Academics: LL.M. Programs

Key Program Features

The General LL.M. with Concentration is a professional development degree which provides attorneys with additional education in selected areas of study.  This degree is ideal for attorneys seeking in-depth training in an area of law in which they currently practice, as well as for those planning to develop a new area of practice.

• Available concentrations include: Criminal Law, Environmental Law, Health Care Law, Intellectual Property Law, or Labor and Employment Law
• Candidates work closely with the Graduate Programs Coordinator to design a program of study that is to their greatest interest and benefit, as well as consistent with available School of Law resources
• Available courses may be selected from the upper-division School of Law curriculum and are taught by our distinguished full-time and adjunct faculty.

Program Timeline

• Students may begin the program in the Fall, Spring or Summer term
• Candidates may complete the degree requirements in as little as 1 year, or may take up to 6 years
• Full-time (9 or more credits) and part-time (8 or fewer credits) options are available
• Many courses are offered in the day as well as evening

Degree Requirements

• A candidate for this LL.M. degree must successfully complete 24 credit hours of appropriate coursework
• Required courses: A candidate for this degree must complete a perspectives course, which contains a significant jurisprudential, comparative or interdisciplinary component, for a minimum of 2 credits.  
• 10 of the 24 credits must be from courses in the area of concentration
• 4 of the 24 credits must fulfill a written work requirement, and at least 2 of these credits must be in the area of concentration
• Remaining credits may be chosen from our elective offerings
• Full details of the degree requirements may be found in the School of Law Academic Rules in the Student Handbook

Career Advancement

• Candidates work closely with the Graduate Programs Coordinator to design a program that fulfills not only the degree requirements, but also the attorney’s professional goals
• Our Career Services Office offers individualized career counseling appointments, as well as many other resources ranging from networking events to practical workshops to information about specific job opportunities

LL.M. Tuition, Fees and Scholarships

• Please visit our Financial Aid page for tuition, fee and scholarship information

Concentration Courses

The following are examples of recently offered courses that are eligible for concentration credit in the General LL.M. program:

Criminal Law

• Advanced California Criminal Evidence
• Corrections & Sentencing
• Criminal Clinic
• Criminal Appeals Clinic
• Criminal Procedure II
• Death Penalty Seminar
• Evidence Advocacy Lab
• Federal Courts
• Interviewing & Counseling
• Perspectives in Criminal Justice
• Post Conviction Remedies
• Scientific Evidence
• White Collar Offenses
• Independent Supervised Research

Environmental Law

• Administrative Law
• Contemporary Water Law Issues
• Environmental Clinic
• Environmental Law
• Environmental Law Seminar
• Federal Land Law
• International Environmental Law
• Land Use Clinic
• Land Use Planning
• Law of the Sea
• Statutory Interpretation
• Independent Supervised Research

Health Care Law

• Administrative Law
• Agency Internship
• Bioethics and the Law
• Biotechnology Law
• Health Care Financing
• Mental Health Clinic
• Law and Mental Disorder
• Statutory Interpretation
• Understanding Science and Scientific Methods
• Independent Supervised Research

Intellectual Property

• Biotechnology Law
• Communications Law and Policy
• The Constitution and the Internet
• Cyberspace Law
• Intellectual Property Seminar
• International Intellectual Property
• Intro. to Intellectual Property
• Patents and Trade Secrets
• Trademarks Seminar
• Independent Supervised Research

Labor & Employment Law

• Deferred Compensation
• Employment Discrimination
• Employment Law
• Employment Litigation
• Gender & the Law
• Gender Discrimination
• Labor Law
• Independent Supervised Research

Click here for current concentration course offerings