LL.M. & J.S.D.
Graduate Admissions introduces prospective students to the Law School's advanced degree and certificate programs, and manages the application process for admission to the Graduate Division.
Graduate Affairs provides individualized advice to current LL.M. and exchange students about academic opportunities, course selection and registration procedures, and supports these students through events and programs featuring faculty and members of New York legal institutions.
The Graduate Tax Program offers over 40 advanced tax courses, and provides academic and career advice to students who are pursuing their degrees on a full-time and part-time basis.
In the heart of downtown Manhattan, in one of the world’s most dynamic cities
The Law School is nestled near the southwest corner of picturesque Washington Square Park on New York University’s main campus in Greenwich Village. The Village is one of the most vibrant parts of the city, with a neighborhood feel, an energetic culture and nightlife, and some of the best eateries in town. Fifth Avenue begins here, at the park’s famed Washington Square Arch, and stretches beyond to myriad opportunities uptown.
Our Manhattan location gives students access to the very best real-world practitioners and policy-makers as well as to our community of leading scholars. Numerous visits from prominent government officials, members of the judiciary, and leaders of international organizations and NGOs, complement our innovative academic curriculum.
The Graduate Division's distinguished history reaches back to the 1890s, when the Law School began awarding the LL.M. degree, and includes the 1945 founding of the oldest and most prestigious graduate tax program in the country. Today, the Law School leads the way in the study of law in a global context, inviting students from more than 50 countries to NYU, who bring with them the insight gained from working in legal systems worldwide. Master’s students take most of their classes with J.D. students, engage in over 40 extracurricular student groups, participate in specially-designed LL.M. programs and events, and live together in our residence halls, fostering a dynamic learning experience inside the classroom, and creating enduring friendships and professional connections that last the rest of their careers.
The LL.M. Program
A majority of our graduate students enroll in the Master of Laws program in New York, and earn their degree in one academic year (from August to May) while studying on a full-time basis.
The Law School offers nine different LL.M. degrees, allowing students to choose from an array of fields in which our world-renowned faculty pursue path-breaking and influential research. Master's students in the traditional program elect classes from across our broad and diverse curriculum in order to shape a course of study that meets their personal and professional objectives. Those who choose one of our eight specializations pursue a majority of their coursework in one area, with some flexibility to take classes in other areas of interest. Each of these specializations combines preeminent faculty in the field, an extensive set of relevant courses, and the resources of the Law School's research centers, in order to integrate students' intellectual training with emerging scholarship and practice.
Some of our students are practicing attorneys who attend classes part-time, typically for two to three years. Also offered part-time is the Executive LL.M. in Taxation, an online program from the nation's top tax faculty, accessible anywhere in the world.
The Curriculum
Our expansive curriculum is divided into the fall semester and spring semester, with some classes offered on a year-long basis. Students also work individually with professors on significant pieces of scholarship, through one of the many LL.M. research and writing options, such as an LL.M. thesis, or a directed research project.
While courses are typically taught as lectures and seminars, there are other types of classes that offer unique learning opportunities. Our annual colloquia, essentially research workshops focused on a specific theme, include guest lecturers from the U.S. and abroad who present their drafts-in-progress or recently-published works. We also continue to be at the forefront of U.S. law schools for the breadth of opportunities to integrate theory and practice. Simulation classes, such as Alternative Dispute Resolution, provide students experience in legal tasks such as drafting briefs and conducting mock trials or negotiations, and the various clinics involve students in actual cases or policy formation for real clients under the supervision of our acclaimed clinical faculty. Students may also pursue academic opportunities within the larger university by taking a limited number of law-related classes at NYU’s other prestigious schools, such as the Stern School of Business and the Wagner Graduate School of Public Service.
The J.S.D. Program
The Doctor of Juridical Science (J.S.D.), the Law School's most advanced degree, is designed to provide intensive doctoral training to those who intend to pursue a career in academia. Doctoral students receive full funding for three years of residency at NYU, and produce top-notch scholarship in a collegial and challenging environment.