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How to Apply

***The Advanced Degree Programs Office is closed December 22nd - January 1st for the winter holiday.  We will return on January 2nd and respond to messages and process materials received as soon as possible.***

The J.S.D. application is now available.  Click here to access the online application via LSAC.  The deadline to apply is February 1, 2013.

We are no longer accepting applications for the 2013-14 LL.M. programs. Please check back in August 2013 for the 2014-15 Professional LL.M. and Academic Year LL.M. program application. 

Applicants may use the same application form to apply for admission to either the Professional LL.M. Program, the Academic Year Program, or both.  Please note that although the application term is listed as Fall, the application form allows you to apply for both programs.

 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; enrollment in both is not possible.
  • Because we have rolling admissions for the Professional LL.M program, the sooner you apply, the sooner you will receive an admission decision (within two 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, we will transfer your deposit without penalty upon request.
  • 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.

Applying Through LSAC

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 at 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.

 Fee Type Cost  Required or Optional?
 Application Fee  $75.00  Required
 LSAC LLM CAS Document Assembly Fee  $75.00  Required

 LSAC LLM CAS International Transcript Authentication & Evaluation Service

  $125.00  Optional but recommended

We require that all LL.M. and J.S.D. applicants purchase and utilize the Document Assembly Service, available 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. See below for more information.

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. LSAC Help Desk hours are listed here:  http://www.lsac.org/LLM/help/help.asp.  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.

LL.M. Credential Assembly Service (LLM CAS)

LSAC’s Credential Assembly Service consists of two parts: the Document Assembly Service and the International Transcripts Authentication and Evaluation Service.  This service simplifies the application process by centralizing the submission of application materials.  By utilizing the LLM CAS, applicants need only send one set of documents to LSAC, who will assemble and distribute reports to the participating law schools of you choice.

In order to access and submit our online application, you must purchase either the Document Assembly Service only ($75 USD) or the Document Assembly Service AND International Transcript Authentication and Evaluation Service ($200 USD total).  Your Credential Assembly Service account will be active for five years.

We strongly advise applicants to register for the LLM Credential Assembly Service well in advance of the application deadline.  LSAC recommends applicants register at least four to six weeks before their first application deadline.  Although Berkeley Law's deadline to postmark materials is December 15, it is recommended to have materials sent as early as possible to allow sufficient time for processing.

LLM CAS Document Assembly Service

Berkeley Law requires that all LL.M. and J.S.D. applicants purchase and utilize the Document Assembly Service.  Through the Document Assembly Service ($75 USD), LSAC will collect academic records, letters of recommendation, and English proficiency exam score(s) and distribute them to the law schools of your choice.

LLM CAS International Transcript Authentication & Evaluation Service

The International Transcript Authentication & Evaluation Service ($125USD in addition to the Document Assembly Service fee) is an option for applicants educated outside the US.  This service is highly recommended but not required.  Applicants using this service may arrange for official academic documents to be sent once to LSAC for evaluation, authentication and transmission to the participating law schools of your choice.

Please note that if you purchase the International Transcript Authentication and Evaluation Service, LSAC will not forward any documents to Berkeley Law until your transcripts are received, authenticated, and evaluated.  Thus, if you do not intend to submit your academic records to LSAC, you should purchase only the Document Assembly Service.

Further details about these services may be found on LSAC's website at www.LSAC.org/llm/Applying/LLM-CAS.asp.

All questions regarding the LL.M. or J.S.D. program or the application process should be directed to the Advanced Degree Programs Office.