LLM Degree

LLM applications are processed through the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) LLM Applicant Services. LLM applications for the 2018-19 academic year will be available starting in late-October and due by March 15, 2018 for priority consideration.

All applicants must register for the LLM Credential Assembly Service (LLM CAS) and the Document Assembly Service (DAS). Applicants with a foreign law degree will also need to register for the International Transcript Authentication and Evaluation Service (ITAES).

Applicants with a foreign law degree must demonstrate English proficiency by taking a language test. Applicants are exempt from this requirement if they hold a first degree in law from a school in: Australia, Belize, Botswana, Canada (outside Quebec), Commonwealth Caribbean, Ghana, Great Britain, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Nigeria, Scotland, Singapore, South Africa, or Zimbabwe.

An applicant whose first degree in law was taught in English in another country may apply for an exemption from this requirement by submitting an official letter from their law school/university verifying that English was the medium of instruction. Students who request and are granted an exemption are expected to be fully competent English speakers and will not be eligible for extended time on their final exams.

Please note, the LLM program at Colorado Law is extremely selective and currently offers a maximum of 20-25 seats for each incoming class.

Applicants will need to provide the following documents to the LSAC LLM Applicant Services:

• Your official law school transcript, including award of degree, along with translations into English. Applicants must include all of their higher education transcripts and awards of degree;
• If you are required to demonstrate English proficiency, we accept official score reports from either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). We require a minimum TOEFL score of 100  on the Internet-based test, or a minimum score of 7.0 or better on the IELTS, for full admission consideration.  Students who score below these thresholds may be considered for conditional admission contingent upon the completion of a summer English course at our International English Center;
• Three letters of recommendation.  We highly recommend submitting at least one recommendation from a former law professor who can attest to your academic capabilities;
• A resume;
• A personal statement; and
• The $65 LLM program application fee, paid through LSAC.

All LLM application related questions can be emailed directly to our Director of International Programs.

Colorado Law invites you to follow your application through the admissions process using the online applicant status page. Once you submit your application it is important to login and check your status page frequently. We will send you a confirmation email with your login information for the online status page upon receipt of your application. We thank you for applying and welcome your questions at LLM@colorado.edu.

Check Application Status

CURRENT STATUS

Explanations of current status terms that you will find on your status page are provided below.

Application Received

The LLM Program has received your electronic application from LSAC and is currently processing your application to verify that all required materials have been received. If an empty box appears next to a requirement that you have already completed, we will update your status as soon as we finish processing your application. Please check your online status again after five business days to verify whether your application is complete or incomplete.

Application Complete

The Office of Admissions has reviewed your application and verified that ALL required application materials have been received. Generally, the "Complete" status is used for applicants who have completed the application and currently have a pending Skype interview invitation.  If your status is "Complete," please check your email inbox (and spam box) for an interview invitation from Colorado Law

Application In Review

Your application is under review by the Admissions Committee and we will have a decision for you shortly.

Application Incomplete

The LLM Program has reviewed your application and verified that information is missing from your application. Your application will remain incomplete until ALL required application materials have been received.  Please allow five business days for your application to be completed after a required item has been received. Please contact us at LLM@colorado.edu if you have any questions.

Please review the Requirements List on the online status page to find out which materials are missing from your application and send them to LSAC as necessary.

Colorado Law offers six programs of study within the LLM degree program.

The University of Colorado Law School actively pursues the highest quality professionals, academics, and students from the global community to fill our small, full immersion LLM program. All prospective applicants who take advantage of the opportunity to meet with us at a formal recruiting event will receive an application fee waiver.  A listing of upcoming recruiting events and relevant fair registration links can be found below.  We look forward to meeting you both abroad and in Boulder! 

International Rounds of the 2018 Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition

Date: Sunday, April 1st

Time: 10:00am-02:00pm

Location: Jessup Exhibition Fair in the Hyatt Regency, 400 New Jersey Ave NW, Washington, DC 20001

Registration Information: The fair will overlap the mandatory registration period for all teams participating in the 2018 Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition.  

Our LLM tuition and fees are among the most affordable amongst Tier 1 U.S. law schools. Please note that the estimates below are based on 2017-2018 costs.  The University of Colorado Board of Regents may change tuition rates in the spring of 2018.

Financial Aid

Admitted applicants who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents are eligible to apply for financial aid. Students may qualify for financial aid for the 24 credit hours required to obtain the LLM degree. Federal regulations will NOT permit students to borrow funds in excess of the total amount of the attendance budget. Interested students should review the law school’s financial aid website.

International students must have sufficient funding to finance the full course of study, through personal resources, government or private funding. Internal law school scholarships and financial aid for foreign students are not generally available.

International students are encouraged to seek financial aid and scholarship funds from sources in their home countries. For assistance in locating sponsoring organizations, contact EducationUSA, the U.S. Embassy or Consulate, or the U.S. Information Agency in your country.

The information on this scholarship opportunities page has been compiled to assist you in your search for aid. Please be aware that sites may change at any time, the funding awards may increase, decrease or be eliminated without notices. Please check the websites for deadlines and requirements. Deadlines are often very early.

Health Insurance

International Students

Enrollment in the University of Colorado endorsed student health insurance plan is mandatory and automatic for international students. Information for international student health insurance is posted by the International Student and Scholar Services Department.

At Colorado Law, we understand that a US law degree is a significant financial investment for international lawyers and students.  Thus, we have advocated on behalf of our most qualified LLM applicants and secured funding for both full and partial scholarships.  Full scholarships will be awarded along with our rolling admissions, so please be sure to apply as early as possible to be considered for a full scholarship to Colorado Law.

We highly encourage all international students to seek financial aid and scholarship funds from sources in their home countries. One of the best sources for relevant scholarships is EducationUSA, and we recommend that all international applicants speak with an in-country EducationUSA advisor in their home country.

Please check the websites for deadlines and requirements. Deadlines are generally 6-12 months before the start of your LLM program.  Please be aware that sites may change at any time and awards may increase, decrease and/or be eliminated without notice.

Scholarship Opportunities for International Students

Aga Khan Foundation -The Foundation accepts applications from nationals of the following countries: Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Syria, Egypt, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Madagascar and Mozambique. In France, Portugal, UK, USA and Canada, applications are accepted from those who are originally from one of the above developing countries, are interested in development-related studies and who have no other means of financing their education.

Aide Financière Aux Études - Provides Canadian citizens or permanent residents who are residents of Quebec with financial assistance for full-time study at an educational institution in or outside of Quebec through the Loans and Bursaries Program. Funding is provided in the form of loans or bursaries in varying amounts.

America-Mideast Educational and Training Services, Inc. (AMIDEAST) - AMIDEAST administers the Fulbright Scholar Program in North Africa and the Middle East.

American Association of University Women International Fellowship - International Fellowships are awarded for full-time study or research in the United States to women who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents.

American-Scandinavian Foundation (ASF) - Funding opportunities for citizens of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, or Sweden to pursue study or research programs (typically at the graduate level) in the U.S. for up to one year.

ASLA-ALMA Joint Scholarship - Partial funding opportunity for Italian law graduates planning to enroll in a US LLM program.

B.D. Bangur Endowment Educational Scholarships - (Students from India)

The Belgian American Education Foundation - Up to $48,000 for applicants with Belgian nationality to pursue a U.S. LLM degree.

Bridgat Technology Limited - The Bridgat Scholarship Program awards merit-based funds in the form of a one-time $6,500 scholarship to graduate students pursuing an advanced degree (either Masters or Doctoral) in any subject at an accredited U.S. institution. Eligible candidates must be citizens of an Asian country.

British Universities North America Club (BUNAC) - Funding opportunity for UK passport holders.

Canadian Federation of University Women - The CFUW Charitable Trust provides funds for a range of post graduate awards and fellowships to women.

Canadian Government - Funding opportunities for Canadian citizens planning to study abroad.

Citadel Capital Scholarship Foundation - CCSF grants scholarships to Egyptians to pursue their graduate studies in all academic fields and foreign universities.

COLFUTURO - Funding opportunity for students from Colombia.

College Women’s Association of Japan - The Association supports graduate study at English-speaking universities and research institutions abroad for women who are citizens or special permanent residents of Japan.

Colorado Law and the Inter-American Commission for Human Rights Fellowship - All International Law and Human Rights applicants will be automatically considered for this full tuition scholarship.  Current International Law and Human Rights LLMs will have the opportunity to apply for a one-year, post-graduate fellowship at the Inter-American Commission for Human Rights in Washington DC.

Comisión Mexico-Estados Unidos para el Intercambio Educativo y Cultural (COMEXUS) - Helps administer Fulbright awards in Mexico.

CONACYT/FUNED - Funding opportunity for students from Mexico.

The Denmark-America Foundation - The Denmark-America Foundation offer grants for Danes going abroad to study in America.

Ethel Benjamin Scholarship - Funding opportunity for women law graduates from New Zealand.

Finland Pertti Lindfors Legal Studies Fund - Citizens of Finland are eligible to apply.

Fulbright Foreign Students Program - Provides both monetary awards and the prestige of being a Fulbright Scholar.

Fundacao Estudar Scholarship Program - Funding opportunity for Brazilian students.

Fundación Rafael del Pino - Partial funding opportunities for LLM students from Spain.

German Academic Exchange Service: DAAD scholarship - Resource for German applicants/students.

The Icelandic-American Society

Inlaks Scholarship - Resource for students from India.

Instituto Ling - Instituto Ling/EAGV-LLM offers partial scholarships to Brazilians who have been accepted to an LL.M. Program in the U.S. or Europe and can demonstrate a need for funding. Individual amounts of funding vary, but a typical award is approximately $5,000 - $25,000.

International Research and Exchange Board

Inter-American Agency for Cooperation and Development (IACD) of the Organization of American States (OAS) - The OAS Academic Scholarship Program (Regular Program), established in 1958, grants scholarships every year to students from Latin America.

J.N. Tata Endowment for Higher Education of Indians - Funding opportunity for students from India.

Kathryn Aguirre Worth Memorial Scholarship - Funding opportunity for National University of Singapore LLB graduates to enroll in an LLM program in the US.

The League of Finnish-American Societies

Li Po Chun Charitable Trust Fund - Funding opportunity for students from Hong Kong.

The Margaret McNamara Educational Grants - MMEG awards education grants on a competitive basis to exceptional women from developing countries who are enrolled as full-time students for the following academic term in accredited universities in the United States and Canada, have demonstrated financial need and are committed to working for the well-being of women and children.

Medicus Student Exchange Fund - Funding opportunity for Swiss students.

Mexican-American Legal Defense and Educational Fund

Noram Scholarship - Funding mechanisms for Norwegians.

OPEC Fund for International Development - Full tuition and fees, costs of living, and travel scholarship for admitted students from OFID-designated countries in the Global South.

Pakistan — Higher Education Commission - Higher education funding opportunities for Pakistani students.

PEO International Peace Scholarship for Women

P.J.C. Lindfors Legal Studies Fund - Funding for Finnish students.

Postgrad Solutions Global LLM Bursary - Postgrad Solutions offers two global and U.S. LL.M. study bursaries per year of £500 each to domestic, international, and UK students who have been accepted to an LL.M. Program in the U.S. or abroad. Eligible candidates must have already accepted an offer at the chosen institution where they intend to pursue the LL.M. 

Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation - All LLMs who can demonstrate a commitment to the study of natural resources law are eligible to apply.  Awards will vary.

Rotary International Ambassadorial Scholarship

Royal Thai Government Scholarships

St. Andrews Society of the State of New York - Funding opportunities for Scottish graduate students to study in the US.

Sir Edward Youde Memorial Fund Council - Higher education funding for permanent residents of Hong Kong.

Sir Robert Black Trust Fund - Higher education funding for persons who have resided in Hong Kong for at least five years.

Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans - The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans is a fellowship program intended for United States immigrants and children of immigrants.

The Sweden-America Foundation Fellowship Program

Tan Kah Kee Foundation Scholarships - The Tan Kah Kee Foundation offers two postgraduate scholarships for Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents (PRs) pursuing their full-time PhD or Master's degrees.

Taraknath Das Foundation - Applicants must be Indian passport holders who have completed at least one year of graduate studies in the U.S.

Victor Pinchuk Foundation - Partial funding opportunities for Ukrainian students.

White & Case Annal Business Law Scholarship - Funding opportunities for economically disadvantaged law students in France; National University of Singapre LLB graduates who plan to enroll in an LM program at an accredited law school in the US; and KIMEP University graduates from Kazakhstan who plan to enroll in an LLM program.

Williamm Georgetti Scholarship - Funding opportunity for students from New Zealand.

World Wide Studies (Ukrainian Students)

Yvonee A.M. Smith Charitable Trust - Funding opportunity for women from New Zealand.

Scholarship Search Sites

International Financial Aid College Scholarships

International Student Organization in the USA (ISO) - ISO provides a detailed list of organizations which offer scholarships and grants to international students based upon factors such as background and area of interest.

LANIC: Latin American Network Information Center Scholarships, Grants, & Loans

WilWeg - Database of funding opportunities for Dutch students.

Loan Opportunities

Brain Capital: The LLM Education Fund - This funding opportunity is for German students and offers income-based repayment financing options to cover tuition and fees plus living expenses for LLM studies.

Discover Student Loans - Discover offers fixed or variable interest rate private student loans to international students attending an eligible U.S. college or university, on the condition that international students provide a creditworthy cosigner who is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.

Italian Student Loan Fund (Fondo per Studenti Italiani) - Financial aid opportunities for Italian university graduates planning to enroll in a post-graduate course in the US.

Leo S. Rowe Pan American Fund - Interest free student loan program of the Organization of American States. Applicant must be a citizen of a Latin American or Caribbean member country of the Organization of American States.

The LLM degree does not qualify foreign lawyers to practice law in the United States. Each individual state and similar jurisdiction in the US regulates the admission of attorneys to the practice of law within its jurisdiction. The requirements for bar admission vary from state to state and are quite complex. A foreign LLM student who plans to sit for a bar examination in the U.S. should carefully investigate the relevant requirements prior to beginning his/her studies.

It is the responsibility of the applicant to read the information provided by the Board of Legal Examiners in the state in which s/he wishes to sit the bar. It is the applicant’s responsibility to contact that state’s Board of Legal Examiners with any questions, to submit all documents and fees in a timely manner, and to complete any U.S. law courses required by that state’s Board of Legal Examiners.

Traditionally, the New York and California bar examinations were the primary choice of U.S. state bar examinations for international lawyers. However, a few additional U.S. states (Texas, Washington, Vermont, for example) have revised their eligibility requirements to account for foreign lawyers.  We highly encourage all LLM students to consider the relevant state's eligibility criteria if they intend to qualify to sit a U.S. state bar exam BEFORE matriculation so as to control for state specific curricular requirements prior to fall course (module) registration.

The Career Development Office at Colorado Law is dedicated to helping all students, including those who are working towards their LLM degree. LLM students are welcome to meet with a career counselor to discuss job search strategies, resume and cover letter production, and to take advantage of the many resources offered by our Career Development Office.

Many LLM students hope to find either short term or long term employment in the United States. The current US legal job market is fiercely competitive for both domestic JD and international LLM graduates. It is challenging to find law-related jobs in the United States today, and we do not encourage international students to join an LLM program with the expectation of gaining full-time employment in the U.S.  This is the common experience for LLM graduates at US law schools across the country. However, students who do wish to explore the job market in the US should be extremely proactive in their search for a position, consider niche market demands (foreign language capabilities, for example), and diversify their networking efforts throughout the duration of the LLM program.

International LLM students may gain practitioner based experience after graduation as part of the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program under the F-1 student visa. Information regarding this program is available at the University of Colorado Boulder's International Student and Scholar Services website.

Law students generally prefer to live in off-campus accommodations. The International Student and Scholar Services has information on long and short-term housing options.

University family housing consists of several apartment complexes located north and east of campus. One and two-bedroom apartments are for married students, and studio-style apartments (i.e., one-room quarters) are for single students. There is usually a very long wait due to high demand, so apply early. The application for family housing is separate from that of the residence halls. For further information, contact the Family Housing Office at 1350 20th Street, Boulder, CO 80302, call 303-492-6384, or email graduatefamilyhousing@colorado.edu.

The combination of living in an extremely bike friendly city, the CU student bus pass, Boulder's designation as a Gold Level Walk Friendly Community, and a relatively medium size college town provides for easy student access to campus and should reassure most international student concerns regarding a potential commute to campus.  The University of Colorado Boulder also provides bus access to the Denver International Airport, the Late Night Transit program to assuage any safety and security concerns, and a Ski Bus Program that includes access to multiple Colorado ski resorts.  More information for CU student transportation options can be found on our Environmental Center's website.

Colorado Law recognizes the value in LLM applicants whose TOEFL/IELTS scores may not meet our minimum requirements needed for full admission consideration and has partnered with CU-Boulder's International English Center to create a robust Legal English program, and in turn, conditional admission opportunities.  Depending on an applicant's TOEFL/IELTS test score, conditional admission offers to our LLM program can be contingent on either:

• the successful completion of one, eight-week Legal English program in the summer, or
• the successful completion of a full-spring semester plus an eight-week summer course of Legal English.

Further, our Legal English program is also open to LLM students who receive a full admission offer and plan to arrive early in Boulder to prepare for the start of a rigorous LLM program, international students planning on applying to a US law school in the future, and practicing international lawyers seeking to refine their English and Legal English skills. 

To offer additional English and Legal English support for our current international LLM students, Legal English courses are also available throughout the duration of Colorado Law's LLM program.

Additional information for the University of Colorado-Boulder's Legal English program can be found here.