Columbia University School of Law
The information on this page was provided by the law school.
Official Guide to LLM, Master’s, and Certificate Programs
Introduction
Recognized for its intellectual rigor and exceptional professional standards, Columbia Law School is dedicated to delivering the finest legal education in the nation. Columbia offers three advanced degree programs designed for individuals who already possess a first law degree (or higher):
- Master of Laws (LLM)
- Executive Master of Laws in Global Business Law (Executive LLM)
- Doctor of the Science of Law (JSD)
Law School Enrollment
- Total law school enrollment: 1,600 (approximate)
- Total LLM enrollment: 350 (approximate) in both the LLM and Executive LLM Programs combined
- Full-time: All LLM Program students
- Part-time: None
- Hybrid (Full- and Part-time): All Executive LLM Program students
Master of Laws (LLM Program)
For over a century, Columbia’s LLM Program has championed an interdisciplinary approach to legal education, offering a diverse curriculum that spans legal and non-legal disciplines and fosters deep analytical thinking. Each year, we enroll a dynamic group of graduate students with varied experiences across the legal profession—ranging from private practice and academia to the judiciary, public service, human rights advocacy, and NGOs. As an LLM student, you will collaborate with these distinguished peers in study groups, engage in clinics, externships, journals, and pro bono work, and forge lasting connections through student organizations at the Law School and throughout Columbia University.
Our general LLM degree provides the flexibility to tailor your education from the Law School’s extensive curriculum. The Office of Graduate Degree Programs collaborates closely with faculty and administrative staff to ensure that each LLM student’s experience at Columbia is both personally and intellectually fulfilling. We assist in crafting a personalized study plan that aligns with your academic and professional aspirations—whether you aim to enhance your general legal knowledge, specialize in a particular field, or explore new areas of law.
Executive Master of Laws in Global Business Law (Executive LLM Program)
The Columbia Executive Master of Laws (ELLM) in Global Business Law is tailored for accomplished lawyers with advanced international practice experience. This intensive program is designed to minimize time away from home and work by blending online and in-person classes.
At Columbia Law School, our curriculum reflects the latest global business trends and challenges. As the forces shaping international business evolve, so too must the legal professionals who shape and support them.
Learn from leading corporate law experts in intimate class settings, gain a solid foundation in global business law, and develop the professional skills necessary to remain agile and up-to-date in a rapidly changing field.
Executive Experience and Support
Our Leadership and Management series augments the Executive LLM curriculum to provide you with competencies necessary to build effective teams and thrive in leadership roles.
Throughout the Summer Residency, curated events are hosted exclusively for the Executive LLM students. Past events have included Yankees games, Broadway shows, networking nights, and more.
2025 Program Dates*
- February 21 - May 19: Introduction to American Law OR Required Course for U.S. Law Degree Holders, plus an Elective (Online, Part-time)
- May 23: Summer Residency Orientation
- May 26 - Aug 15: On-Campus Summer Residency (check our website for the curriculum and course list)
- August 22 - October 6: Final Required Courses (Online, Part- time)
*Dates subject to change
Admission Standards, Application Procedure, and Application Components
LLM: Strong preference is given to applicants who have had at least one year of work experience after earning their first law degree. As the LLM is a full-time program of study, students are not permitted to maintain full-time, off-campus employment while enrolled in the program.
ELLM: Applicants must have a minimum of five years of work experience after earning their first law degree. Students may maintain full-time employment during the online portions of the program. The Summer Residency requires full-time study.
DUAL LLM / ELLM: You can apply for consideration for both programs through our single application. Applying to both programs does not affect your ability to be admitted to either. Decisions are made independently. If you are admitted to both programs, you must choose only one to accept.
All applicants to the LLM and Executive LLM must hold a first degree in law.
- Online application available: September 2024
- Application deadline: December 1, 2024
- Application fee: $85
- Letters of recommendation: 2 required
- Transcripts: required for all postsecondary institutions attended, whether or not you earned a degree
- An English standardized test score is required for all applicants: TOEFL iBT (Test Center / Home Edition): 105 Overall Score, or IELTS (Test Center / Online): 8 Overall Score
- Tuition and mandatory fees: LLM and Executive LLM
Financial Aid
Columbia Law School has a financial aid program to support candidates in our graduate degree programs. Financial assistance for Columbia Law’s graduate degree programs, when awarded, may consist of partial waivers of tuition, institutional loans, or a combination of the two.
Columbia Law School is not able to fund all applicants who request financial assistance and is rarely, if ever, able to provide full waivers of tuition. As such, we expect that applicants will share in the cost of our graduate degree programs and will actively seek other sources of funding for their studies throughout the application process. We urge applicants who will require any level of financial assistance to begin seeking independent sources of funding as soon as they begin contemplating an LLM degree abroad, as some external sources of funding (such as Fulbright) may require you to apply up to a year in advance of applying.
Housing
Columbia Law has University-managed apartments for enrolled students, and most choose to live in the neighborhood surrounding campus. Columbia housing options include dormitory rooms, studio apartments, one- and two-bedroom apartments, and apartment shares (two or three students in each apartment). Most but not all of these units are furnished. For students who wish to live off campus, the University maintains an office that assists students in obtaining housing in buildings owned and operated by landlords other than Columbia.
Executive LLM students have a variety of housing options from which they may choose, including Columbia Residential units, campus housing sublets, off-campus sublets, and short-term corporate rentals.
Student Services and Organizations
LLM student life at Columbia Law is enriched by our numerous co-curricular activities and organizations. Our academic centers and programs host weekly lectures, roundtable discussions, and conferences, and also serve as catalysts for scholarly work and student involvement on issues and activities in the law. Our 14 student law journals are among the leading scholarly publications in their fields. With over 85 student organizations, ranging from professional interest organizations to social organizations, almost all of our students are active in at least one group. Beyond the walls of the Law School, our students also participate in the many University-wide groups, events, and intramural sports teams.
Career Services
Through its global network, Columbia Law provides students with exceptional and exclusive opportunities for fellowships, and postgraduate careers. Our alumni work in all sectors including private law firms, the judiciary, nonprofit organizations, startup companies, universities, and government agencies. Columbia students will find an array of comprehensive and individualized services enabling them to pursue fulfilling careers in both the private and public sectors. Whether you are about to graduate or are a seasoned alumnus considering a new career path, Columbia Law School’s Office of Private Sector Careers (OPSC), Office of Public Interest/Public Service Law and Careers (PIPS), and Office of Judicial Careers (OJC) are ready to help you explore and prepare for the myriad opportunities available.
Doctor of the Science of Law (JSD Program)
The Doctor of the Science of Law (JSD) Program provides opportunity and encouragement for distinguished scholarship through independent research, workshops with fellow scholars, and the mentorship and guidance by members of the Faculty.
To earn the JSD degree, candidates are required to submit a dissertation and to pass an oral defense of the dissertation within six years of enrollment in the program. The dissertation can take the form of a unified work or a set of three articles. Doctoral candidates are provided workspace at the Law School during their period of residence at Columbia.
Admission Standards, Application Procedure, and Application Components
To be eligible for admission to the JSD program, JSD applicants must hold either a Columbia Law JD or an LLM (or be in the process of obtaining an LLM).
The admissions process prioritizes applicants who are completing or have completed their LLM at Columbia Law, but candidates with exceptional credentials from another institution might be admitted.
Admission for the JSD degree is normally restricted to applicants who are interested in a career in law teaching. Applicants must present evidence of impressive achievements in undergraduate and/or graduate law study or in subsequent scholarly or professional activities, with special emphasis on their capacity for innovative legal research and writing.
- Online application available: September 2024
- Application deadline: March 17, 2025
- Application fee: $85
- Letters of recommendation: 3 required
- Transcripts: required for all postsecondary institutions attended, whether or not you earned a degree
- An English standardized test score is required for all applicants: TOEFL iBT (Test Center / Home Edition): 105 Overall Score, or IELTS (Test Center / Online): 8 Overall Score
Columbia University in the City of New York
Located in New York City—a world capital of law, culture, media, advocacy, and finance—Columbia Law School is the perfect place to hone your skills. Every day, leading legal practitioners visit the Law School to engage students in challenging discussions. In addition, by studying in a global metropolis, your classroom extends beyond Columbia’s gates and across the five boroughs of New York City. A short subway ride transports you from Columbia’s UN General Assembly-style lecture halls to the actual United Nations, and the same MetroCard swipe connects you to offices of those in Columbia Law’s powerful alumni network.
Contact Information
Please contact the Office of Graduate Degree Programs if there is anything we can do to assist you.
