LL.M. Program Eligibility

Before applying to the LL.M. program at Yale Law School, please review our eligibility guidelines below:

  • Applicants to the LL.M. program must have received, or expect to receive, by the summer before their intended matriculation at Yale Law School, a juris doctor degree or a bachelor’s degree in law from an accredited U.S. law school or a non-U.S. law school with substantially equivalent standards. All offers of admission are conditional upon graduation. We reserve the right to review or revoke admission if an applicant fails to graduate with his/her class.
  • Applicants to the LL.M. program must have a strong record of academic accomplishment. Additionally, some professional or law teaching experience following completion of the first professional degree is encouraged.
  • Admission is ordinarily not available to students who have obtained or are pursuing an LL.M. or an equivalent degree from another law school in the United States.
  • Admission is generally available only to individuals planning careers in law teaching and scholarship.


Schedule

Applications are accepted for the 2017–2018 academic year from August 1 through December 1, 2016, at 11:59pm, U.S. Eastern Time. The December 1 deadline should be understood as the date by which all documents that applicants are required to submit must be received by the Law School Admission Council (LSAC). We require all applicants to the LL.M. program to submit their applications online through LSAC's Electronic Application Service.


Application Process

  1. Register for LSAC’s LL.M. Credential Assembly Service (CAS)

    Important: You should register and pay for LSAC's LL.M. Credential Assembly Service (CAS) at least four to six weeks before your first law school application deadline. It takes approximately two weeks for LSAC to process a U.S. transcript or letter of recommendation from the time it is received; transcripts from non-U.S. institutions may take longer. LSAC will not send your Law School Report to us until all official transcripts (and your TOEFL score, if required) are received. It is your responsibility to make certain that LSAC sends all of your materials to Yale Law School in a timely fashion. More about transcripts.

    International applicants must register for LSAC's Document Assembly Service. We also require LSAC's International Transcript Authentication and Evaluation Service.

    Questions about the LL.M. CAS should be directed to LSAC at (215) 968-1001.

  2. Arrange for letters of recommendation

    We require a minimum of two, and accept a maximum of four, letters of recommendation. Generally, these letters should be written by faculty members who know you and your work well. Applicants in teaching or practice may substitute a letter from an employer or supervisor. You may submit up to four letters; however, your file will be deemed complete when two letters have arrived. Letters of recommendation must be sent through LSAC’s Letter of Recommendation (LOR) Service. More about letters of recommendation.

  3. Take the TOEFL

    If your undergraduate education or first law degree was not completed in the United States, United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland), Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, or Canada (in an English medium of instruction school), you must submit your official score on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The Admissions Committee requires a minimum TOEFL score of 100 on the Internet-based test. Applicants who have at least a four-year degree from an educational institution in the United States or one of the countries listed above may request a waiver of the TOEFL. More about submitting your TOEFL.

  4. Learn more about Yale Law School

    You are welcome to visit the Law School or browse the Law School's website. We do not conduct evaluative interviews.

  5. Complete the application form

    We require all applicants to the LL.M. program to submit their applications through LSAC's Electronic Application Service. Submit your entire application, including the attachments, online through the LSAC electronic application no later than the December 1 deadline.

  6. Complete the two essay questions and include them, along with your curriculum vitae, as attachments to your application

    Two separate essays are required as a part of the application to the LL.M. program. Please note that a personal statement is not required and cannot be substituted for or take the place of these required essays.
    —In no more than 350 words, describe your reasons for seeking admission to Yale Law School's LL.M. program, and explain how the LL.M. degree fits in with your plans for teaching after you graduate. Please indicate your areas of interest and what arrangements, if any, you have made concerning employment.
    —In no more than 500 words, describe your scholarly research agenda for the near future. Please articulate what you think are the most important issues in your chosen field, and explain why.

  7. Pay the application fee of $75 (USD)

    The application fee is $75 (USD), payable through LSAC by credit card. The application fee is separate and in addition to any fees charged by LSAC for its application, credential assembly, and authentication services. This fee is nonrefundable and will not be credited to tuition in the event of admission.

  8. Receive confirmation of your application

    You will receive notification from us when we receive your application and, again, when your application is complete. If you have not received notification by January 15, 2017, please contact us. We typically make admissions decisions in mid-March.

Financial aid is not applied for or determined until after admission. At that time, we will provide admitted applicants with information on how to apply for financial aid. Financial aid is available to all admitted applicants and is based on need. Learn more about your options for financial aid.

International students should visit the Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS) for information about international students at Yale University.

Check your LL.M. online application status.