ADMISSION REQUIRMENTS AND APPLICATION PROCEDURE
 Non-US Educated Attorneys
In order to qualify for admission, applicants must hold a degree in law from a university
accredited in the country in which the university is located, or be admitted to practice
before the highest court in their jurisdiction. They must present evidence of their ability
to perform satisfactory graduate work through either a high GPA (grade point average)
or high class standing at their undergraduate law school.
The TOEFL exam is required of applicants who obtained their law degree from a
country where English is not the official language. UH Law Center requires a score of
600 on the paper-based exam, or 100 on the Internet-based test. Students who earned
their law degree outside of the United States are only admitted to begin their studies in
the fall, with classes beginning in early August. The application deadline is February 1.
APPLICATION PROCEDURE FOR APPLICANTS
WITH FOREIGN LAW DEGREES
APPLICANTS, REGARDLESS OF CITIZENSHIP OR IMMIGRATION STATUS, whose legal education was obtained outside
of the United States, must comply with the following requirements to be considered for
admission. A complete application package must contain:
• APPLICATION FORM
• $70 APPLICATION FEE payable to UH Law Center.
• $75 INTERNATIONAL ADMISSIONS FEE payable to UH International Admissions. The international admissions
fee is required of all applicants with a degree earned outside of the United States. It should be
submitted as a separate check or money order.
• OFFICIAL LAW SCHOOL TRANSCRIPT AND OFFICIAL CERTIFICATE OR DIPLOMA are required for consideration. If documents are
not in English, official translations must be sent with applications. Photocopies will not be
accepted. The transcript, diploma, and translation(s) must be sent directly to the UH Law
Center Graduate Legal Studies Office or submitted through the Law School Admission Council
(LSAC) LL.M. Credential Assembly Service.
• TOEFL REPORT is required of applicants who obtained their law degree from a country where English
is not the official language. UH Law Center requires a score of 600 on the paper-based exam, or
100 on the Internet-based test. ETS should send the report to the UH Law Center (Institution
6870, Department 03) or through the LSAC LL.M. Credential Assembly Service.
• STATEMENT OF PURPOSE serves as a writing sample and states reasons for pursuing the LL.M. degree in the
United States. It should be a minimum of 300 words and include a description of the
applicant’s professional activities since earning their law degree. If an applicant has special circumstances
they wish to have considered, these should be included in the statement of purpose.
• RÉSUMÉ/CURRICULUM VITAE
• REFERENCE LETTERS are required. One letter should be from an academic source.
The recommender’s signature should be on the flap of the sealed envelope. No more than two
letters should be submitted.
• LETTER OF FINANCIAL BACKING and STATEMENT OF UNDERSTANDING are required of any
student requesting an F-1 student visa. The letters can be
downloaded at www.law.uh.edu/llm/foreign.pdf and must be included with
the application.
• COPY OF CURRENT VISA OR PERMANENT RESIDENT CARD, if applicable.
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Applicants with foreign law degrees are only eligible to begin their law studies
in the fall. Classes begin in early August.
APPLICATION DEADLINE: FEBRUARY 1.
SEND APPLICATION PACKAGE TO:
UH Law Center
Graduate Legal Studies
100 Law Center
Houston, TX 77204-6060
llm@uh.edu |
US Educated Attorneys
CONCENTRATION PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
IN ORDER TO EARN AN LL.M. IN A CONCENTRATION, program requirements must be completed within
three calendar years from the semester of admission. Courses taken as a J.D. cannot be credited
toward the LL.M. program.
COMPLETE a minimum of 24 credit hours of approved courses and maintain a grade point average
of 2.5 or higher.
WRITE a 50-page thesis of publishable quality.
COMPLETE a specified number of credit hours in concentration-related courses.
CONTINUOUSLY ENROLL in the program during the fall and spring semesters until all degree requirements
are met.
APPLICATION PROCEDURE FOR
U.S. ATTORNEYS
U.S.ATTORNEY APPLICANTS MUST HOLD A J.D. DEGREE FROM AN ABA-ACCREDITED LAW SCHOOL.
Applicants must present evidence of their ability to perform satisfactory graduate
work through high grade-point average or high class standing at the undergraduate
law level. Most U.S. applicants have graduated in the upper one-third of their law
school classes.
A complete application package must contain:
• APPLICATION FORM is available at www.law.uh.edu/llm.
• $70 APPLICATION FEE payable to UH Law Center.
• OFFICIAL LAW SCHOOL TRANSCRIPT sent directly to the UH Law Center’s Graduate Legal Studies Office.
• STATEMENT OF PURPOSE serves as a writing sample and provides reasons for pursuing the LL.M. degree
in the desired concentration area. The statement should be a minimum of 300 words and
include a description of the applicant’s professional activities
since earning the degree in law. If an applicant has special
circumstances they wish to have considered, these should be
included in the statement of purpose.
• RÉSUMÉ
• REFERENCE LETTERS are required. One letter should be from
an academic source. The recommender’s signature should be
on the flap of the sealed envelope. No more than two letters
should be submitted.
SEND APPLICATION PACKAGE TO:
UH Law Center
Graduate Legal Studies
100 Law Center
Houston, TX 77204-6060
llm@uh.edu |
APPLICATION DEADLINES
Applications are not reviewed for admission until all requested materials are received.
Applications received after the stated deadlines cannot be assured review.
FALL ADMISSION DEADLINE: MARCH 1
SPRING ADMISSION DEADLINE: OCTOBER 1
Foreign Applicants, Additional Information
FOR FOREIGN STUDENTS
QUALIFYING FOR A BAR EXAM AS A FOREIGN ATTORNEY. Every jurisdiction sets its own criteria governing the qualifying
rules to sit for its bar examination. Foreign applicants should direct questions to the
boards of bar examiners in those states where they plan to practice to determine requirements
and eligibility before applying to law school.
 |
Please visit www.abanet.org/education.html and click on “Comprehensive Guide
to Bar Admission Requirements” for information on each jurisdiction’s
requirements. |
APPLYING FOR A VISA.
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Please visit www.travel.state.gov/visa for information on scheduling a visa interview
appointment and for an estimate of the processing time. |
OBTAINING INTERNATIONAL STUDENT SERVICES. The International Student and Scholar Services Office (ISSSO)
provides visa assistance and other services to nearly 3,000 international students at the
University of Houston.
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Please visit www.issso.uh.edu to review the services they provide, including
information on transportation upon arrival in Houston, banking, and
health care. |
ARRIVING IN HOUSTON. Foreign students should arrive in Houston no later than July 15 to find housing
and orient themselves to the city of Houston and the UH Law Center.
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.
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For answers to frequently asked questions, please visit “Frequently Asked
Questions” at www.uh.edu/llm/faq.pdf. |
FOR ALL LL.M. CANDIDATES
FINDING HOUSING. Housing options include campus residence halls (available on a limited basis to
foreign students), student apartments located adjacent to campus, and apartments or homes
for rent located throughout the city.
GETTING MEDICAL CARE. The Student Health Center provides general, specialty, and pharmaceutical
services to students.
OBTAINING HEALTH INSURANCE. Health insurance is available to all students. Students on a nonimmigration
visa are required to purchase health insurance.
SECURING DISABILITY SERVICES. Students with disabilities must communicate special needs as soon as
possible. The Center for Students with DisABILITIES arranges aides, exam and library assistance,
and transcription services.
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For more information, please contact 713.743.5400 or visit www.uh.edu/csd. |
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