Program Overview

LLM in U.S. Law

Overview

The LLM program in U.S. Law at George Mason University's Antonin Scalia Law School is designed for foreign-trained lawyers seeking knowledge of U.S. law and to improve their legal skill set. The program offers international lawyers unparalleled education in the U.S. legal system, with the option to choose from a comprehensive list of elective courses.

Program Highlights

• Improve legal skills
• Enhance ability to meet the academic qualifications required to take a U.S. bar exam
• Bolster academic credentials and stand out to prospective legal employers
• Improve career opportunities with law firms and corporations handling U.S. legal matters
• Effectively handle legal work outsourced from the U.S.
• Earn a degree in as little as one year, or as long as three years

Admissions

For information on admissions, please refer to the university's admissions page.

Policies

Standard & Online LLM in U.S. Law

• All students must finish the degree requirements within five years of matriculation and be enrolled in at least two courses each fall and spring semester, unless granted a waiver or leave of absence.
• In order to remain in the LLM program, students must maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.33 on a 4.33 scale at the end of each spring semester.
• Students on a F1 visa need to maintain a minimum of 9 credits in the fall and spring semesters to comply with visa requirements.

Flex-LLM in U.S. Law

• The streamlined 28-credit program breaks classes into manageable 8-week increments and includes concurrent bar preparation services that are specifically designed to prepare students for the D.C. Bar exam.
• Banner Code: LW-LLM-LAWU

Degree Requirements

• Total credits: 26 or 28

LLM in U.S. Law (Residential)

Required Courses

• Students must complete 7 credits of required coursework:
  • LAW 093: Intro to US Law
  • LAW 108: Economics for Lawyers
  • LAW 298: Professional Responsibility
  • Total Credits: 7

Electives

• Students must complete 19 credits from the following:
  • LAW 116: Administrative Law
  • LAW 172: Business Associations
  • LAW 112: Civil Procedure
  • LAW 186: Conflict of Laws
  • LAW 121: Const Law I-Structure of Gov't
  • LAW 158: Const Lw II:14th Amendment
  • LAW 102: Contracts I
  • LAW 103: Contracts II
  • LAW 198: Corporate Tax
  • LAW 106: Criminal Law
  • LAW 206: Criminal Procedure I
  • LAW 222: Evidence
  • LAW 212: Family Law
  • LAW 235: Immigration Law
  • LAW 236: Income Tax
  • LAW 248: International Law
  • LAW 350: Jurisprudence
  • LAW 096: LRWA I: Intro to Lgl Res Writ
  • LAW 266: Legislation Statutory Interp
  • LAW 289: Perspctves on Regulation
  • LAW 104: Property
  • LAW 322: Sec Fin Insol I
  • LAW 312: Sales
  • LAW 110: Torts
  • LAW 330: Trusts Estates
  • Total Credits: 19

LLM in U.S. Law (Online)

• In order to graduate from the Online LLM in U.S. Law program, students must complete at least 26 credit hours, comprised of the core curriculum and electives.
• There are 3 required courses for the Online LLM in U.S. Law.
• In addition to the 3 required courses, there are 13 elective options available to students.

Required Courses

• Students must complete all of the following required courses:
  • LAW 093: Intro to US Law
  • LAW 108: Economics for Lawyers
  • LAW 298: Professional Responsibility
  • Total Credits: 6

Electives

• Students must complete at least 20 credit hours' worth of the courses below:
  • LAW 172: Business Associations
  • LAW 112: Civil Procedure
  • LAW 186: Conflict of Laws
  • LAW 102: Contracts I
  • LAW 106: Criminal Law
  • LAW 222: Evidence
  • LAW 236: Income Tax
  • LAW 096: LRWA I: Intro to Lgl Res Writ
  • LAW 104: Property
  • LAW 322: Sec Fin Insol I
  • LAW 110: Torts
  • LAW 330: Trusts Estates
  • Total Credits: 20

Flex-LLM in U.S. Law

Required Courses

• The Flex-LLM in US Law makes students D.C. Bar eligible quickly.
• The streamlined 28-credit program breaks classes into manageable 8-week increments and includes concurrent bar preparation services that are specifically designed to prepare students for the D.C. Bar exam.
• Students must complete 28 credits of coursework:
  • LAW 089: Introduction to United States Law Professional Responsibility
  • LAW 108: Economics for Lawyers
  • LAW 298: Professional Responsibility
  • Course Pathway:
    • LAW 110: Torts
    • LAW 106: Criminal Law
    • LAW 104: Property
    • LAW 172: Business Associations
    • LAW 322: Sec Fin Insol I
    • LAW 112: Civil Procedure
    • LAW 222: Evidence
    • LAW 212: Family Law
    • LAW 221: Constitutional Law (LLM only)
    • LAW 078: Contracts (LLM Only)
    • LAW 330: Trusts Estates
    • LAW 096: LRWA I: Intro to Lgl Res Writ
  • Total Credits: 28

Practical Skills Track Option

• Students enrolled in the U.S. Law LLM program at Scalia Law School may choose the Practical Skills Track to enhance their professional development and acquire hands-on practical legal experience.
• This skills-based program develops students’ workplace skills through the practical application of the knowledge they have acquired in the classroom.

Degree Requirements

• In order to graduate with a U.S. Law LLM degree in the Practical Skills Track, students must complete a total of 28 credit hours (26 credits composed of the required and elective courses as listed in the U.S. Law LLM degree curriculum, 2 credits for the supervised externship seminar required of this track).

Student Rights & Responsibilities

• Students wishing to pursue the Practical Skills Track in their second semester of study must obtain a minimum 3.1 GPA in their first semester of study.
• No compensation may be received for work performed during the course of the supervised externship required by the Practice Skills Track.
• Externship work must be done under the direct supervision of a licensed attorney or judge (the “site supervisor”) and assignments must be substantive and legal or law-related in nature.
• The student must work a minimum of 120 hours, which hours shall be structured in consultation with the site supervisor.
• Externship opportunities must be approved by both the Director of Graduate Studies and the Supervised Externship Professor in advance of the externship start date.
• The student must attend two of the four tutorials offered by the Supervised Externship Professor over the course of the semester.
• Prior to the start of the externship, a “Supervised Externship Volunteer Agreement” must be signed by the student and site supervisor and submitted to the Supervised Externship Professor.
• Each student must have a mid-semester consultation with the Supervised Externship Professor to discuss the externship and work being accomplished.
• At the end of the externship, the student must submit the following:
  • Time sheet showing the hours worked
  • Sample of their written work product of any length (with the supervising attorney’s permission; redactions are acceptable to preserve confidentiality)
  • Written summary of the legal skills enhancement resulting from their field experience

Procedure

• Students are responsible for finding their own internship placement.
• The Director of Graduate Studies offers career counseling and support for students seeking these types of opportunities.
• Students should schedule an appointment to meet with the Director for counseling during their first semester of LLM studies so that the externship search can be timely and potentially yield an offer by the end of the first semester.
• Students interested in pursuing this track need to submit (1) their internship offer letter and (2) transcripts reflecting their first semester grades to Brian Benison, Director of Graduate Admissions and International Initiatives, by email to by the first day of classes of their second LLM semester at Scalia Law.
• Students who meet the necessary requirements will be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies to register for the LLM Externship Seminar.
• Once approval has been granted by the Director of Graduate Studies, students shall obtain the approval of the Supervised Externship Professor.
• Students may not register for the LLM Externship Seminar without both permissions.
• International students (F1 visa holders) who don’t have permission to work in the United States will need to seek the necessary permission from OIPS (Office of International Programs and Services) in order to pursue this track.