Master of Laws Admissions Information
Eligibility
To qualify for admission to the LL.M. program, applicants must have earned their first law degree (LL.B. or the equivalent) outside of the United States. Admission is highly selective and those admitted will have excellent law school records, strong letters of recommendation, proficiency in English and leadership potential. Although not required, some work or research experience following completion of the first law degree is preferred. Our program does not require the LSAT exam; however, we do require the TOEFL or IELTS exam.
Students who are completing their first law degree may apply for admission. Provided that you will have completed your degree prior to the start of your LLM studies, you will be considered for conditional admission. You must submit academic records of all law coursework completed at the time you apply. If admitted, you will be required to submit final transcripts showing your degree was awarded before you begin the fall semester.
Admissions Decisions
The G&IP Admissions Committee carefully examines all parts of the application and strongly considers the applicant's academic performance, professional background (if any), English proficiency, and goals for obtaining an LL.M. degree. Interviews will be conducted at our discretion. We will contact the applicant if the Admissions Committee feels that a telephone or an in-person interview is necessary. All committee decisions are final.
Admissions decisions will be made between February and April. Enrollment is limited to the fall semester, which begins in August.
LLM - JD Transfer Program
USC Law students enrolled in our LLM Program may apply to our JD Program as Transfer LLM students during the transfer application period in the spring semester.
USC Law will grant up to 30 units in advanced standing credit toward the JD degree for law classes taken during the LLM studies at USC Law.
The admissions process is very selective.
One outstanding USC LLM candidate, with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.7(A-) in their fall and spring LLM studies, will be considered for admission to our LLM-JD Transfer Program for each academic year. The Law School Admission Test (LSAT) is not required, however
students who have taken the LSAT are required to report their score. Scholarships are not available for this program.
Only students currently enrolled in USC Law’s LLM Program may apply as transfers to the JD Program. Those who have already been awarded an LLM at another U.S. law school apply as International applicants to our three-year JD program.
For More Information
To request more information about USC Law Graduate & International Programs, please complete our Contact Form.
For information on visiting USC Law or meeting us abroad, please visit our Admissions Visits & Events page.
