The LL.M. Program is a one-year, full-time program beginning in the fall semester. It is an opportunity for our students to specialize in fields not fully covered in their previous law work. Every year the Law School enrolls approximately 225 LL.M. students from more than 50 countries with experience spanning all areas of the legal profession – including academia, the judiciary, public service, civil rights and human rights advocacy, NGOs, international organizations, and private practice.
The key to a satisfying and enriching LL.M. experience is student choice. Columbia offers a general LL.M. degree, giving students much freedom to select their courses from the Law School’s incredibly rich curriculum. A Columbia LL.M. degree can comprise a wide variety of subjects or have a more narrow focus; there are no study “tracks.” We help our students design an individual program of study to meet their academic and professional goals – whether to broaden their general preparation, specialize in a particular field or acquire knowledge of the American legal system, international law or other legal systems. With the exception of some clinical offerings, the courses and seminars open to LL.M. students are generally those open to J.D. students in the second and third years. Additionally, all LL.M. candidates except those who hold a J.D. from a U.S. law school are required to take an introductory course on the common law and the American legal system offered uniquely for them during the month of August. To view the full list of course offerings, see the online Curriculum Guide.
We actively seek to engage international students with their American counterparts. LL.M. students sit alongside J.D. students in classes and seminars, a mix that promotes an exchange of fresh ideas and perspectives. Moreover, the LL.M. and J.D. students work together on many extra-curricular activities, further enhancing their academic experiences.
LL.M. candidates are required to earn twenty-four (24) points of academic credit and one LL.M. Writing Credit. While LL.M. candidates are not required to submit a thesis, they can write up to eight points of independent research toward the twenty-four points required for the degree - sufficient to produce publishable work if they are so inclined. Moreover, they can earn up to six points of academic credit toward the degree in graduate courses taken in other faculties of the University.
Our students capitalize on the wealth of academic opportunities available to them – such as our clinics in human rights or mediation, courses in African law or corporate finance, and externships in arts law or the United Nations. And many supplement their academic pursuits by working closely with faculty as Research Assistants, participating in a community-service program, serving on the Student Senate or the editorial board of a law journal, joining or creating a student organization, and indulging in the infinite resources and marvels of New York City.
LL.M. students also benefit from being part of a great university. They can attend the thousands of special lectures, workshops, seminars and programs hosted by the University each year (among this year’s events on campus were the annual World Leaders Forum and a forum on service featuring Presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama), and can work on research projects with professors in other divisions. In addition, as mentioned above, LL.M. students are allowed to take classes in other departments and schools, such as the Columbia Business School, the School of International and Public Affairs or the School of Journalism, making the LL.M. a truly interdisciplinary degree.
Professional Responsibility and Academic Integrity
Legal education is generally a passageway to careers of service in law, either in private practice or in a public capacity. The standards of responsibility for that service are high and exacting. In part, the appreciation of these responsibilities is gained by habit and example; the Law School helps to form these professional attitudes as an integral part of the education it provides.
The responsibilities of law students are of course different from those of lawyers. Yet in a real sense professional responsibility begins upon entering law school. Students are regarded, and should regard themselves, as committed to integrity and effectiveness in the legal profession. That commitment requires consideration, honesty and fair dealing in academic enterprises, in the Law School community, and in personal and professional relations outside the Law School. The Columbia Law School demands this rigorously of faculty and students alike.
Students are expected to maintain the highest standards of academic integrity. LL.M. students who commit plagiarism or other acts of academic dishonesty are subject to expulsion from the program. The issue of academic integrity is addressed at various points during the admission and orientation process, and students are therefore expected to become thoroughly familiar with Columbia's requirements in this area.
