For more than 75 years, Tulane Law's Master of Laws (LLM) program has offered students from across the globe a unique and valuable opportunity to pursue advanced legal education.
Candidates for the Master of Laws degree must complete 24 semester hours of coursework. Full-time students are expected to complete the LLM in two semesters (one academic year). LLM students must also write at least one paper in connection with a seminar in their field of interest or in connection with a directed research project.
LLM Students who received a JD or LLB (or equivalent) from a school located outside of the United States must enroll in a three-week summer orientation course, Introduction to US Law. International students must also complete and pass a legal research and writing course.
Candidates for all Master's degrees must satisfy the following requirements:
Satisfactory completion of 24 credits of coursework, at least 21 of which must be at the Law School, and up to three of which may be earned in a summer term. "Satisfactory completion" is defined under Academic Standards in the Student Handbook. No transfer credit can be granted. A student who has earned 24 credits towards the Master's degree may not enroll in any more courses that will appear on the student's transcript or average into the student's GPA.
Full-time students must complete between 10 and 12 hours of coursework in each of two consecutive fall and spring semesters, except with special permission. Part-time students must complete between 4 and 7 hours of coursework each semester and complete the degree in four consecutive semesters, with the option of attending one summer session for up to 3 hours of coursework.
Students must satisfy the specific requirements of the degree program in which they are
enrolled (e.g., General, Admiralty, American, Energy & Environment, or International &
Comparative Law).
Students are required to write papers for at least three, but not more than nine, hours of coursework, in courses requiring or permitting completion of a paper in lieu of an exam. Directed research credit falls in this category and may be used to satisfy up to three hours of the writing requirement. Students may not receive credit for Directed Research beyond the nine-hour writing credit maximum. The course Legal Research and Writing for International Graduate Students may not be counted toward the writing requirement.
All master's degree candidates who have received the first law degree from a school outside the United States must successfully complete Introduction to 4LAW 5600 Introduction to Law of the United States (2 c.h.) and 4LAW 5910 Legal Reasoning, Research & Writing for LLM Students (3 c.h.), in addition to any specific degree requirements.
Clinical programs, the Trial Advocacy course, and externships are not open to graduate students subject to the following exception. Students who received a JD from a U.S. law school and who are candidates for a Tulane Law School Master’s degree may apply to participate in the Environmental Law Clinic for a maximum of one semester. This is the only clinic open to graduate students, and the limitation of one semester participation is not subject to modification.
Students in the full-time graduate studies programs must be enrolled as full-time students at the Law School for one academic year (i.e., two full-time semesters). A full-time
semester is defined as enrollment in ten more hours of coursework. Students may not pursue degrees in absentia.
Students must meet all financial obligations to the University.
Each student must, after fulfilling all other degree requirements, be recommended for the
degree by the law faculty.
LLM candidates may pursue one of the following degree programs:
Coursework
Candidates for the Master of Laws degree must complete 24 semester hours of coursework. Full-time students are expected to complete the LLM in two semesters (one academic year). LLM students must also write at least one paper in connection with a seminar in their field of interest or in connection with a directed research project.
LLM Students who received a JD or LLB (or equivalent) from a school located outside of the United States must enroll in a three-week summer orientation course, Introduction to US Law. International students must also complete and pass a legal research and writing course.
Candidates for all Master's degrees must satisfy the following requirements:
Satisfactory completion of 24 credits of coursework, at least 21 of which must be at the Law School, and up to three of which may be earned in a summer term. "Satisfactory completion" is defined under Academic Standards in the Student Handbook. No transfer credit can be granted. A student who has earned 24 credits towards the Master's degree may not enroll in any more courses that will appear on the student's transcript or average into the student's GPA.
Full-time students must complete between 10 and 12 hours of coursework in each of two consecutive fall and spring semesters, except with special permission. Part-time students must complete between 4 and 7 hours of coursework each semester and complete the degree in four consecutive semesters, with the option of attending one summer session for up to 3 hours of coursework.
Students must satisfy the specific requirements of the degree program in which they are
enrolled (e.g., General, Admiralty, American, Energy & Environment, or International &
Comparative Law).
Students are required to write papers for at least three, but not more than nine, hours of coursework, in courses requiring or permitting completion of a paper in lieu of an exam. Directed research credit falls in this category and may be used to satisfy up to three hours of the writing requirement. Students may not receive credit for Directed Research beyond the nine-hour writing credit maximum. The course Legal Research and Writing for International Graduate Students may not be counted toward the writing requirement.
All master's degree candidates who have received the first law degree from a school outside the United States must successfully complete Introduction to 4LAW 5600 Introduction to Law of the United States (2 c.h.) and 4LAW 5910 Legal Reasoning, Research & Writing for LLM Students (3 c.h.), in addition to any specific degree requirements.
Clinical programs, the Trial Advocacy course, and externships are not open to graduate students subject to the following exception. Students who received a JD from a U.S. law school and who are candidates for a Tulane Law School Master’s degree may apply to participate in the Environmental Law Clinic for a maximum of one semester. This is the only clinic open to graduate students, and the limitation of one semester participation is not subject to modification.
Students in the full-time graduate studies programs must be enrolled as full-time students at the Law School for one academic year (i.e., two full-time semesters). A full-time
semester is defined as enrollment in ten more hours of coursework. Students may not pursue degrees in absentia.
Students must meet all financial obligations to the University.
Each student must, after fulfilling all other degree requirements, be recommended for the
degree by the law faculty.
Length of Study
All LLM programs are offered on a full-time and part-time basis. Full-time students are expected to complete the LLM in two semesters, or one academic year. Due to student visa requirements, many international students are required to enroll on a full-time basis. Attorneys in full-time practice in the New Orleans area have an exclusive option to enroll in the part-time program toward the LLM in Admiralty. All part-time LLM students must complete the program in four consecutive (non-summer) semesters.
Residency Requirements
All international LLM students begin the Introduction to US Law course in mid-July and proceed directly into the fall semester, which begins in late August and concludes at the beginning of December; fall-semester exams take place in December before the winter break. The spring semester begins in mid-January and concludes in late April, followed by spring-semester exams. Commencement ceremony is in May and conferral of degrees take place in May, July, and January.
Summer Abroad Option
Tulane LLM students admitted to any of our full-time programs may begin the LLM program in the summer by attending one of Tulane’s summer abroad programs. Up to 3 of the 24 credits required for the LLM program may be completed in a Summer Abroad Program. Tuition is included in the academic year costs, leaving students who proceed immediately into the LLM program responsible only for their living expenses during the summer abroad program. International students must arrive in New Orleans by the start of the Introduction to US Law course in mid-July.
