CRITÉRIOS PARA INGRESSO NA HARVARD LAW SCHOOL

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OVERVIEW

The philosophy of the LL.M. program is to offer our students a broad platform to design their own course of

study within parameters set by the Harvard Law School faculty. Those parameters include some exposure

to U.S. law, some writing experience, and, in the case of students who hold a J.D. degree from a school in

the U.S. or Puerto Rico, some exposure to legal theory. See Degree Requirements. Within this framework,LL.M. students have enormous latitude in planning their year. Interested faculty, the Graduate Program

staff, and special student advisors work hard throughout the year to help students identify and refine their

study objectives, then develop an appropriate sequence of courses and other work.

Most of a student's program will be drawn from the regular Harvard Law School curriculum - some 250

courses and seminars each year, offered to J.D. and graduate students alike. Students also have the

opportunity to pursue a limited number of credits at other faculties within Harvard and other area schools

and a variety of writing projects. About half of the LL.M. class each year write a 75- to 100-page paper

(called the "LL.M. paper") on a topic the student develops in consultation with his or her faculty supervisor.

We also offer the more extensive LL.M. thesis, an option designed for students who already have

significant research and writing experience and plan careers in law teaching. Other students write shorter

papers, whether independently or in conjunction with a course or seminar.

Given the flexibility of the program, the range of curricula students design is enormous. Some students take

a varied curriculum, with courses ranging from environmental law to corporations to public international law.

Others select courses primarily in a single area, such as constitutional law, business organization and

finance, legal theory, or human rights.

Finally, our students have the opportunity to participate in a variety of extracurricular and co-curricular

offerings on a not-for-credit basis. Graduate students participate in the full range of student organizations at

the Law School. Other opportunities are designed specifically for graduate students. For example, in a

typical year we offer between six and eight Byse workshops, taught by specially selected S.J.D. students

and treating such disparate subjects as game theory and the law, police misconduct, feminist approaches

to law and development, and the history of private international law. Other offerings include the Law

Teaching Colloquium, a full-year offering that explores different approaches to the teaching of law, and the

Legal Practice Workshop, designed to acquaint students with modes of legal analysis and writing used in

the American law firm environment.

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
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The philosophy of the LL.M. program is to offer our students a broad platform on which to design their own

course of study within parameters set by the Harvard Law School faculty. All students must satisfactorily

complete a minimum of 22 credit hours and a maximum of 26 credit hours in one academic year; most

students complete between 22 and 24 credits. Students also must satisfy some specific course and written

work requirements. More specific requirements applicable to international students and U.S. students

follow.

International LL.M. students are required to take at least one of the following courses in American Law:

Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Contracts, Corporations, Criminal Law, Property, Taxation, and Torts.

International students also must write either the 75- to 100-page LL.M. paper, the more extensive LL.M.

thesis, or a paper of 25 or more pages that involves independent reflection, formulation of a sustained

argument and, in many cases, outside research. Both types of papers may be written either independently

or in conjunction with a seminar. Finally, we urge students to take at least one course focusing on legal

history, legal theory, policy analysis or legal process.

For students who hold a J.D. from a law school in the United States or Puerto Rico, the emphasis is slightly

different. For these students, the LL.M. degree is designed as preparation for a career in law teaching.

These students are provided the opportunity to take a step back and relate the doctrinal areas in which they

previously concentrated to broader intellectual, social and cultural traditions; and pursue an extended

writing project. Thus students from the United States and Puerto Rico must take at least one course in legal

theory or jurisprudence and write either the LL.M. paper or the LL.M. thesis.

ACADEMIC RESOURCES

Workshops & Colloquia

Legal Writing Workshops| Byse Workshops | Colloquia

The Graduate workshops and colloquia, led by the Byse Fellows, by Graduate Fellows and by Graduate

Program administrators, are non-credit offerings that meet approximately every two weeks during the

course of a semester or the year. In the case of workshops, discussion is generally organized around

reading materials and/or an exposition by a workshop participant or guest speaker. For colloquia, the

perspectives of the student participants contribute to the direction and content of the series. Schedules of

meetings can be obtained by contacting the workshop or colloquium leader.

Byse Workshop participants who wish to write a paper in conjunction with the workshop can receive one

credit for the paper as long as (a) the paper is at least 25 pages long, and (b) a faculty member acts as theformal supervisor of the paper.

Specific workshops and colloquia for 2008-2009 are described below:
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LEGAL WRITING WORKSHOP

Dr. Jane Fair Bestor - Full Year

The LL.M. Writers' Workshop is a voluntary, non-credit workshop that supports students in completing

the LL.M. written work requirement. All LL.M. students must satisfy the written work requirement for the

LL.M. degree. The workshop is open to all LL.M. students interested in learning about the process of

writing an academic paper in an American law school.

Workshop Objectives:

Help students conceptualize, research, and write an LL.M. Paper or Thesis.

Introduce students to basic legal research skills (both U.S. and international) and American legal

writing techniques.

Facilitate advising relationships between LL.M. students and an S.J.D. candidate, and with library

research staff.

Help structure and set deadlines for researching and writing LL.M. Papers.

Provide guidance and other non-technical support for LL.M. writing projects.

BYSE WORKSHOPS

Law and Money: Five Theories For Understanding Money Conceptually and Legally, Iain Frame, Fall 2009,

Friday 11:00am - 12:30pm, Contact: [email protected]

From Athens to E-Democracy: The Promise and Perils of a Participatory Governance, Jennifer Shkabatur,

Spring 2010, Time TBD, Contact: [email protected]

Byse Workshops are named in honor of Byrne Professor of Law Emeritus Clark Byse, and meet

approximately every two weeks during the course of a semester. The Workshops, which are open to J.D.,

LL.M. and S.J.D. students alike, are led by selected S.J.D. students, and provide an in-depth treatment of

some aspect of their dissertation scholarship. Participants who wish to write a paper in conjunction with the

workshop may be eligible to receive one credit for the paper as long as (a) the paper is at least 25 pages

long, and (b) a faculty member acts as the formal supervisor of the paper. The Graduate Program can

provide students with further information about how to make such arrangements. There is no need to

register for a Workshop in advance.

For more information, please contact Ms. Nancy Pinn ([email protected]) or the individual

Workshop leaders, identified below.


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COLLOQUIA

Law Teaching Colloquium - Christopher Taggart, [email protected] - Full Year

The Law Teaching Colloquium is a year long series of presentations sponsored by the Graduate

Program and the J.D. program, and organized by the S.J.D. community. Sessions promote discussion

amongst students and professors from HLS, Harvard University and beyond, about the nature, structure

and aims of legal education. Topics range from methods of teaching and the hiring process to the

internationalization of law schools and visions of legal education. The Colloquium is open to all members

of the Harvard community.

Eligibility Requirements

To be considered for the LL.M. Program, an applicant must have a J.D. (Juris Doctor) from an accredited

U.S. law school or a first law degree (J.D., LL.B. or the equivalent) from a foreign law school. Harvard Law

School is rarely able to accept into its LL.M. Program anyone who already holds or is pursuing an LL.M. or

equivalent degree from another law school in the United States.

Admissions Criteria

Admission to the LL.M. Program is highly competitive. Last year approximately 1,500 applicants competed

for around 150 places in the LL.M. Program. Most applicants are fully qualified for the program, and the

Committee on Graduate Studies must select from among a large number of candidates who have excellentcredentials. In evaluating applications, the Committee takes into consideration the applicant's grades and

rank in his or her law and other university studies, letters of recommendation, occupational interests,

professional and personal accomplishments, and other factors, including the following:

FOR LL.M. APPLICANTS FROM ABROAD

The Program is designed for intellectually curious and thoughtful candidates who come from a variety of

legal systems and backgrounds and who have demonstrated an intent to return to their country tocontribute to the academy or legal profession. We are equally interested in applicants pursuing careers in

law teaching and research, government service, the judiciary, international organizations, non-

governmental organizations and private practice.

FOR LL.M. APPLICANTS FROM THE UNITED STATES

The Program is designed for graduates of U.S. law schools who have had at least two or three years of

experience beyond law school and who have committed themselves to a career in law teaching. In theadmissions process, the Committee focuses primarily on applicants who have excelled in their basic law

school studies, who elicit strong letters of recommendation from law school teachers and others familiar

with their work, and who have spent at least two years working as a law school teacher, judicial clerk, or
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practitioner in a public agency or private practice. Evidence of graduate education in a field other than law

is also significant. Weight will be given to materials demonstrating the applicant's interest in, commitment

to, and capability for a career in law teaching.

FINANCING STUDY IN LAW SCHOOL

A year in Harvard Law School's LL.M. program is expensive. Tuition for 2007-2008 is $39,325; in addition,

the costs of dormitory housing, food, medical fees, books and supplies, activity fee, and personal and travel

expenses for a single student come to at least $23,097, for a total of at least $62,422. For the 2007-2008

academic year, the standard budget for married students calls for at least another $12,540 in living

expenses for the spouse, $7,212 for the first child, and $7,116 for each additional child.

All financial aid awards are primarily based on the applicants demonstrated financial need. Financial aid is

offered in the form of both grants (scholarships) and loans. The average grant is approximately half of

tuition; for a small number of students with particularly acute financial need, we are able to offer grants

covering full tuition and a portion of living expenses. In addition to our grant funds, we are able to offer

students with financial need access to educational loans on favorable terms through Harvard Universitys

special loan program with Citibank. Everyone in the LL.M. class of 2007-08 who demonstrated financial

need received some form of aid, whether as grant, grant and loan, or loan only; more than 85% of these

financial aid recipients received some amount of grant funding from Harvard.

All applicants who wish to apply for financial aid should complete the financial aid forms appearing in the

LL.M. application materials and return them with their application for admission to the Graduate Program.

Because the processes for making admissions and financial aid decisions are completely separate, your

application for financial aid will have no impact on your application for admission. In addition, given our

funding limitations, prospective applicants are encouraged to seek other sources of funds early in the

application process.

OTHER SOURCES OF FUNDS

Applicants seeking financial assistance should investigate funding sources in their home countries well in

advance. Examples of such sources include employers, government agencies and foundations. Loans from

private lending institutions in the U.S. may also be available to international applicants.

The United States Embassy or consulate in an international applicant's home country may have information

on U.S. government grants under theFulbright program and other information on fellowship opportunities.

Applicants who are from certain countries or who meet certain specific criteria may be eligible for a number

of scholarships administered by Harvard University'sCommittee on General Scholarships. Please note that
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many of these scholarships have their own application procedures and deadlines, and students must apply

for some of these funds by contacting committees or agencies in their home countries.

In some cases it may be possible for students to undertake part-time paid employment on campus, e.g.,

working in the Law School Library or as research assistants for faculty members. Generally speaking,

students can expect to earn up to a total of $3,500 over the course of the academic year in return for 1012hours of work per week. These positions cannot be arranged through the Graduate Program Office.

Admitted applicants interested in such employment must seek out such positions after arrival at Harvard

Law School. Off-campus employment during the year of study is not permitted for international students.

Application Deadlines

For the LL.M. class beginning in September 2011, the application deadline is December 1,

2010. (We strongly encourage all application materials be submitted by November 15, 2010.)

In addition to submitting theHarvard Law School Online LL.M. Applicationby the deadline,

applicants must make sure that any required documents (e.g., transcripts, TOEFL results) be sent

out in time for delivery to our officeon or before the deadline. Please note that the application

deadline will be strictly observed. It is your responsibility to make certain that all required materials reach

the Graduate Program office by the deadline.

Application Materials

To apply to the LL.M. program, applicants must complete the relevant parts of the Graduate Program's

application materials. These call for applicants to provide information about themselves and the studies

they propose to pursue at Harvard, letters of recommendation from professors and others who know their

work, and transcripts from each university they have attended.

In addition, all applicants from non-English speaking countries or who did not receive their legal education

entirely in the English language must take the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)

examination within two years prior to submitting their applications. The Graduate Program requires a

minimum score of 600 on the paper-based test (with a minimum score of 60 on each of the three

subsections and a score of at least 5.0 on the TWE), or a minimum score of 100 on the internet-based test

(with a minimum score of 25 on each subsection). Applicants with at least two years of university education

conducted entirely in English may request a waiver of the TOEFL exam; however, such waivers are not

automatic, and are granted at the sole discretion of the Graduate Program.
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TOEFL is offered by the Educational Testing Service at locations around the world. For more information,

check theirweb site or contact them at TOEFL Services, Educational Testing Service, P.O. Box 6151,

Princeton, NJ 08541, USA.
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CRITÉRIOS PARA INGRESSO NA HARVARD LAW SCHOOL