The Ohio State University - Moritz College of Law

The University

As a Moritz LL.M. student, you become part of The Ohio State University and all that it has to offer. Ranked by U.S. News & World Reports as one of the top 20 public universities, OSU also has 30 graduate programs or specializations in the top 25, with 19 of those in the top 10. OSU has long attracted a wide range of international students.

Currently there are almost 4000 international scholars on campus and 1500 visiting international scholars. OSU has more than 300 formal partnerships with universities in 52 countries and has an infrastructure of support and resources in place to serve OSU's international student population. With its hundreds of student organizations, wide range of activities and close proximity to downtown Columbus, German Village and the Short North, OSU students never lack for something exciting to do with their free time

The Law School

Drinko Hall

The Moritz College is a diverse and dynamic community of students and scholars where you can expect to take classes from faculty known nationally for their scholarship and teaching. The Moritz College has a faculty dedicated equally to preparing students for the legal profession and to exploring the cutting edge of their disciplines.

The Moritz College offers a nationally ranked program and certificate in the emerging area of alternative dispute resolution, as well as an exceptionally broad array of clinical programs, including clinics in civil and criminal practice, mediation, legislation, and juvenile law. The curriculum provides excellent preparation in criminal law, intellectual property law, employment and labor law, commercial law, international law, and many other fields.

The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law is pleased to announce a new Master of Laws (LL.M.) Program for foreign lawyers. We will welcome our first class in August 2007.

The Program

The Moritz LL.M. program is designed for foreign lawyers who wish to advance their legal education in a stimulating academic environment.

Two of the program's primary goals are to immerse foreign lawyers in a year of U.S. legal education and to foster interaction between American J.D. students and the LL.M. students. In large part this is accomplished by integrating the LL.M. students into the J.D. curriculum, ensuring that both groups will benefit from the interaction and graduate from their respective programs well prepared to participate in an increasingly globalized world.

The Moritz College of Law LL.M. is a one-year general LL.M. program designed to provide foreign lawyers with a basic understanding of the United States legal system through a rigorous program of legal training by the College of Law faculty. The year long program integrates foreign LL.M. students into J.D. classes, providing LL.M. students with more than 145 classes and seminars from which to craft the LL.M. that best suits their interests and career goals. Students are required to successfully complete 24 semester credits to earn the LL.M. degree.

There are three ways to structure one's LL.M. studies. First, an LL.M. student may choose to pursue a truly general LL.M. that provides the candidate with a broad understanding of the fundamentals of American law, electing to take courses in torts, contracts, constitutional law, etc.

Alternatively, an LL.M. student may opt to focus on areas of particular interest or relevance to the student's career. This can be accomplished by tailoring an individual selection of courses.

Or, a student may fulfill the requirements for one of the six designated LL.M. concentrations in Business Law; Criminal Law and Procedures; Dispute Resolution; Intellectual Property and Information Law; International Law; and Labor and Employment Law.

Regardless of the path chosen, LL.M. students will graduate from this program with new skills to further their career in their home country, as well as with the tools needed to function effectively in an increasingly global economy.

The Faculty

Dean: Nancy Hardin Rogers, Dean and Michael E. Moritz Chair in Dispute Resolution Professor Rogers became Dean in August 2001, after serving for two years as Vice Provost for Academic Administration for The Ohio State University. She is the President of the Association of American Law Schools.

Faculty Director, Master of Laws (LL.M.) Program for Foreign Lawyers: Prof. Ellen E. Deason, Ellen E. Deason is a Professor of Law at The Ohio State University, where she specializes in the fields of Dispute Resolution and Law and Science. Before joining the faculty at Mortiz in 2003, Deason taught at the University of Illinois College of Law. She practiced law as an associate with Morrison & Foerster in Washington, D.C. Deason served as a law clerk for Judge Harry T. Edwards on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and Justice Harry A. Blackmun of the U.S. Supreme Court. She also was a legal assistant to Arbitrator Howard M. Holtzman, Iran-United States Claims Tribunal.

LL.M. Committee Faculty Members: In addition to Prof. Deason, the following two Moritz faculty members serve on the LL.M. Committee:

Professor Daniel Chow, Robert J. Nordstrom Designated of Law
Prior to joining the Moritz faculty, Professor Chow served as a law clerk to the Honorable Constance Baker Motley, Chief Judge, Southern District of New York, following graduation from law school, and then became an associate with Debevoise and Plimpton in New York. He came to Ohio State in 1985 and teaches International Law, International Transactions, Jurisprudence, Asian Law, and Property. He is a member of Phi Beta Kappa.

Professor John B. Quigley, Presidents’ Club Professor Law
Before joining the Ohio State faculty in 1969, Professor Quigley was a research scholar at Moscow State University, and a research associate in comparative law at Harvard Law School. Professor Quigley teaches International Law and Comparative Law. Professor Quigley holds an adjunct appointment in the Political Science Department. In 1982-83 he was a visiting professor at the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Professor Quigley is active in international human rights work. His numerous publications include books and articles on human rights, the United Nations, war and peace, east European law, African law, and the Arab-Israeli conflict. In 1995 he was recipient of The Ohio State University Distinguished Scholar Award.

Assistant Dean for Graduate and International Programs, Mary E. Ming, is primarily responsible for recruiting and administration of the program, and may be contacted at MoritzLLM@osu.edu or via phone at 614-688-5328.

Entry Requirements

LL.M. program applicants are limited to students who have already:

• obtained an LL.B. from a foreign country; or


• completed in a foreign country the university based legal education required to take the equivalent of the bar examination in that foreign country; or


• qualified to practice law in a foreign country; or


• the equivalent thereof as determined by the LL.M. Admissions Committee.

Application Procedure

Applicants for admission may apply by the preferred method of using an electronic application through the Law School Admission Council's LL.M. Credential Assembly Services or by using a paper application available on the Moritz website at moritzlaw.osu.edu/programs/llm.

Applicants must complete an application accompanied by a $50 application fee for an international student or a $40 application fee for a permanent resident; applicants must have their applications, application fees and TOEFL test scores sent directly to either the LSAC (electronic application) or to the Moritz LL.M. Program office (paper application). All supporting document must be sent to the Moritz LL.M. Program Office. This includes a resume, three professional references and a personal statement.

Tuition and Fees

The cost of study for the LL.M. Program for Foreign Lawyers is consistent with the cost of study for the J.D. program, with a differential between resident and non-resident fees. Students who have resided in Ohio for at least a year will pay $17,538 in tuition; non-resident students will pay $34,232. There is an estimated annual cost of $2,950 for books and supplies. International students must provide an affidavit of proof of availability of funds before they will be granted their visa and admission to the LL.M. program.

Financial Aid

Federal financial aid is not available to international students; it may be available to permanent residents. Scholarhip funds are available to a a very limited number of qualifying student/s from China due to the generosity of a scholarship from the law firm of Jones Day, headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, with offices in Columbus, Ohio and along the Pacific Rim, along with many other major cities and countries world-wide.

Location

With a metropolitan population of more than 1.5 million residents, 20% of which consists of various ethnic minorities, Columbus is a stimulating, urban environment. Centrally located in the state of Ohio, the Columbus metropolitan area is headquarters for five Fortune 500 companies and more than 700 law firms. The economy thrives with a strong mix of government, service, retail, and manufacturing, yet Columbus has a cost of living that is significantly lower than other major cities. Columbus celebrates its diverse heritage with over 12 ethnic/cultural festivals each year.

Student Life

Students are encouraged to take part in one or more of the college's 55 student organizations or committees. Through involvement, students develop both personally and professionally and become acquainted with students in other sections and in other classes at the Moritz College of Law, as well as with students and faculty who have common interests and backgrounds. Student organizations range from those that emphasize public interest advocacy and professional development to those that serve the particular interests of the members.

Summer Program

Established in 1983 as a division within the Department of English at The Ohio State University, the American Language Program has provided English-as-a-second-language instruction to thousands of students from around the world, representing more than 125 countries.

Summer 2007

The Graduate Preparation Program is an intensive summer course for students who have already been admitted for graduate study at Ohio State or another university and who wish to further improve their English and related academic skills before they begin their graduate program.

Program dates: June 18 – August 17. You should arrive in Columbus no later than June 15. (Please Note: Early termination is possible to accommodate graduate school start dates)

Curriculum: 16 hours of classes each week and two hours of individual tutorial. Emphasis on developing strong speaking and listening skills that will help prepare you for success in your graduate study. Advanced reading and writing and general academic skills are also highlighted. Small classes (8-12 students) permit interaction and communicative language learning.

Visa status: You will be sent an I-20 to obtain a student (F-1) visa for your summer study in the American Language Program.

Tuition and fees: $5,148, plus required health insurance of $415. See budget for Graduate Preparation Program student.

Housing: You will be eligible to live in a university dormitory. Homestays and off-campus housing are also available.

Eligibility: Admission is limited to students who have been admitted to graduate or professional programs at Ohio State University or another U.S. university. A minimum TOEFL score of 550 (213 on the computer-based exam, or 79 on the iBT) is required. Students with a TOEFL score below this minimum may be admitted to the Graduate Preparation Program if participation in the program is required as a condition for admission to a graduate program at The Ohio State University.

Curriculum

The Graduate Preparation Program curriculum is designed to prepare you for graduate-level study by focusing on the linguistic and academic skills essential for success in an academic curriculum. Class size is kept small (8-12 students). Classes meet four days a week, for four hours each day. Individual sessions with instructors help you work on particular problem areas in pronunciation and writing. The curriculum includes work in listening and speaking, reading and writing, and academic skills.

Listening and Speaking

• pronunciation


• classroom discussion skills


• building fluency


• expanding spoken vocabulary


• classroom discourse (agreeing, disagreeing, seeking clarification, turn-taking, etc.)


• presentations skills


• key words


• organization and development of ideas


• vocal projection


• use of audio/visual media


• comprehending lectures


• note-taking

• academic writing skills


• effective use of complex sentence structure


• consistent control of essay structure


• integration of source material


• expanding range of sub-technical academic vocabulary


• dealing with extensive reading assignments


• understanding tone, purpose, intended audience, argument structure, and cultural assumptions

• using the Ohio State Library system


• understanding assignment types


• issues related to plagiarism and academic honesty


• paraphrasing


• source citation


• appropriate use of quotations