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How to Apply - Forms & Deadlines

The application deadlines for the Professional LL.M., Academic Year LL.M. and J.S.D. programs starting in 2012 have passed. Please check this page again in the fall when we will begin accepting applications for programs starting in 2013.

**Please note: The Professional LL.M. Program was previously referred to as the Summer LL.M. Program.

Applicants may use the same application form to apply for admission for either the Professional LL.M. Program, the Academic Year Program, or both. 

 

 If you decide to apply to both LL.M. programs, please note:

  • Your application to each program will be reviewed independently from each other. Admission to one program will not affect your decision for the other. If you are admitted to both programs, you must choose one to attend; enrollment in both is not possible.
  • Because we have rolling admissions for the summer Professional LL.M program, the sooner you apply, the sooner you will receive an admission decision (usually within a few weeks of submitting your compete application). Admission decisions for the academic year LL.M program will be announced in March/April.
  • If you are admitted to the Professional LL.M. program you will be asked to submit a nonrefundable deposit.  The deposit will be due before admission decisions are made for the academic year LL.M. program.  If, after submitting the deposit, you are admitted to the academic year LL.M. program, your deposit may be transferred without penalty if you choose to attend the academic year program instead.
  • Clinics and the thesis track are available to students in the academic year LL.M. program only.  Please visit our Professional LL.M. webpage for a list of summer course offerings: http://www.law.berkeley.edu/5662.htm
  • The Professional LL.M. program is designed for international students; J.D. graduates from U.S. law schools are not eligible.

 

Berkeley Law requires that applicants submit their application online through the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) website. If you do not have an LSAC account, you may register here (http://llm.lsac.org/LOGIN/Access.aspx). The free basic LSAC account allows you to search for law schools, view application requirements and save a list of schools and programs.

New this year, LSAC requires that all LL.M. and J.S.D. applicants purchase the Document Assembly Service for $75 USD. This service is good for five years and allows applicants to access and transmit online applications and send materials to LSAC for forwarding to law schools. For more information, go to http://lsac.org/llm/Applying/LLM-CAS.asp

If you experience technical difficulties in using the online application service, please call LSAC’s Help Desk at 215-968-1393 or e-mail support@LSAC.org. If you cannot apply online due to extenuating circumstances such as lack of internet, you may request a paper application form from the Advanced Degree Programs Office (link to e-mail).

LL.M. Credential Assembly Service

 

LSAC’s Credential Assembly Service consists of two parts: the Document Assembly Service and the International Transcripts Authentication and Evaluation Service.

The Document Assembly Service ($75 USD) is required for all applicants. In addition to accessing and transmitting online applications, this service allows applicants to send materials to LSAC for forwarding to law schools. All applicants may use this service to send letters of recommendation and English proficiency exam scores to LSAC. Domestic applicants who have earned a JD at a US law school should also send their transcripts to LSAC as part of this service. By utilizing the Document Assembly Service, applicants need only send one set of documents to LSAC, who will assemble and distribute reports to the participating law schools of your choice. We recommend that applicants send their letters of recommendation and English proficiency exam scores to LSAC as part of this service.

The International Transcript Authentication and Evaluation Service ($125 in addition to the Document Assembly Service) is for applicants educated outside the US. This service is highly recommended but optional. Applicants using this service should arrange for official academic documents to be sent once to LSAC for evaluation, authentication and transmission to the participating law schools of your choice.

Applicant Status Online

After you have submitted your application through LSAC, you will receive an e-mail from the Advanced Degree Programs Office with your Applicant Status Online username and password.  Click here to access Applicant Status Online.

 

Timeline

2012-2013 Academic Year (Fall/Spring) LL.M. Timeline

 

December 15
 Deadline to apply online for 2012-2013 academic year LL.M. program
Dec 17-Jan 9
 Winter recess
February 1 Deadline to apply for the 2012-2015 J.S.D. program 
March -April Admissions decisions finalized, applicants notified
August 13* LL.M. Orientation
August 14* Start of 1-week course, Intro to U.S. Law (foreign-trained LL.M. students only)
August 22* Fall Semester law school classes begin

 *dates tentative

 

2012 Professional LL.M. Program Timeline (tentative)

  

 

December 15  Deadline to apply for 2012-2013 Professional LLM program
 Sep-Dec  Admissions decisions finalized, applicants notified
 May 13  Orientation
 May 14  Instruction begins for 10 week summer term
 July 18
  End of 10-week session
 July 20
 Commencement
 August 10
 End of 13-week session

 

All questions regarding fees, deposits or refunds should be directed to the Advanced Degree Programs Office.