a faculty member.
Corporation Law
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.
Requirements
All students in the Corporation Law program who have not taken a course in corporation law in a common law country must take Corporations for either 4 or 5 credits. Courses which satisfy the requirements for the degree are divided into three groups:
- Group I comprises core business law courses: Accounting for Lawyers, Corporate Finance, Securities
Law, and Mergers and Acquisitions. All students are required to take at least 4 credits from this group. - Group II comprises Law School courses related to the lawyer's role in business activity, such as: International Economic Law, International and Regional Trade Law, Corporate Tax, Income Taxation, Antitrust Law, and Real Estate Transactions.
- Group III comprises New York University Stern Graduate School of Business courses that are crosslisted for law students.
A Corporation Law student must take at least 21 credits from any combination of courses from Groups I, II, and III. It is recommended that students arrange to take at least one course that offers a writing opportunity.
LL.M.-J.S.D. Program in International and Comparative Law
This program is designed especially for graduate applicants who are prospective or current international law and comparative law teachers. The degree creates continuity between the LL.M. degree and the juridical science doctorate (J.S.D.) program for a small number of graduate students focusing on international and comparative legal scholarship.
Those admitted are designated as Institute for International Law and Justice (IILJ) graduate scholars and are mentored during their LL.M. studies in the research and development of a dissertation proposal to facilitate their non-guaranteed entry into the J.S.D. program the following year. The program provides a fully integrated academic experience involving the presentation of research in conferences, working papers, and workshops, along with funded internships and clerkships in international law.
Along with LL.M. coursework, students will write a supervised thesis during the LL.M. year which may provide a basis for J.S.D. work. Scholars will have the opportunity to participate in specialized international law colloquia and high-level seminars on advanced international law topics and to present and discuss their research at workshops attended by Institute faculty and fellows and invited outside specialists.
The LL.M. year requires the completion of 24 credits. Students must attend the IILJ Scholars Seminar. They may opt to register for credit if they would like to write a paper for a grade in the seminar. Other than the supervised thesis and the IILJ Scholars Seminar, there are no specific courses that must be taken during the LL.M. year. Students should work with the Faculty Director to design an academic program that best suits their research interests. (Note that this differs significantly from the LL.M. in International Legal Studies.)
Interested students are asked to electronically attach a one page essay, of no more than 500 words, with the LL.M. application form. The essay should explain how your approach and commitment to legal scholarship and your career interests make you a suitable candidate for the LL.M.-J.S.D in International and Comparative Law. Please also check the appropriate box on the graduate application form.
The Committee on LL.M.-J.S.D. Admissions will review the files of those applicants who indicated an interest in being considered for the program. Decisions regarding the LL.M.-J.S.D. program will be released on or about April 1 to applicants with foreign education credentials who supplied all materials necessary to complete their files by the December 1 deadline. Applicants with domestic credentials will receive decisions as they are made.
International Legal Studies
The LL.M. in International Legal Studies is designed both to deepen knowledge of fundamental structures in international law and to provide opportunities for students to undertake research and build expertise on cutting-edge issues involving global governance, cross-border transactions, and transnational legal strategies. Students are encouraged, through courses, research, and practical engagement, to develop innovative connections between traditionally separate spheres such as human rights, international economic law, transnational commercial law, the law and institutions of war and post-conflict reconstruction, and theories of international law and global justice. The program takes advantage of NYU's unmatched faculty resources in this area and its New York location. As international law is integrated with other areas of law and practice, the program allows scope for students to take courses in areas of their special interest.
Credit Requirement
Students must complete at least 14 credits from the list of courses under "International Legal Studies" in the course schedules. Courses designated as "related courses" (see below) also count toward the required minimum of 14 credits in this field. Please note, the following requirements are currently in place, but they may be amended prior to the upcoming academic year. Please check for updates on the Law School Web site.
Basic Courses and Distribution Requirement
Students in this program are strongly advised to build expertise in several different areas of international, comparative, and global law. Unless students have considerable academic background in the particular area, they are advised to take at least one basic course in Public International Law, one in International Economic Law, and one in Comparative or Global Law. Students who have taken basic courses such as International Law as part of their first law degree sometimes choose not to take them in the LL.M. However, the intellectual approach and material covered are likely to be different from similarly-titled courses in other countries, so many students find it valuable to take these courses at NYU.
Related Courses
All of the courses listed in the International Legal Studies section of the course schedule can be counted towards the 14-credit requirement. In addition, there are certain courses which are designated as "related courses" for the International Legal Studies degree. Prospective students are encouraged to consult the International Legal Studies Web site, for examples of the types of courses which have been designated as "related" for purposes of this program.
Exam Requirement
Students are advised to complete at least 8 credits of the LL.M. degree in courses which are graded on the basis of examinations.
Writing Requirement
Students are strongly advised to take at least 2 credits in a seminar, course, or Directed Research which would require a paper of substantial length. A single substantial paper (at least 20 pages) should be a minimum objective. This objective cannot adequately be met by writing a series of shorter papers.
