University of Houston Law Center

Introduction

The LLM program at the University of Houston Law Center is as dynamic as the city of Houston itself. Our LLM program empowers lawyers by teaching them advanced skills and providing access to professional networks to succeed in the global, national, and local legal markets. Our school has provided graduates with a passport to opportunities around the world. Since 1985, lawyers with degrees from more than 100 countries have earned an LLM degree at the Law Center. Consider:

• located in the fourth largest city in the United States and one of the most diverse
• five specialty LLM programs in energy, health, intellectual property, international law and tax, and a general course of study—the LLM in US Law
• LLM program recognized as one of the most innovative in the world
• full- or part-time study
• assigned academic advisor to ensure that course selections meet personal or professional goals
• faculty that are recognized leaders in their field

Lawyers interested in a specialization can select from one of five LLM programs: Energy, Environment, and Natural Resources; Health Law; Intellectual Property & Information Law; International Law; or Tax Law. Lawyers who earned their degree outside of the United States can apply to a specialty program or the LLM in US Law. The LLM in US Law is a general course of study that allows students to design, with an advisor’s approval, their curriculum to meet personal or professional goals, such as taking a bar examination.

Physical Facilities

• O’Quinn Law Library houses more than 570,000 volumes
• Law library services include 24/7 accessibility as well as electronic and interlibrary loan support
• Special library collections in foreign and international law and admiralty and maritime law
• University of Houston’s state-of-the art Recreation and Wellness Center

LLM Programs/Areas of Specialization

Energy, Environment, and Natural Resources

In a global market for energy and natural resources, understanding laws, policies, and regulations governing energy is extremely important. The Law Center has been recognized as one of the top law schools in the country offering energy-specific courses, especially those in oil and gas, and our faculty is internationally recognized for its expertise in energy law and related fields. Located in the energy capital of the world, with more than 3,700 energy-related companies based in Houston, the Law Center trains lawyers to handle the complex legal and policy issues that surround three areas: energy production, transportation, and use; pollution prevention and biodiversity protection; and natural resources exploitation and conservation. Students must complete 24 credits, including a minimum of 15 credits in energy and environment coursework. LLM students who earned their degree outside of the United States are also required to take Introduction to American Law and Legal Writing as part of the 24-credit requirement. Students may complement their courses in other specialty areas such as health, intellectual property, international law, and tax. All students have the option of writing a thesis of publishable quality.

Courses include

• Advanced Oil and Gas Contracting
• American Indian Law
• Clean Air Act
• Coastal and Ocean Law
• Corporate Compliance and Ethics
• Energy Law and Policy
• Energy Law and Policy Seminar
• Environmental Law
• Environmental Law Seminar
• Hazardous Waste Law
• International Environmental Law
• International Petroleum Transactions
• International Risk Management
• Land Use Management Seminar
• Law of Biodiversity Conservation
• Natural Resources
• Nuclear Law
• Oil and Gas Law
• Oil and Gas Tax
• Practice of Environmental Law
• Project Finance
• Regulated Industries
• Regulated Water Law Industries
• Toxic Torts
• Water Law

Not all classes are offered every year, and current course offerings are subject to change.

Health Law

Medical breakthroughs and policy changes are coming at such a rapid pace that it is difficult for the public, and the law, to keep up. Since its founding in 1978, the school’s Health Law & Policy Institute has been in the forefront of legal education, scholarship, and policy analysis related to legal aspects of health care and biotechnology, and its faculty is nationally recognized for its work in the field. The university is also a member institution of the nearby Texas Medical Center, the world’s largest medical complex, which affords students the opportunity to interact with frontline health care providers, researchers, and administrators on legal issues. Over the years, nearly 200 attorneys have taken this unique opportunity to return to the classroom to hone their skills and enhance their knowledge in this increasingly important field. Students must complete 24 credits, including a minimum of 18 credits in health law coursework. Students may complement their courses with those in other specialty areas such as energy, intellectual property, international law, and tax. LLM students who earned their degree outside of the United States are also required to take Introduction to American Law and Legal Writing as part of the 24-credit requirement. Students have the option of writing a thesis of publishable quality.

Courses include

• Advanced Health Law
• Advanced Public Health Law & Ethics
• Biotechnology and the Law
• Children’s Health and the Law
• Comparative Health Law
• Disabilities and the Law
• E-Health Law
• Elder Law
• Food and Drug Law
• Forensic Medicine
• Fraud and Abuse
• Genetics and the Law
• Health Law Clinic I
• Health Law Clinic II
• Health Law I: Bioethics and Quality of Care
• Health Law II: Access, Regulation, and Enterprise
• Health Law Master’s Course
• Health Law Transactions
• Health Privacy
• HIV and the Law
• Law & Bioethics Seminar
• Law and Psychiatry
• Law, Medicine, and Public Policy Seminar
• Law, Ethics, and Brain Policy
• Legal Aspects of Bioethics Seminar
• Legal Issues in Health Care
• Life and Health Insurance
• Medical Malpractice Litigation
• Medicare
• Poverty, Health, and Public Policy Seminar
• Regulation of Health Care Professionals Seminar
• Rural Health Law

Not all classes are offered every year, and current course offerings are subject to change.

Intellectual Property and Information Law

Intellectual Property and Information Law have emerged as mainstays of the global economy. These disciplines are combined at the Law Center in the Institute for Intellectual Property and Information Law, which holds an international reputation for excellence and is recognized as one of the top programs in the United States. LLM students benefit from the institute’s active involvement in promoting research and scholarship in the field. Students have the opportunity to study both traditional and emerging areas of intellectual property law (patent, trademark, copyright, and trade secret) and information law (Internet, software, electronic commerce, and databases). Students typically have some intellectual property or information law experience obtained after earning their first degree in law. As a leading center for the exchange of ideas in these fields, the Law Center’s LLM program fosters international cooperation among scholars and practitioners. Students must complete 24 credit hours, including a minimum of 15 credit hours in intellectual property and information law courses approved by their faculty advisor. LLM students who earned their degree outside of the United States are also required to take Introduction to American Law and Legal Writing as part of the 24-credit requirement. Students have the option of writing a thesis of publishable quality.

Courses include

• Communication Law
• Copyright Law
• Copyright Seminar
• Crime in the Information Age
• Entertainment Law
• Genetics and the Law
• Intellectual Property for Tech Startups (IPTS)
• Intellectual Property Survey
• International Intellectual Property
• Internet Law
• Licensing and Technology Transfer
• Patent Law
• Patent Prosecution
• Privacy and Data Protection
• Procedure of Patent Litigation
• Trade Secrets
• Trademark Prosecution
• Trademarks and Unfair Competition
• WRS: Advanced Topics in Intellectual Property

Not all classes are offered every year, and current course offerings are subject to change.

International Law

The growth of the global marketplace and its interdependence among nations places a premium on lawyers who understand the international implications of various public, private, and commercial activities. Houston holds a commanding international presence—and the Law Center’s LLM program in International Law capitalizes on the city’s substantial global connections. Houston is host to the third highest number of consular offices in the United States and home to 26 Fortune 500 companies. In 2024, over 5,000 Houston-area firms, foreign government offices, and nonprofit organizations were involved in international business. LLM candidates may choose to focus their studies in a specific area of international law, or they can select from a wide variety of courses to achieve a broad understanding of public and private aspects of international law. The Law Center established the Center for US and Mexican Law, which is the first independent research center in the United States dedicated to the study of Mexican Law and US-Mexico relations. The Law Center is also noted for its Immigration Clinic, which offers students hands-on, real-life experience helping clients with issues ranging from maneuvering through the bureaucracy of obtaining a green card to imminent deportation and asylum. Students and their supervising attorneys represent clients in immigration courts and before federal agencies, and even assisted in a precedent-setting case that was decided with a unanimous vote by the US Supreme Court. Students must complete 24 credits, including a minimum of 15 credits in international law coursework. LLM Students who earned their degree outside of the United States are also required to take Introduction to American Law and Legal Writing as part of their 24-credit requirement. Students may complement their courses with those in other specialty areas such as energy, health law, intellectual property, and tax. Students have the option of writing a thesis of publishable quality.

Courses include

• Asylum Law
• Comparative Law
• Conflicts of Law
• European Union Law
• Human Rights Seminar
• Immigration Law
• Immigration Law and Business
• Import and Export Regulation
• International Business Transactions
• International Commercial Arbitration
• International Contracting
• International Criminal Law
• International Law
• International Law and the Use of Force Seminar
• International Litigation and Arbitration
• International Petroleum Transactions
• International Tax
• International Trade
• International Trade Seminar
• Introduction to European Law
• Introduction to Mexican Law
• Law and International Economic Relations
• Law of Biodiversity Conservation
• Law of International Organizations
• Maritime Cargo and Collision 
• Maritime Cargo, Collision, and Ocean Pollution Seminar
• NAFTA
• Problems in International Trade and Investment Seminar
• Space Law
• US Export Regulation

Not all classes are offered every year, and current course offerings are subject to change.

Tax Law

Tax law is a moving target, constantly changing and becoming ever more complex as it evolves. Proficient tax lawyers are in demand, and the University of Houston Law Center, based in one of the most vibrant economies and legal practice areas in the United States, is poised to fill that need with our Tax Law LLM program. Our focus is on helping students identify issues and plan solutions to tax problems and hone the skills needed to assimilate new tax rules into their practice. The program emphasizes professional responsibility and a thorough understanding of the tax system and how it affects individual, nonprofit, commercial, and financial affairs. Our program also presents a unique opportunity to students who wish to complement their tax courses with those in other specialty areas such as energy, health, and intellectual property. In addition to the regular LLM degree requirements, the Tax program mandates completion of the Federal Income Tax course. Note: The Federal Income Tax course cannot be credited toward LLM degree requirements and must be completed before LLM students can enroll in advanced tax courses. Two additional courses—Tax Research and Tax Ethics—are required of all students, and both courses may be credited toward LLM tax degree requirements. Students must complete 24 credits, including a minimum of 18 credits in tax law coursework. LLM Students who earned their degree outside of the United States are also required to take Introduction to American Law and Legal Writing as part of their 24-credit requirement. Students have the option of writing a thesis of publishable quality.

Courses include

• Bankruptcy Taxation
• Business Planning
• Corporate Taxation
• Employee Benefit Plans and Compensation
• Estate Planning
• Federal Income Tax
• Federal Income Taxation of Trusts and Estates
• Oil and Gas Tax
• Partnership Tax
• Post-Mortem Estate Planning
• Real Estate Tax
• State and Local Taxation
• Tax Accounting
• Tax Ethics
• Tax Fraud and Money Laundering
• Tax Policy Seminar
• Tax Procedure
• Tax Research
• Taxation of Financial Instruments
• Taxation of Compensation
• Taxation of Exempt Organizations
• Taxation of Intellectual Property
• U.S. International Tax

Not all classes are offered every year, and current course offerings are subject to change.

LLM in US Law

Since 1985, this program for non-US educated lawyers has graduated over 700 students from more than 100 countries. Students work closely with their faculty advisor to design a general course of study that touches on multiple subject areas (such as energy, health, intellectual property, international law, and tax) or a customized curriculum that meets professional goals or bar examination requirements. As part of the 24-credit program requirement, students are required to enroll in Introduction to American Law, which provides an introduction to an important foundation for other courses. Students are also required to complete Legal Writing which provides an overview of vital skills to be used as a student and practitioner. Both courses meet for an entire semester. All of the students in the two required courses earned their law degree outside of the United States. For the remainder of their coursework, students attend classes and collaborate with US JD and LLM students with a diverse range of backgrounds and interests.

Courses include

• Business and Commercial Law
• Constitutional and Criminal Law
• Employment and Labor Law
• Energy, Environment, and Natural Resources Law
• Family Law
• Government Regulation
• Health Law
• Intellectual Property and Information Law
• International and Comparative Law
• International Law and Admiralty
• Law and Society
• Procedure and Practice
• Real Property, Trusts, and Estates
• Taxation

Non-US Educated Lawyers

Lawyers who earned their degree outside of the United States can apply to any of the six LLM programs. The student can focus on a specific area of the law or pursue a general course of study—the LLM in US Law. Lawyers who earned their law degree outside of the United States can only begin the program in the fall semester. Admitted students are invited to a virtual information session to help prepare for their arrival to the US and then an in-person orientation before classes begin. The program begins in early August and students can enroll into an optional course, U.S. Legal Skills, which is a course held the week before the fall term that provides an overview of the U.S. legal education and focuses on preparing foreign lawyers for legal education in the United States. Foreign students are required to take Introduction to American Law and Legal Writing. 

Extensive programming and activities throughout the academic year provide an opportunity for students to experience and participate in many aspects of American culture. Activities include court and law firm visits and attendance at programs sponsored by the Houston Bar Association.

Non-US educated lawyers may be eligible to take the bar examination in Texas. Only the State’s Board of Law Examiners can make a final determination of eligibility and applicants should become familiar with their requirements prior to beginning any LLM program.

Student Services and Organizations

Every student has a faculty advisor who works with the student to select courses that meet program requirements and personal goals. Throughout the program, individual tutoring is available through the Law Center’s Lawyering Skills and Strategies program and university resources. The Office of Student Affairs at the Law Center houses the financial aid office, registrar, and the Global and Graduate Programs office. 

LLM students are encouraged to participate in the more than 30 student organizations at the Law Center. Student organizations coordinate guest speakers, lectures, and networking opportunities.

Career Services

The Career Development Office has, on staff, a counselor for LLM students who will assist students in developing networking and job-search strategies. LLM students are invited to participate in the office’s programs and activities scheduled throughout the year.

Application

In addition to the application, all applicants are required to submit a résumé, personal statement of at least 300 words, academic documents for their first law degree, and two recommendation letters. All graduate applicants, regardless of citizenship status, must demonstrate proficiency in English to obtain admission to the university. To fulfill this requirement, applicants must satisfy one of the following criteria: 1) A baccalaureate (or higher) degree earned from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or at an institution at which English is the medium of instruction. A list of approved countries for regionally accredited U.S. institutions or where English is the medium of instruction can be found here.  2) TOEFL/IELTS/DUOLINGO, 3) Completion of Level 6 of the University of Houston’s Language and Culture Center. US Permanent Residents should provide a photocopy of their Permanent Resident card; students already in the United States on an F-1 or other visa should submit a photocopy of that visa; and applicants requiring an I-20 should submit a photocopy of the biographic page of their passport.

Applicants are encouraged to begin the application process as early as possible to ensure that the application deadline is met. The application, personal statement, and résumé can be submitted before all documents, such as transcripts or reference letters, are available.