University of Minnesota Law School
Master of Laws for Foreign Lawyers (LL.M.)
The University of Minnesota Law School is one of the most prestigious Law Schools in the United States. For nearly ten years, it has offered law students from all over the world a Master of Laws for Foreign Lawyers (LL.M.). The LL.M. provides them with an in depth knowledge of the U.S. legal system and gives them the chance to further specialize in various areas. Thematic emphases of graduates are International Law, Human Rights and Economic Law, to name but a few.
Contact
Director of International and Graduate Programs
University of Minnesota Law School
Walter F. Mondale Hall
229-19th Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55455
USA
Tel: (001) 612 625 3025
E-Mail: LLMadm(at)umn.edu
Students from all over the world
Every year, 30 to 40 law graduates from all over the world choose to acquire their LL.M. at the University of Minnesota Law School. All students first complete the three-week compulsory course "Introduction to American Law". The course gives them profound insight in a number of fields such as U.S. legal history and civil and criminal procedure. Students also learn how to brief a case. Minneapolis and St. Paul are the home towns of the University. The Twin Cities form a metropolis of about three million people. Students in the LL.M. class are given the opportunity to observe the legal activities in the different state and federal courts.
Main features of the Master of Laws (LL.M.)
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Experience abroad and an attractive degree
Gaining experience abroad is always beneficial for the professional and personal development. The Master of Laws is an enrichment in terms of legal knowledge and provides you with an attractive degree. For many law firms, the LL.M. is ranked equivalent to a German Ph.D.
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Working with a U.S. federal judge
Master students can take part in the Foreign Lawyer Judicial Observer program. It gives them the unique opportunity to gain practical experience in the application of the U.S. rule of law.
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Experienced professors
Many professors of the University of Minnesota Law School have lectured in countries all over the world. Some of them have even clerked for judges of the U.S. Supreme Court.
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Career Services
The Career Services office of the University of Minnesota Law School assists LL.M. graduates with job search activities.
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Extensive resources
With approximately 850,000 volumes, the University of Minnesota Law Library is the eighth largest academic law library in the United States. It has comprehensive resources in International and Comparative Law.
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International atmosphere & local mentoring
The University of Minnesota Law School welcomes LL.M. students from over 20 countries. Every Master student is matched with an American law student as a contact and mentor. This makes it easy for students from abroad to immerse themselves in university life on and off campus. Furthermore, foreign students can gain from the inside knowledge of their American counterparts.
Admission requirements
The LL.M. program is especially suited for foreign lawyers wanting to combine an experience abroad with postgraduate studies. Students can specialize in various fields such as Constitutional Law, Agricultural Law or Patent Law.
Application procedure
Apart from a CV, you need a minimum TOEFL score of 213 points in the computer-based version. You have to submit two letters of recommendation from your professors or employers and an official transcript with your university grades if available. If you do not have a transcript, you will need to submit an official statement giving a detailed description of your program and showing the results of all the exams taken. The application fee is $50.
Application deadline
The Master of Laws for Foreign Lawyers begins in August and ends in May of the following year. Postmark deadline for application is April 1st.
Tuition fees
Tuition fees for the LL.M.-program are an estimated $30,000. You have to prove adequate financial support for your educational and personal expenses. Scholarships are provided in specific cases.
Alumni
The University of Minnesota Law School has more than 300 LL.M. alumni from over 60 countries. The university provides a well-organized network for its alumni.
Portrait: LL.M. graduates
Christoph Narten (31) works as a lawyer in the law firm CMS Hasche Sigle based in Frankfurt am Main. He did his LL.M. at the University of Minnesota Law School between August 2000 and May 2001.
Narten studied law in Regensburg, Germany. He obtained his First Staatsexamen, the German equivalent of the J.D., in 1998 before accomplishing his time under articles in 2000.
Why did you opt for the LL.M.?
My final grades were not sufficient for being invited to job interviews. I therefore needed additional qualification to get the jobs that really thrilled me. I was not interested in doing a German PhD and found that a Master of Laws was much more useful in practical terms. The short duration of the LL.M. program was an additional advantage.
Why did you choose the LL.M. program of the University of Minnesota?
The main reason was that I wanted to combine a postgraduate program with an extended stay in the USA to improve my English. The most important reason for choosing the University of Minnesota was that you share courses with American students, which means that you are very well integrated. And because the LL.M. program is relatively small, the foreign students do not stay among themselves. According to these factors, the University of Minnesota clearly had the best ranking – and the tuition fees were comparatively moderate.
How did you finance your LL.M.?
My parents paid one part of my tuition fees and living expenses. I financed the rest through a “family loan”.
What did you like most about the LL.M. program of the University of Minnesota?
The foreign students were very well integrated and looked after. I immersed myself very quickly. All courses are open to LL.M. students. The program director once organized a very interesting meeting with a judge of the Supreme Court of Minnesota where we had ample time for discussion and question. The professors were always available to the students for feedback and questions.
Looking back, what have you gained by accomplishing your LL.M.?
Receiving an LL.M. was clearly important for succeeding in the application for my current job. I also learned a lot about the legal system and culture in the USA. Today, I can explain a European legal case to an American colleague with less difficulty, because I understand the way he thinks in legal terms. This makes the communication with the American partner lawyers much easier and helps me to do my job. I also have been able to significantly improve my English.
Do you have any special advice for graduates interested in this LL.M. program?
Interested graduates should bear in mind that the application process and the red tape for the visa take a lot of time. I would also recommend LL.M. students to work continually on their studies so that the work load is more evenly spread. The Master of laws is not especially hard to obtain, but nevertheless the program should not be considered as a year of vacation.