Graduation Requirements
The LL.M. degree requires all students to complete 24 credits. Two courses – Fundamentals of American Law and Legal Writing & Research for LL.M. Students – are mandatory. No thesis credit is required. In addition to the general requirements, LL.M. students wishing to specialize in a particular area of law must earn a minimum of credits in that area. These specialties include Business Law (15 credits), Immigration and Refugee Law (10 credits), and Intellectual Property, Media, and Information Law (15 credits).
LL.M. students begin their studies during the fall semester with Fundamentals of American Law, a 2-credit course designed to familiarize students with the legal system in the United States and provide them with the exposure to several significant areas of legal practice. They also take a 3-credit course, Legal Writing & Research for LL.M. Students. For this course, faculty members trained in linguistics and experienced in teaching ESL join the Brooklyn Law School writing and research faculty and work with students individually based on their needs.
The LL.M. degree is earned in one year of full-time study, or up to two years of part-time enrollment. Note: part-time study is available to all U.S. Citizens, Permanent Residents, and those with visas that allow part-time study.
New York State Bar
In addition to the general requirements set forth above, LL.M. students wishing to sit for the New York State bar examination that are subject to Rule 520.6 must meet the following additional requirements:
- One of the following courses: Professional Responsibility, Legal Profession, or Professional Responsibility in Different Practice Settings
- Minimum of six (6) additional credits in subjects tested on the New York State bar examination
Specializations
Students may choose to specialize in one of three areas of law and earn a certificate in addition to the LL.M. degree. The areas are: Business Law, Refugee and Immigration Law, or Intellectual Property, Media, and Information Law.
A range of advanced course offerings, including seminars and specialty courses, provides opportunities for students to delve into specific areas more deeply. Our Dennis J. Block Center for the Study of International Business Law, now in its third decade, sponsors a variety of events on contemporary international business issues and draws influential scholars and practitioners to the Law School. In addition, the new Center for the Study of Business Law and Regulation unites the Law School’s existing diverse business and commercial law programs by providing a forum for scholarship that offers new perspectives on, and solutions to, real world business law and regulatory issues.
With the increasing exchange of information in cyberspace, IP law is one of the fastest-evolving branches of the law. Our curriculum addresses the pressing need for new policy, both domestic and in the international arena, and a new generation of tech-savvy lawyers. Our IP law faculty includes a range of talented legal experts who are well-known for their outstanding contributions to the field. Our New York City location, home to Silicon Alley and the world’s media capital, offers the advantage of a legal education that is part classroom study, part immersion. Students’ fieldwork will be with the very entrepreneurs, startup companies, and emerging technologies that are driving change.
The Center for Urban Business Entrepreneurship (CUBE) is the hub for exploring legal issues such as entrepreneurship and providing effective legal representation for new commercial and not-for-profit businesses. CUBE also trains the next generation of business lawyers to advise and participate in these sectors. The Center reinforces and capitalizes on Brooklyn’s role as a haven for business, media, energy, technology, creative arts, and social enterprise innovators.
Application Requirements
Admission Criteria
To be eligible for admission to the LL.M. program for internationally trained lawyers, prospective students must:
- Hold a first degree in law from an accredited foreign university that is substantially equivalent to the legal education provided by an American Bar Association-approved law school in the United States; and
- Have a minimum Internet-based TOEFL score of 95 with a minimum of 23 on each of the four sections, or a minimum IELTS score of 7.0. Only for candidates whose native and working language is English and whose first degree in law is from a college or university in a country where both the language of instruction and the native language is English, the language proficiency examination requirement may be waived.
Guaranteed Housing
LL.M. students are very much a part of the Law School’s thriving intellectual and cultural life. To facilitate integration into our community, we provide guaranteed housing in Feil Hall to all applicants meeting our housing deadline. Feil Hall is a modern, furnished residence hall located just a few blocks from the Law School with over 200 apartments.
Feil Hall is also the location of the Jeffrey D. Forchelli Conference Center, the site of frequent academic symposia, and Geraldo’s, a comfortable and relaxing area that hosts various programs of interest to BLS students and is a perfect location for meeting friends. The residence hall is located just three blocks from the Law School’s main building.
The costs for Brooklyn Law School housing are highly competitive for apartments in New York City, especially those in the immediate vicinity of the Law School and the desirable neighborhood of Brooklyn Heights. All admitted LL.M. students who submit a completed housing application and deposit by the May 1 application deadline will be guaranteed housing while they complete the program. Family Housing is available for those who qualify.
To Apply for Housing
You must be an admitted student with a username and password from the Admissions Office to access the housing application on Brooklyn Law School's intranet website BLSConnect. If you have lost either of these, please contact the Admissions Office at admitq@brooklaw.edu.
Frequently Asked Questions for LL.M.
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TOEFL (minimum score of 95)
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IELTS (minimum score of 7.0)
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Duolingo (minimum score of 120)
When does the program start? Classes typically start the last week of August. Students are required to attend mandatory orientation the week before classes begin.