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LLM in American Law

The LLM in American Law Program is specifically designed to prepare internationally trained lawyers for the challenge of global practice. In this program, students are fully integrated into BU Law's JD classes, where they sit side by side with American students being trained in the tradition of US legal education. Students not only learn the substance of US doctrine in virtually any area of interest-intellectual property, international business transactions, mergers and acquisitions, and alternative dispute resolution, to name only a few-they also learn something equally important: how US lawyers are trained to analyze legal questions and advocate on their clients' behalf.

Customized Curriculum

Upon admission and confirmation of commitment to attend BU Law, students will receive detailed registration materials and indicate preliminary course selections. Academic plans, however, are not completely settled until students meet one-on-one with the director or associate director, who will discuss professors' different teaching styles and approaches and guide each student on how to construct the optimal study plan to achieve their goals.

Learning Outcomes

Students will demonstrate:

A basic understanding of the US legal system.

An ability to use legal authority and perform legal analysis.

Proficiency in legal English, in both written and oral communications.

Degree Requirements

The LLM in American Law Program is designed to be completed in one academic year of full-time study. The LLM in American Law Program offers fall and spring term start dates for full-time students. The program requires the completion of 24 units over two terms for full-time students. The program follows the JD calendar, with fall classes running from late August to late December and spring classes running from mid-January to mid-May.?Generally, students take between three and five classes each term.

To earn the LLM in American Law, students must:

Take Introduction to American Law and a legal research & writing seminar in the fall term (unless waived with the permission of the director);

Participate in the Professional Skills Lab;

Complete a minimum of 24 graded unit hours (at least 10 units a term); and Obtain a final weighted average of at least 2.30 (C+).

No Thesis Requirement

The LLM in American Law Program is classroom-not research-focused. As such, there is no thesis requirement, though students will likely write one or more lengthy research papers in the seminars they take. We make available writing coaches to help students organize and structure academic writing projects and improve expressive skills.

Concentrations

With more than 200 courses to choose from, students can select topics from virtually any area of law. They may also specialize in a particular field-such as intellectual property, tax, alternative dispute resolution, commercial law, or labor and employment-by concentrating classes in a certain area. Students can also combine fields such as corporate and financial law and intellectual property, a popular combination at BU Law. In addition, students enrolled in the LLM in American Law Program can choose to pursue a formal concentration in Intellectual Property, Taxation, or International Business Practice; students who satisfy a concentration's course requirements receive a separate certificate of specialization.

Learn more about the concentrations and their classes here.

Intellectual Property & Information Law Concentration

Students study the essentials of copyright, patents, and trademark law, and also select cutting-edge topics such as AI, e-commerce, legal issues in high-tech start-ups, technology licensing, and biotechnology and the law. The concentration requires a minimum of four classes.