Vermont Law School

The Law School

A vibrant, independent graduate school established as a leader in environmental and international law, Vermont Law School is dedicated to providing an exceptional educational community that values ethics, engagement, and public citizenship. Our mission is strengthened by our diversity, dynamic curriculum and experiential learning opportunities, prestigious faculty, excellent staff, and supportive atmosphere. Our goal is to educate change agents who are guided by our motto, Law for the community and the world, in their careers as legal counselors and litigators, public interest attorneys, environmental and land use experts, civil rights advocates, scholars and activists. U.S.News & World Report has ranked Vermont Law School the #1 environmental law program in the United States for 15 years since 1991.

The Program

Vermont Law School offers LLM degrees in Environmental Law, Energy Law, and American Legal Studies for lawyers who are ready to further define their careers.

LLM in Environmental Law
The LLM in Environmental Law degree is designed for a select group of post-JD candidates seeking to specialize in environmental law. Vermont Law School offers LLM candidates over 50 courses in environmental law and policy--the widest range of courses offered by any law school in the world. With a solid grounding in environmental law and a deep selection of electives to define your specialty, you can pursue a specialized practice of law or a meaningful career in litigation, teaching, research, or public policy.

LLM in Energy Law
The LLM in Energy Law degree gives post-JD candidates a deep specialty in this important area of environmental law. The VLS faculty who specialize in energy law are affiliated with the law school's highly respected Institute for Energy and the Environment, which offers students opportunities to do practical work in the energy field and to meet and learn from energy experts who collaborate on institute projects with VLS faculty. Students in the LLM in Energy Law program participate in a special LLM seminar focusing on advanced research topics in environmental and energy law. With the Energy Law LLM, you can pursue a specialized practice of law or a meaningful career in litigation, teaching, research, or public policy. Pending NEASC approval and ABA acquiescence, we plan to launch an LLM in Energy Law in 2013.

LLM in American Legal Studies
The Master of Laws in American Legal Studies is designed for students who hold a law degree from an institution outside of the United States and wish to gain a solid foundation in U.S. law and U.S. legal method. The curriculum is designed to help candidates achieve bar passage and meets all the curriculum requirements to take the bar exam in New York and Washington, D.C. Our LLM students take all their courses together with the JD students, so they have immersion in the U.S. law school experience.

The Faculty

Vermont Law School faculty are known for their passion for justice and commitment to teaching practice and scholarship. They are leaders in environmental law, women's rights, international and comparative law, criminal law, intellectual property, and national security law. The school has 56 full-time faculty; 10 part-time, visiting and emeriti faculty; and 75 adjunct faculty. Our low student/faculty ratio means unusual opportunity for a personal connection to talented mentors who take a personal interest in their students' education and career.

Entry Requirements

Application to Vermont Law School's LLM programs is open to any person who has completed a Juris Doctor (JD) or the international first law degree equivalent and who meets other entrance requirements. Applicants will be judged on their overall ability to do graduate work. Factors that are considered in admission are: GPA from undergraduate, graduate, and law schools; successful work history; and the required admission essays, legal writing sample, and letters of recommendation from academic professors or professional or volunteer experience supervisors. Students must submit official transcripts from all schools attended.

Application Procedure

The LLM application requires:
- Completed application form
- $60 application fee
- Professional résumé or curriculum vitae
- Essays as described in the application
- Legal writing sample
- All transcripts
- Two letters of recommendation
International Applicants
- All foreign applicants who have not lived or studied in an English-speaking country for at least two years must submit TOEFL, PTE, or IELTS scores.

The LLM application is available in two formats -- the LSAC online application or the PDF file.

Tuition and Fees

LLM (American Legal Studies) $39,554.00
Per Credit -- LLM (American Legal Studies) $1,367.00

Fees:
Distance Learning Fee (semester charge) $370.00
Student Bar Association Membership Fee $125.00
Graduation Fee (3Ls, MELP, LLM) $110.00
Transcripts (each, after the first) $5.00
Student Administration Fee $400.00 ($200 per semester)
Interest on all overdue accounts 12 percent per annum

Financial Aid

Financial aid is granted annually and awards are subject to student eligibility, availability of funding, and program limits. A new application must be completed each year.
To be considered for federal and VLS financial aid, an LLM student must:
1) be enrolled at least half-time and making satisfactory academic progress in the Vermont Law School LLM program;
2) be a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen (see FAFSA instructions for definition of eligible noncitizen);
3) not be in default on a previous federal loan or owe a refund on federal financial aid received in the past;
4) be registered with Selective Service (if applicable); and
5) have educational expenses and demonstrated financial need.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) must be filed to be considered for all Federal and Institutional Aid. Timely applications are considered first in situations where funding is limited. Applications completed before March 1 are given priority for limited campus-based financial aid funds. Note that the FAFSA form requires income tax information for the previous year and cannot be filed before January 1. Because application processing takes several weeks, we recommend that students file before February 15.

Location

Our campus, nestled in the Green Mountains, occupies 13 acres beside the White River in the village of South Royalton, Vermont. Surrounded by tranquility and exceptional pastoral views, our historic buildings have been renovated with respect for the past and for the environment. Our students can find cozy spots to study or socialize as well as space to hike, ski, and fish--one of the best trout fishing rivers in Vermont forms the northern border of our campus. At the same time, we have kept pace with advancing technology, ensuring that our campus is wireless and our equipment is cutting-edge. Our sophisticated law library serves attorneys throughout Vermont and New Hampshire, and our full-time environmental librarian assists legal scholars throughout the world. Our newest buildings and recent renovations represent the very latest in energy conservation and environmentally-friendly construction.

Student Life

The class entering in fall 2012 had 171 JD students, 40 master's students, and 21 LLM students from 40 states and territories. We currently have some 735 students pursuing JD and other advanced degrees, including a Master of Environmental Law and Policy (MELP) and an LLM in Environmental Law.

Through the Student Bar Association, students participate in the governance of the law school through elected membership on the board of trustees and various committees for financial aid, development, curriculum, faculty hiring, the library, community affairs, and student services. The SBA also sponsors social and cultural events. All students are members of the Student Bar Association. The student senate, governing board, and committee representatives are elected annually. The SBA supports and encourages academic excellence and professional growth among students; ensures the attainment and preservation of the rights of the individual student to acquire a quality legal education in a just and reasonable manner; and serves as the vehicle for interaction and communication between the students, faculty, administration, alumni, and the community.

Outside of class, VLS students gather together to share their interests, talents, goals, and energies. They have organized voter registration programs and blood drives and cleaned up the banks of the neighboring White River. A wide variety of student groups encompass the academic, cultural, philosophical, recreational, and social aspects of life at VLS, including the Vermont Law Review, Moot Court Advisory Board, Women's Law Group, Alliance, Black Law Students Association, National Lawyers Guild, Equal Justice Foundation, Men's and Women's Rugby, and Outdoors Club.