For LL.M. and Exchange Students
Announcements for Incoming Students
Welcome to NYU School of Law! We are excited to have you join our community. Please read through the below information carefully, as it highlights several matters you should be thinking about now. If you have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Registration
Please read carefully through the LL.M. Registration Guide in order to familiarize yourself with the registration process. You should also take note of important deadlines indicated in the registration calendar. Note that the first bidding cycle begins on June 20th and continues until the morning of July 16th. This means that you can begin entering bids on June 20th; bids are not processed until the close of the first bidding round. Therefore, bids entered on the first day of the bidding round are processed at the same time as bids entered in the last hours of the same bidding round so that there is no need to rush to enter your bids on the first day. We do recommend, however, that you get started early to give yourself plenty of time to research classes, become comfortable with the bidding system, and address any questions or problems that may arise (e.g., a course needs permission from the instructor, a pre-requisite waiver is needed, a technical problem occurs, etc.). Please do not wait to the last minute to enter your bids.
Prior to registering for classes, look carefully at course offerings and class descriptions for the Fall and Spring semesters and at the requirements for your specialization. You should also look at the course updates. Information on new courses, canceled courses, and schedule changes, and other important announcements relating to classes are posted there. It may also be helpful to you to refer to faculty biographies, student evaluations of faculty (you will need your NetID and password), grade distributions, and past syllabi (note that only some faculty have made syllabi available online).
You may access all the information above by selecting "Students" from www.law.nyu.edu. You may also find additional information in the Registering for Classes tab at the Office of Graduate Affairs Web site.
Introduction to U.S. Law and U.S. Legal Research Writing and Analysis I
Introduction to U.S. Law and U.S. Legal Research Writing and Analysis I begin two weeks prior to the start of fall classes. All LL.M. students who received their first degree in law outside the United States will be enrolled in these classes to be held from Monday, August 13, 2012 through Friday August 24, 2012. For students attending these summer classes, there will be a mandatory Check-In event on Sunday August 12, 2012. Exchange students are encouraged but not required to attend Introduction to U.S. Law and U.S. Legal Research Writing and Analysis I. We are currently finalizing the schedule for these two classes. Please be aware that you should plan to be able to attend classes from 9:00 a.m. through 4:00 p.m. from August 13th to the 24th. There may be additional afternoon and evening hours on particular days.
In addition to classes, there are reading and other assignments to be done as well – these summer classes are an intense and very helpful introduction to the work you will be expected to do at the Law School. During the summer, you may wish to review the syllabus and, if you are able, start reading the course materials for Introduction to U.S. Law which are posted online.
You may waive the requirement to take these classes by meeting certain criteria. However, we strongly encourage all LL.M. students to attend in order to take advantage of this unparalleled opportunity to meet fellow international students and acclimate to life at the Law School before the semester begins. Please note that students who need the LL.M. degree to qualify to take the New York Bar may use these two classes toward fulfilling NY Bar eligibility requirements.
Faculty Online Chats
Thanks to all of those who participated in our online chats. There were a lot of great questions and we hope that these sessions will be helpful to you in selecting classes during registration, which begins in mid-June. For those of you who were not able to participate, below are links to recordings of the chats. Students in the Traditional program may find it helpful to review the chats corresponding to the areas of law in which you are most interested.
CIIL
(Apologies, the first 30 seconds is cut off)
http://nyuniv.adobeconnect.com/p2crh9bx89w/
Corporations
http://nyuniv.adobeconnect.com/p41qczbppbi/
IBRLA
http://nyuniv.adobeconnect.com/p8e1xjt59c8/
ILS
http://nyuniv.adobeconnect.com/p2gnuj4t4i5/
Health Insurance
Information on student health insurance is available at www.nyu.edu/health/insurance.
Coverage under NYU student health insurance typically begins on August 21st. However, for students in Introduction to U.S. Law, NYU student health insurance will begin on August 1st. You will see a fee for the early insurance coverage on your bill. If you waive out of the requirement to take Introduction to U.S. Law and U.S. Legal Research Writing and Analysis I, or if you have a U.S. J.D. and therefore do not have to take these classes, you will not be covered by this early insurance and coverage under the NYU plan will begin on August 21st.
Listserv & Facebook
We have created a listserv for the entire LL.M. class of 2012-2013. This will allow students to send and receive messages from their classmates as long as they are subscribed to the list.
The listserv e-mail address is law-llm2013@lists.nyu.edu . To subscribe to the listserv send an e-mail to join-law-llm2013@lists.nyu.edu. You will then receive a confirmation e-mail, please follow the instructions in that e-mail in order to join the listserv. To then send a message to the listserv use the e-mail address indicated above, law-llm2013@lists.nyu.edu.
For helpful information regarding the usage of the listservs, please refer to www.nyu.edu/its/lists/faq. Please do not share this listserv as it is only to be used by members of the 2012-2013 LL.M. class at NYU School of Law.
There is also an unofficial Facebook group for the class of 2012-2013:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/192889590820775
Please note that this group is in no way moderated by the Office of Graduate Affairs or NYU Law School.
Clinics
Clinical programs offer the opportunity to work directly with clients, communities, and partner NGOs to improve practical legal skills and to engage with questions of professional accountability. Click here for more information about what clinics are available to you and how to apply.
NY Bar Exam
To sit for the NY Bar exam in July 2013, the New York Board of Law Examiners (NY Board) requests that you complete an Online Foreign Evaluation Form at least one year prior to the commencement of the April 2013 filing period for the July 2013 bar examination. This means that students who would like to sit for the July 2013 bar examination should complete the Online Foreign Evaluation Form and submit supporting documentation as soon as possible.
The NY Board requires all those with a foreign legal education (from common law and civil law jurisdictions) who wish to sit for the Bar exam to complete the Online Evaluation Form and to send supporting documentation.
As part of the process, you will need to ask the law schools you have attended to send official transcripts to the Board. It may be easier for you to make such requests and access other necessary documents while you are in your home country. We therefore encourage you to begin the evaluation process early and prior to your arrival in New York.
You can find more information on New York Bar requirements here. Further, we advise you carefully to read information posted on the New York Board of Law Examiners web site.
Orientation for 2012-2013 LL.M. Class
We see your orientation as an introduction to your classmates, faculty and other members of the Law School community.
Orientation is mandatory for all full-time LL.M. students, and strongly encouraged for all part-time LL.M., J.S.D. and Exchange students and will take place from August 26-28, 2012.
For those students required to take Introduction to U.S. Law, there will be a mandatory orientation event on Sunday, August 12, 2012 starting at 3:00 p.m.
Schedule and FAQs
The preliminary schedule, along with answers to frequently asked questions, is available here:
Required Forms
The Law School requires all students to complete and submit three forms: Pledge of Academic Honesty, Emergency Contact Form, and the Memorandum of Understanding. You may fill out and submit the forms here.
Useful Information
University Events
Aside from the Law School, other University departments offer various introduction events to all graduate students. We encourage you to check the offerings and attend some or all of them!
International Student Explorientation
The Office for International Students and Scholars offers International Student Explorientation, a combination of practical, academic, cultural, and social activities to help you settle in to life at NYU. Visit their Web site for details.
Graduate Welcome Week
NYU's Student Resource Center offers Graduate Welcome Week - a series of programs and events designed to assist students in their transition to NYU and NYC.
Please visit our Graduate Student Resources page for additional useful information on Law School and University resources, Student Life, English Language programs, and resources for families.