LLM in U.S. Law

This program offers students the flexibility to develop a curriculum in U.S. law topics that suit their particular needs and interests. This degree is designed for students who have received their primary legal education in civil law countries and who plan to return to their home countries within a few years of receiving the LLM degree. It is most suitable for civil-trained lawyers and law students who work in government service, general law practice, or academia.

Prior to Fall 2015, this program was called "U.S. and Comparative Law." The program title was changed; however, the curriculum remains the same. Degrees awarded May 2015 or earlier will have the former name; all degrees awarded thereafter will bear the new name.

CREDIT HOURS

Each student is required to complete a minimum of 24 credits of approved courses; the maximum number of credits permitted is 27.

PROGRAM-SPECIFIC REQUIRED COURSES

The 24-credit minimum must include the following Core Course:

• Introduction to the U.S. Legal System
• Legal Writing and Research for LLM Students
• Introduction to the U.S. Legal Profession
• At least 6 credits of Content Outline courses
• Students are also urged to take at least one course on a topic of Comparative Law.

Students are required to take Introduction to the U.S. Legal System and Legal Writing and Research for LLM Students during their first semester of study in the LLM program.

A Note Regarding Course Selection for Part-Time Students

The LLM program strives to ensure that there is a wide range of courses available in the evening in each of our LLM areas of specialization and to ensure that students will be able to meet their program requirements within their desired time frame for completion. However, it would be impossible to ensure that any specific course will be offered at a time that is convenient for all students. We encourage you to look at the schedules from past semesters, available on the registrar's website, to get a sense of what courses may be offered in the future (noting, of course, that the schedule varies from one semester to the next).

A leader in American legal education, Fordham Law School has provided a complete education in the law for more than a century. While the legal profession has changed during that time, the core mission of a Fordham Law education has not. We value academic excellence, the pursuit of justice, and the ethical practice of the lawyer’s craft. We impart the warmth of community within the School and wherever Fordham Law alumni are found around the globe. Fordham lawyers are dedicated to the highest standards of the legal profession and using the law “in the service of others.”

The School’s student journals are some of the most cited in the legal profession: the Fordham Law Review is the 7th most-cited review in judicial opinions, and all six of Fordham's journals are among the top ten most-cited journals of their respective fields.

The Fordham Law alumni community is a global network. Graduates can be found in all 50 states and 74 countries around the world. Our graduates hit the streets running, joining an ever-growing alliance of doers and thinkers, organizers and inspirers, justice-makers and jury-swayers, movers and shakers. We’re at the front of courtrooms and classrooms. Deep inside the ranks of law firms of every size and specialty. We’re transacting big business. Defending the underdog. Addressing cutting-edge theoretical issues. Solving real-life legal problems. Creating leaders. Making the world a better place. In short, we’re doing everything possible to connect Fordham Law graduates to the people, places, ideas, and career opportunities that matter most.