University of Maryland - School of Law

The University

Founded in 1807, the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) is located in the heart of the vibrant port city of Baltimore on a 61-acre research and technology campus encompassing 62 buildings.

UMB is Maryland's only public academic health, human services, and law center. In addition to the School of Law, the campus offers six other professional and graduate schools, including medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, nursing and social work.

The Law School

The University Of Maryland School Of Law was established in 1816 and began regular instruction in 1824. It is the third-oldest law school in the nation, and its innovative programs make it one of the liveliest and most dynamic today.  

Situated in the heart of Maryland’s largest city, in close proximity to Washington, DC, and the state capital in Annapolis, the Law School provides access to all levels of government and judiciary. The Law School has taken advantage of this location to become an integral part of the Baltimore-Washington legal and business community. 

Maryland’s home, the Nathan Patz Law Center, is a technologically-advanced, state-of-the-art facility.  

The Program

Building on Maryland Law's nationally recognized specialty programs, the LL.M. provides advanced legal education for lawyers and law students seeking to retool for a new career direction, enhance their ability to practice in a specialized area, and prepare to better operate in today’s global environment. It is an academically rigorous program designed for individuals from the U.S. and abroad who are eager to engage in scholarly explorations of pressing legal issues. 

The Maryland LL.M. brings advanced American and foreign-trained lawyers together, exposing students to the broad variety of approaches to law- and policy-making domestically and internationally and preparing them for the challenges of an increasingly global legal community. The program’s intended students include: American lawyers with a J.D. degree who want to further develop an expertise in one of the nationally ranked areas of strength at the School of Law; foreign lawyers who want to enhance their international legal training by developing an expertise in U.S. law; and foreign graduate students in law who want add a depth of expertise in American law to their range of studies.

LL.M. students are required to specialize in an area of established expertise at the School of Law, ensuring they will develop expertise in their field of choice, including:
• Business Law
• Clinical Law
• Constitutional Law
• Environmental Law
• Health Law
• International & Comparative Law
 
LL.M. students can take courses of interest from across the Law School’s extensive offerings. Our specialty programs offer overview introductory courses, supplemented by advanced courses and seminars that enable students to develop a deep understanding of subject areas. In-depth and interdisciplinary offerings in emerging areas of legal practice provide the opportunity to work with lawyers and law professors, as well as professionals from other fields, on issues that transcend traditional boundaries. 

With a select group of no more than 20 LL.M. students per semester, Maryland LL.M. students work closely with faculty supervisors, ensuring that they receive the individual attention that is key to a successful LL.M. experience. LL.M. candidates work closely with our faculty’s nationally recognized scholars to complete an original, scholarly thesis of substantial length and publishable quality in their area of specialization.  

The Faculty

Maryland LL.M. students work one-on-one with some of the country's top law professors, in the classroom and beyond. Faculty members collaborate with students on their theses, seek their counsel on real-life cases and policy development, and organize panels and lectures on contemporary legal issues. This personalized attention will enrich your studies at Maryland, and provide you the opportunity to find trusted mentors who can provide advice throughout your career.

Entry Requirements

Applicants to the LL.M. program must hold a J.D. degree, or the equivalent from a law school that, if in the United States, is accredited by the American Bar Association, or, if outside the U.S., has comparable standing. 

Application Procedure

To download, print and complete the application form, visit our website. There is an application fee of U.S. $70.A completed application must include three letters of recommendation, ideally (at least two) from law professors or others who have personal experience instructing and evaluating the applicant as well as a letter from an employer who may attest to the applicant's intellectual, analytical, writing and (if necessary) English language abilities.  

Applicants must submit a statement of scholarly intent of no more than 1,000 words, presenting information and perspective about their goals in pursuing an LL.M. degree and what area of legal study they intend to pursue, with their application.  

All applicants must include a resume or curriculum vitae with their application; it may be one to two pages in length. Original, official transcripts issues from the degree-granting institution for all law degrees conferred or in progress are required. Foreign applicants must provide original, certified translations if the official transcripts are not in English. Transcripts from undergraduate colleges and graduate programs other than law may be submitted but are not required. 

All applicants educated in law outside the United States must register with the LSAC LL.M. Credential Assembly Service. The LSAC service serves only to authenticate non-U.S. or Canadian university records that are needed in addition to an application for admission. Please note that you must complete the University of Maryland School of Law application separately and mail it along with a $65 application fee and the other documents requested to the Office of Admissions. 

LL.M. applicants whose native language is not English must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and submit the score to the School of Law. We will only accept TOEFL scores sent to us directly from Educational Testing Services (ETS). In addition to submitting a TOEFL score, please make sure that letters of recommendation address the applicant's level of proficiency in English.  

A telephone or electronic interview may be required at the discretion of the Admissions Committee.  

Tuition and Fees

Tuition rates and expenses for the School of Law are established by the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB). The tuition for the LL.M. Program is equal to the tuition for the full-time day J.D. Program. For the most recent information about tuition and fees, visit the Tuition Information webpage of the UMB Department of Financial Services. 

Location

The School of Law's location in Maryland's largest city and proximity to the state and national capital are uniquely beneficial, providing our students access to all levels of government and the judiciary. Located near the beautiful Inner Harbor and a short walk from Camden Yards, the School of Law is playing a vital role in the renaissance of Baltimore's downtown. 

Our leading role in the Mid-Atlantic region gives our graduates an advantage in pursuing a wide range of careers. Nearby Washington, DC, is the center of the nation's legal institutions and the second largest legal market in the country. Our alumni network includes leaders of local, national and international firms, government agencies, public interest groups, and corporations. 

Baltimore has all the advantages of larger cities—a thriving arts community, museums, professional sports, charming neighborhoods and outstanding cuisine—but is more affordable than most. The law school is a short commute from Capitol Hill, and Maryland's capital in Annapolis.