The LL.M. in U.S. Law prepares foreign lawyers for a global practice. An LL.M. degree from the University of Houston Law Center is recognized worldwide and has included lawyers from all corners of the world, including Europe, Latin America, Africa, Australia, and Asia.
Students in the LL.M. in U.S. Law program work closely with their course advisor to design a course of study that addresses the student’s professional interests and satisfies program requirements.
Students attend classes alongside U.S. educated J.D. and LL.M. students. This diverse collaborative environment enhances learning and fosters networking opportunities for students.
Students can attend full-time or part-time. Program requirements can be met in two semesters (fall and spring), or student can take up to three years to complete the program.
Students must be continuously enrolled every fall and spring semester for a minimum of three credits and are responsible for complying with all visa restrictions or requirements.
Join us at the University of Houston Law Center along with all of our foreign lawyers!
To earn their LL.M. degree students are required to:
Complete a minimum of 24 credit hours of approved courses
Maintain the minimum grade point average that applies to their course of study.
Enroll in the following courses their first semester (as part of their 24 credit-hour requirement):
Introduction to American Law (5319), which builds an important foundation for legal studies; and
Lawyering Skills and Strategies (5314), which provides an overview of vital skills to be used as a student and practitioner.
The Law Center offers one of the largest course selections in the United States. Students can pursue specific interests by selecting courses in a variety of practice areas. See course schedule.See past course schedules.
Applicant Requirements
Lawyers educated in other countries must hold a law degree from an accredited university or be admitted to practice before the highest court in their jurisdiction.
Applicants must demonstrate their ability to perform satisfactory graduate work by presenting evidence of either a high grade-point average or superior class standing at the school where they earned their law degree.
A test of English proficiency is required of all applicants who earned a law degree from a country in which English is not the official language, according to the university listing found here: https://uh.edu/graduate-school/international-students/english-proficiency/ The Law Center LL.M. program typically requires a score of 100 on the IBT-TOEFL, 7.0 on the IELTS-academic, or 120 on the Duolingo English test.
Applicants are encouraged to complete and submit the online application as soon as possible, even if you are still working on improving your English language proficiency score.
U.S. Legal Skills Class
The University of Houston Law Center offers a short intensive course for foreign lawyers that provides an orientation to U.S. legal education. This one-week orientation course focuses on:
preparing foreign lawyers for legal education in the United States;
legal terminology;
concepts of professionalism;
tools used in preparation for legal study;
law school exam preparation in the U.S.
the way principles, practices, and theories of law are taught in the U.S;
foundations of the U.S. legal system; and
procedure and process for interpreting and enforcing laws in the U.S.
By introducing this foundational information, this course is intended to prepare foreign lawyers for the study of law in the U.S. Law LL.M. Program (for foreign lawyers).
Students must first be accepted into the LL.M. Program
Students have the option of registering for this class once they have been enrolled in the LL.M. program.
This course is offered for 1-credit hour that goes towards fulfilling the requirements of the LL.M. program.
See sample course schedule below.
DAY
CENTRAL TIME
Monday, August 7
8-10:30AM
Tuesday, August 8
8-10:30AM
Wednesday, August 9
8-10:30AM
Thursday, August 10
8-10:30AM
Friday, August 11
8-10:30AM
Course dates and times are subject to change.
The course is taught by Prof. Katherine Brem (bio). The course materials will be identified ahead of class. The course will be graded as Pass/Fail.
Introduction to American Law and LSS classes start the week of August 14, 2023. Regular fall classes start the following week, August 21, 2023.
English as an Additional Language (EAL) Legal English Certificate Course
University of Houston Law Center (UHLC) along with the Language and Culture Center (LCC) offers an English as an Additional Language (EAL) class with a focus on legal English. This 4-week intensive online course can help you satisfy English language requirements for the US Law LLM (master of laws) program. We strongly encourage our foreign applicants, from non-English speaking countries, to take this certificate course to better prepare for potential study at UHLC. Visit www.law.uh.edu/llm/eal.asp and contact LCC@uh.edu to express interest and reserve your spot.
Very strong applicants can receive conditional acceptance into the U.S. Law LL.M. program pending successful completion of the EAL course.
English as an Additional Language (EAL) Study Semester plus Legal English Certificate Course
The Language and Culture Center (LCC) offers English as an Additional Language (EAL) class. Students take an initial assessment test to determine the EAL course that is right for them. If required in order to meet language proficiency, students will have the opportunity to enroll in the semester-long EAL course. Following successful completion, they will then have the option of also doing the 4-week intensive course with a focus on legal English. Visit www.law.uh.edu/llm/eal.asp and contact LCC@uh.edu to express interest and reserve your spot.
Very strong applicants can receive conditional acceptance into the U.S. Law LL.M. program pending successful completion of the EAL course.
