Prospective Students

LL.M. Admissions

Two ways to Apply

To expedite the application and administration process, we encourage applicants to submit an online application. Prospective applicants who are unable to apply online or print an application should contact the Office of Law Graduate Admission at (312) 362-8185 or lawllm@depaul.edu to request a copy of the application.

LL.M. Admission Policy

DePaul offers Master of Laws (LL.M.) programs in Health Law, International Law, Intellectual Property Law and Taxation.

Prospective applicants who received their law degree from an ABA-accredited institution, their bachelor of law degree from a foreign institution, or who will have received such degree prior to when admission is sought are eligible to apply.

DePaul University has a nondiscriminatory admission policy; it does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age or disability.

Admission Criteria

Applicants should submit the LL.M. application by the deadline for the term for which they wish to apply:

Fall Semester – July 1
Spring Semester – November 1
Summer Session – April 1

The LL.M. Admission Committee considers the applicant’s law school record and professional background in determining admission.

LL.M. applicants for whom English is a second language are required to submit a TOEFL or IELTS score.

Letters of Recommendation

Two letters of recommendation are required of all applicants, and additional letters are helpful. Letters may be written by employers or colleagues who are in positions to make critical and informed appraisals of your qualifications. Letters from your law school professors are particularly useful. Letters of recommendation should be sent to LSAC or directly to the Office of Law Graduate Admission.

Personal Statement

A personal statement is required and must be submitted with the application for admission. It should not exceed two pages, and may provide the LL.M. Admission Committee with information regarding such matters as intellectual interests and pursuits; personal, family or educational background; experiences and talents of special interest; reasons for applying to the LL.M. program as they may relate to personal goals and professional aspirations; or any other factors that will assist the committee’s evaluation of your candidacy for admission.

Resume

A current resume is required and must be submitted with the application for admission. Not exceeding two pages, the resume should include a complete employment record and identify honors, scholarships and commendations received; membership in any bar, scholastic, honorary and professional associations; as well as community, volunteer and extracurricular activities.

Application Fee

A $40 nonrefundable application processing fee is required and must be submitted in U.S. dollars with the application for admission.

Special Information for Graduates of Foreign Institutions

In addition to submitting an application form, application fee, personal statement, resume and two letters of recommendation, applicants who earned a primary law degree from foreign institutions must provide a detailed evaluation of their foreign transcripts.

While the College of Law strongly encourages international applicants to submit their foreign transcripts to the LSAC LL.M. Credential Assembly Service, we also will accept detailed evaluation reports from Educational Credential Evaluators (ece.org), World Educational Services (wes.org) or from any other member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services.

Foreign transcripts received through the LL.M. Credential Assembly Service are sent to the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) where the transcript is authenticated and analyzed. The data is assembled into a foreign credential evaluation document that contains AACRAO's summary, copies of the transcripts (with all necessary translations) and a TOEFL or IELTS score, if applicable.

LL.M. applicants educated in foreign institutions where English is not the primary language also must register for the TOEFL or IELTS. Applicants who register for the TOEFL must advise Educational Testing Service (ETS) to send their TOEFL score to LSAC (institution code number 00580). LSAC will incorporate the TOEFL or IELTS score and associated documents into the foreign credential evaluation packet. Applicants also may have their TOEFL scores sent directly to the Office of Law Graduate Admission (institution code 1165).

A JD from an ABA-accredited law school generally is required to take the Illinois Bar Exam. An LL.M. degree will not provide eligibility to sit for the Illinois Bar Exam or enter the Illinois Bar. Requirements for bar admission and examination vary by state. A comprehensive guide to bar admission requirements in other jurisdictions is available from the National Conference of Bar Examiners (ncbex.org).

For additional information, including a copy of the Financial Affidavit of Support Form for International Students, please visit depaul.edu/international.

Special Information for Transfer Applicants

Transfer LL.M. applicants may apply for admission for the fall and spring semesters, as well as the summer session. Transfer applicants admitted to the College of Law may receive up to six (6) credit hours toward the LL.M. degree. The determination of applicable credit is made upon admission. Transfer applicants are required to submit all materials required of all first-time LL.M. applicants: application, application fee, letters of recommendation (at least one from an LL.M. program faculty member), official law school transcript or evaluated transcripts, resume, personal statement and TOEFL or IELTS score, if applicable. In addition, transfer applicants must submit directly to the Office of Law Graduate Admission official transcripts from all previously attended LL.M. programs. LL.M. program transcripts must provide grades for all courses attempted. DePaul University College of Law does not have an articulation agreement with any university of law school program regarding transfer admission.

Tuition, Fees and Financial Aid

Current tuition and fee information can be found at law.depaul.edu/tuition. All policies are under continual review, and the Board of Trustees reserves the right to change tuition and fees as conditions require. DePaul University and the College of Law provide a range of financial assistance in the form of loans and scholarships. Should you wish to apply for financial assistance, indicate your intent in the application for admission.

Financial aid applications are available annually after January 1.

To apply for loans and other need-based assistance, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is required and can be obtained after January 1 at colleges and universities or at the FAFSA Web site (fafsa.ed.gov).The FAFSA code for DePaul University College of Law is 001671. The FAFSA must be complete and on file in the Office of Financial Aid on or before March 1 in order to receive full consideration for DePaul administered financial aid.

The University and the College of Law provide merit-based scholarships to especially promising International LL.M. program applicants. No separate application is required to be considered for merit-based assistance.