Boston University School of Law (BU Law)

The University

Established in 1869, Boston University is one of the world's premier institutions of higher education and research. With more than 30,000 students from 50 states and 40 countries, BU is the fourth largest independent university in the United States. And with one of the largest international student populations, BU embodies the diversity that characterizes the best in U.S. education.

The Law School

Boston University School of Law (BU Law) is one of America's most distinguished law schools. The core of the BU Law learning experience is superior teaching and a supportive, dynamic learning environment in which teachers guide, inspire and challenge. BU Law professors are nationally acclaimed for their legal skills and scholarship, on the cutting edge in research, writing and advising to both the public and private sectors. But what uniquely defines them is their devotion to students -- academically, professionally and individually. This explains why the school is consistently ranked by the Princeton Review as one of the top schools in the nation for "Best Professors." The school is also within the top 13 percent of American law schools in U.S. News and World Report and in the top ten in the specialty areas of intellectual property, tax and health law.

The Program

The school’s roughly 250 LL.M. students bring an astounding mix of backgrounds and interests to campus. In any given year, they come from over 40 law schools throughout the United States and from more than 35 countries worldwide. BU Law offers foreign-trained and domestic lawyers five leading LL.M. programs:

LL.M. in American Law (for foreign-trained lawyers)
The LL.M. in American Law Program is a one-year, full-time graduate law program designed to introduce jurists trained outside the United States to American law and the U.S. legal system. Fully immersed into the school's J.D. classes, LL.M. in American Law students select topics from over 190 courses available at BU Law. These include such important fields as intellectual property and corporate law, and such fundamental topics as contracts, civil procedure and constitutional law. By taking classes with full-time American J.D. students, LL.M. in American Law Program students learn first-hand about how American lawyers are trained to analyze and address legal problems. Students can pursue specialized concentrations in the important areas of International Business Practice, Intellectual Property and Taxation.

LL.M. in Banking and Financial Law
For lawyers with focused interests in banking and financial services, BU Law's Graduate Program in Banking and Financial Law offers a course of study leading to an LL.M. in Banking and Financial Law degree. The program, the first of its kind in America, prepares U.S. and foreign-trained lawyers for leadership positions in both the American and international financial markets. The program's faculty consists of industry practitioners who are dedicated to sharing their wealth of experience. The 1,300 plus graduates form a cohesive professional network that is unmatched in the financial services industry.

LL.M. in Intellectual Property Law
Our LL.M. in Intellectual Property Law program builds upon our national reputation in intellectual property law and enables U.S. and foreign-trained students to study not only the core topics of copyright, patents and trademark and unfair competition, but also to explore advanced, specialized topics through an expansive range of electives in such cutting-edge fields as Internet and biotechnology law, all offered through the school's J.D. curriculum. In a year of full-time study, students also complete a faculty-supervised analytical research paper on an intellectual property law topic.

LL.M. in Taxation
The Graduate Tax Program is designed for U.S. and foreign-trained lawyers specializing in tax law. Consistently ranked by U.S. News and World Report as one of the top tax schools in the country, the program provides a rigorous study of current tax law taught by both full-time academicians and nationally recognized practitioner/scholars. The extremely broad curriculum allows students either to undertake a diverse tax program or to concentrate in a subspecialty area such as business organizations and transactions; personal, family, and estate tax; or international tax. Students may attend on either a full- or part-time basis in Boston, or on a part-time basis online.

Executive LL.M. in International Business Law (blended learning)
In addition to the four residential LL.M. programs, Boston University offers an Executive LL.M. Program in International Business Law, open to U.S. and foreign-trained international law practitioners, it offers an innovative and rigorous blended learning format that incorporates intensive two-week residential periods with state-of-the-art distance learning. The degree's residency period (two three-week periods) may be completed in as little as one summer and the flexible format is tailored to fit the needs of international law practitioners.

Extended LL.M. Option
Prospective students with impressive qualifications but who lack the required level of English language proficiency to excel in an LL.M. program may be eligible for BU Law's three-semester "Extended LL.M." option, the first semester of which includes intensive English language courses at the University's Center for English Language and Orientation Programs (CELOP), as well as introductory courses at BU Law. Students then complete the LL.M. degree requirements over the following two semesters.

Application Procedure

Candidates for admission to our four residential programs or the online option for our Graduate Tax Program may submit their applications either through BU Law's online application or through the LSAC application. Instructions for applications are available on our website at www.bu.edu/law/prospective/apply/llm/. The application requirements include a completed application form; an application fee; official academic records; two letters of recommendation; a personal statement and a résumé or CV. International applicants must also submit proof of English language proficiency and an international student data form. All qualified applicants will also be interviewed by phone (or in person, if practical) by the program Director or Assistant Director. Applications for the Executive LL.M. Program must be submitted through BU Law's online applicatoin, detailed instructions are available on our website at www.bu.edu/law/prospective/llm/intlbuslaw/howtoapp….

Location

Long recognized as the country's academic capital, Boston offers one of the world's greatest settings for advanced study. Over 50 colleges and universities make the greater Boston area their home. The city's unique blend of educational, cultural, financial and high-tech scientific activity attracts thousands of students and scholars each year from all over the world.

Nestled between the Charles River and the bustling Back Bay district, the campus of Boston University offers a unique combination of urban excitement and peaceful relaxation. You can immerse yourself in city life or take a break along Boston's famed Esplanade, a walkway adjacent to BU's campus that winds all the way to downtown Boston. Spread a picnic, rent a sailboat, launch a kayak, cycle for miles, feed the squirrels, enjoy a rock concert, or just clear your head between classes. As a BU Law student, Boston is your campus. You’will be part of a city whose professional and cultural breadth has few rivals.

Student Life

At BU Law we believe a great deal of learning happens outside the classroom. We encourage students to enjoy their legal studies, to expand intellectually and personally and to participate in extracurricular activities, student organizations, community service and other activities that enrich student life. To help encourage this, BU Law organizes a wealth of activities to help students connect with their fellow LL.M. and J.D. classmates. As an LL.M. student at BU Law, you’ll have the opportunity to take part in receptions, movie nights, an international potluck dinner, Red Sox games, internationally-themed dinners, and much more.

Summer Program

Boston University's Summer Legal Institute in London provides practical training in the contractual aspects of international business transactions and in the use of Legal English. The program is exclusively for lawyers and advanced law students trained outside the United States.

The summer 2012 program occurred during one, three week session, from July 15, 2012 through August 4, 2012. The program featured a unique "integrated" approach to teach the language and legal skills that are essential to handle business agreements in English. In small class settings, students received hands-on instruction from BU Law faculty members -- America's #1 ranked teaching faculty, according to The Princeton Review -- and from Legal English instructors from Boston University's acclaimed Center for English Language and Orientation Programs (CELOP).

For more information about Boston University's Summer Legal Institute in London, visit www.bu.edu/law/londonlaw.

Pre-LLM Course

For LL.M. students seeking advanced preparation for their upcoming graduate studies in America, Boston University's Center for English Language and Orientation Programs (CELOP) offers a six-week Summer Program in Legal English designed to provide international jurists with the language and academic skills needed to succeed in a demanding LL.M. program. Through small-class instruction led by CELOP's distinguished faculty and through carefully selected law-related materials and assignments, students:

· Build their legal English vocabularies and strengthen their legal English writing skills
· Receive exposure to fundamental aspects of the American legal system and several substantive doctrines central to American Law
· Become acquainted with the materials, methodologies and culture of American law school instruction

The program, which runs from early July to late August, is open to all foreign jurists who have been admitted into an LL.M. program at an American law school in the following fall semester. For more information about the Pre-LLM course, visit www.bu.edu/celop.