LLM Degree

Earn your LLM at the University of Colorado Law School in Boulder, Colorado.

Colorado Law offers specialized LLMs with the following concentrations:

Natural Resources, Energy, and Environmental Law (#7 in Environmental Law per US News and World Report)
International Law and Human Rights
Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy
Entrepreneurship and Business Law
Intellectual Property, Technology, and Telecommunications Law, and
U.S. Law for Foreign Lawyers (General and/or Bar Track LLM)

Colorado Law's LLM degree program is global in scope and is for talented lawyers from diverse backgrounds and countries.

The LLM program fully immerses students in Colorado Law and offers inclusive access to programming, courses/modules, and the greater University of Colorado Boulder campus; our JD and LLM students learn side by side and from each other. We recognize that all LLM students have unique and diverse backgrounds and experiences that can enrich our community of scholars and students and help to advance Colorado Law’s intellectual leadership in the world.

LLM program course options are diverse, and each LLM student has the ability to design a program of study suited to his or her academic and professional interests. While students complete most courses at the law school, they also have the opportunity to complement their legal studies with graduate-level courses in other departments within the greater University of Colorado Boulder campus.

As an LLM student, you will arrive on our Boulder campus, which features nationally recognized graduate programs in fields such as business, engineering, natural sciences, and social sciences, in addition to law, all of which welcome graduate students from around the world.

Boulder is ranked the #2 Best Place to Live for Quality of Life in the US by U.S. News & World Report (2024).
Boulder is ranked the #1 happiest city in the US by National Geographic (2017).
Colorado has the #4 state economy per U.S. News & World Report (2023).
CU Boulder has a global rank of 57 by Academic Ranking of World Universities (2023).

Request Information About the
LLM Degree

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact:
Jimmy J. Ilseng, Director of International Programs
jimmy.ilseng@colorado.edu

General LL.M. Application Info

LL.M. applications are processed through the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) LLM Applicant Services. 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).

Information for creating your LSAC account and starting the LL.M. application process is available here: https://www.lsac.org/llm-other-law-program-applicants/application-process-llm-other-law-programs/steps-apply-llm-other

2025-2026 LL.M. Application Dates and Deadlines

Application Opens: October 1st, 2024

Priority Deadline for LL.M. Application Completion: March 15th, 2025

Final Completion Deadline: July 15th, 2025. NOTE: LLM applications completed after our priority deadline of March 15th will be considered along with our anticipated 25-26 LLM class size and ability to add additional students to the program.

LL.M. Application Requirements

All University/College Transcripts: Please submit all official, updated transcripts from all law schools, colleges, and universities attended. If law school transcripts do not denote conferral of law degree, you will need to provide official documentation certifying degree conferral.
Two Letters of Recommendation: We highly recommend submitting at least one recommendation from a former law professor who can attest to your academic capabilities;
Updated CV/Resume: Your resume/CV should include any significant vocational, avocational, extracurricular, and/or volunteer activities; graduate work or degrees; honors and awards; any service in the Armed Forces; job descriptions and major areas of responsibility, along with location (city, state, country) and dates of employment; publications; and other information that you believe the LL.M. Admissions Committee should consider in evaluating your application.
Personal Statement: The statement should be no longer than 1,000 words, typed, and doublespaced. Your personal statement should include your anticipated professional and/or academic trajectory, your reasons for applying for your specific LL.M. concentration, and how you believe Colorado Law's LL.M. program will enable you to achieve your specified personal, professional, and/or academic goals.
Proof of English Proficiency: 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.

If you are required to demonstrate English proficiency, we accept official score reports from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), and Duolingo. We require a minimum TOEFL score of 100 on the Internet-based test, a minimum overall score of 7.0 or better on the IELTS, or a 135 on Duolingo 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.

$65 Application Fee, paid through LSAC

Please note, the LLM program at Colorado Law is extremely selective and currently offers a maximum of 20-25 seats for each incoming class. Review all of your application documents carefully before submitting.

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, using your established LSAC credentials, and check your status page frequently. 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.

Natural Resources, Energy, and Environmental Law - Ranked #7 in environmental law in the 20204law school rankings by U.S. News & World Report, Colorado Law gives students the tools to impact laws and policies in a range of fields including oil and gas; mining; ecosystem management; air and water quality; and public and private land management. Students take advantage of the programming of the school’s flagship Getches-Wilkinson Center, multiple national laboratories in the area, including the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and a diversified energy and mining economy featuring natural gas, renewable, and mining firms, from small startups to large multinational corporations. LLM students are eligible for admission to Colorado Law's Natural Resources and Environmental Law Clinic in addition to the spring semester's Advanced Natural Resources Seminar, which includes a generally week long field trip to a notable location in the US. Every other year, the seminar is titled Law of the River and the field trip is a rafting trip down the Colorado River and through the Grand Canyon. more

Entrepreneurship and Business Law - Colorado Law enjoys nationally recognized teachers and scholars in business law with significant experience in transactional practice and corporate and securities litigation. Our classes in traditional subjects such as corporations, securities law, and mergers & acquisitions, are enhanced by the law school’s focus on entrepreneurship. Colorado students learn all the basic business law building blocks that other top programs offer, but their experience is enriched by our location in one of the nation’s hubs for innovation and startup businesses and a curriculum that integrates entrepreneurship focused coursework, including core courses from our IP, Technology, and Telecommunications Law program. more

Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy - Colorado Law has a long history of research and teaching about the law of indigenous peoples. Faculty and students are engaged in projects with indigenous groups, the United Nations, other intergovernmental bodies, national governments, NGOs, and companies throughout the Americas and the world on issues concerning indigenous peoples. Research and teaching in this area also connects with Colorado’s strengths in other areas, such as international law, natural resources, and intellectual property. more

Intellectual Property, Technology, and Telecommunications Law - Colorado Law students enjoy a broad range of courses and scholars active in a fast-growing and changing set of fields, including intellectual property, AI, internet law, computer crime, cybersecurity, information privacy, telecommunications, fintech, and regtech. Boulder and the Metro Denver area are technology and telecommunications hubs. The Silicon Flatirons Center connects students to leaders in intellectual property, telecommunications, and technology. more

International Law and Human Rights - Colorado Law continues to build on its tradition of public international law. Faculty have expansive research, course offerings, and projects in this field, with a particular emphasis on human rights. To further develop its academic programming in this area, Colorado Law is building relationships with intergovernmental institutions, such as the United Nations and Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. more

U.S. Law for Foreign Lawyers - The U.S. Law for Foreign Lawyers track is a general LL.M. that allows for an optimal amount of curricular flexibility. Students in this concentration have the ability to choose from the majority of Colorado Law courses to meet their degree requirements. This is a common LLM concentration for students who need the curricular flexibility to eventually qualify for a U.S. state bar examination.

The University of Colorado Law School welcomes the highest quality professionals, academics, and students from the global community to fill our small, full immersion LL.M. 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 in addition to having the opportunity to meet with a Colorado Law representative to discuss our LL.M. programs, the LL.M. application process, Colorado Law's scholarship and fellowship opportunities, and our beautiful Boulder, Colorado location. A listing of upcoming recruiting events, both in-person and virual, and relevant fair registration links can be found below. We look forward to meeting you virtually, abroad and in Boulder!

In-Person Events

EducationUSA LL.M. Tour - Western Hemisphere

Mexico City, Mexico

Date: Sunday, October 6th 2024

Location: Hotel Marriot Reforma, Paseo de la Reforma 276, Juárez, Ciudad de México

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Date: Wednesday, October 9th 2024

Location: JW Marriott Copacabana, Av. Atlântica 2600, Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro

São Paulo, Brazil

Date: Monday, October 14th 2024

Location: Intercontinental Hotel, Alameda Santos, 1123, São Paulo

EducationUSA Europe LL.M. Tour

Rome, Italy

Date: Thursday, November 21st 2024

Location: To Be Announced

Registration Information: Coming Soon!

Istanbul, Turkey

Date: Saturday, November 23rd 2024

Location: To Be Announced

Registration Information: Coming Soon!

Virtual LL.M. Application Workshops and Fairs

The University of Colorado Law School is an active participant, along with 10 other US law schools and LL.M. programs, in the US LLM Fairs consortium, which offers virtual LL.M. application workshops, alumni Q&A panels, and general recruitment events. General information for our consortium and a schedule of our upcoming, virtual 2024-2025 events can be accessed here.