Application Overview

Applicants for admission to the LL.M. program must have completed a regular curriculum at an accredited college and/or law school, and must hold a professional degree from a law school by the time they begin the LL.M. program at Berkeley Law. Degrees that meet this requirement vary by country but generally include J.D. and Bachelor of Laws. We generally abide by LSAC’s LL.M. eligibility guidelines; follow the link below for more information. Applicants who hold a J.D. degree from an ABA-accredited U.S. law school are eligible to apply.

Questions about your eligibility? Contact llm@law.berkeley.edu →

English Language Requirement

Although we do not expect all students who are not native English speakers to be perfectly fluent in English, a student with serious language limitations will have great difficulty coping with the demands of a new cultural, social and academic environment.

The university and the law school require official score reports of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) before admitting an applicant who does not meet our waiver criteria. 

The minimum score required is 5.0 on the 2026 TOEFL scoring scale, 100 on the previous TOEFL Internet-based scoring scale, or 7.0 on the IELTS. We also have a 4.5 subscore requirement for the Speaking and Writing sections of the TOEFL in the 2026 scoring scale and a 6.5 subscore requirement for the Speaking and Writing sections of the IELTS. There is no subscore requirement for TOEFL tests taken prior to January 2026. 

We do not accept Duolingo English Test, MyBest or TOEFL ITP Scores, or IELTS Indicator or One Test Retake. For further details on the English language requirement, including how to request a waiver, please go to the Ready To Apply page.

One size does not fit all. That’s why we offer two different tracks with three different calendar options— all of which lead to the same Berkeley Law LL.M. degree. Start exploring our programs any time to see which one (or more than one) might be a good fit for you.

And, you can apply to more than one track! Applicants are only considered for the tracks to which they apply, so feel free to apply to both tracks. Note that students admitted to one track may not switch to another. If you are potentially interested in more than one track or start date, please apply to each of them!

Register for an LSAC account here if you do not already have one.

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.

Berkeley Law requires the use of LSAC’s Electronic Application Service ($45USD) and the Document Assembly Service ($63USD plus $38 report fee). The International Transcript Authentication & Evaluation Service ($159USD) is optional but highly recommended for applicants educated outside the U.S. LSAC’s LLM CAS site provides more details about each service and the associated cost.

It is recommended to have supporting materials sent as early as possible to allow sufficient time for processing. This includes academic records, English language test scores, and letters of recommendation. We are aware that it takes a few weeks for LSAC to evaluate and assemble documents from the time they are received; please ensure materials are sent by the application deadline so they will reach our office during the application review period.

LSAC keeps materials on file for five years. See our Ready to Apply page for more information on how to submit these materials.

Access LL.M. application forms and see specific deadlines for each program on our Ready to Apply page.

You can complete and submit your online application form even if your supporting materials are not ready yet; this creates a record for you in our system and enables us to see that you have begun the application process, and allows you to check your application status.