Admitted Students

At Berkeley Law, not only will you make lifelong friends, you’ll also dramatically expand your global network. Our LL.M. class represents 40-50 countries and regions in a typical year. Combined with our professional development services, you’ll graduate from Berkeley Law’s LL.M. program ready for the next step in a global legal world.

While Bar membership is not always necessary for short‐term employment opportunities in the United States, our students may find that a U.S. Bar credential improves their professional development prospects in their home countries while also preserving the opportunity to practice law in the United States at some point in the future. Students in the traditional track of the LL.M. program can meet the educational requirements for any state that permits foreign-educated attorneys to take the bar exam; students in the executive track of the LL.M. program can meet the education requirements for the California bar exam.

Many of our students take a bar exam in California or New York, and we offer workshops on navigating those states’ requirements as well as create detailed course-planning guides. But our students might be planning to work anywhere, so your LL.M. professional development advisors are also able to counsel you on planning your course of study to comply with other states’ bar exam requirements.

LL.M.s are eligible to participate in some internal advocacy competitions, external advocacy competitions, and writing competitions; and are able to apply to clinics, externships (through the field placement program) and pro bono projects. Many of these opportunities are quite competitive, but for many students the experience is worth it. 

Your first step will be to meet with one of your academic advisors, once the semester starts, to share your goals and learn more about the programs and application processes.

Berkeley Law is a member of both the consortium that sponsors the International Student Interview Program (ISIP), which typically occurs in New York City at the end of January, and the consortium that sponsors the UCLA LL.M. Interview Program, which typically occurs in Los Angeles at the end of February. Any Berkeley Law LL.M. student with a first degree in law from outside the United States is eligible to participate in both fairs. Your professional development advisors will walk you through the process of registering, qualifying, and preparing for these job fairs if you are interested!

While we encourage participation in the LL.M. job fairs, we have found that the best way for LL.M.s to navigate the job market is by individual focused networking. Accordingly, Berkeley Law does not host an on-campus job fair for LL.M. students; instead, your advisors will work closely with you on building your network and your job-searching skills.

An LL.M. degree can be a stepping stone on the way to an academic career, whether in the United States or abroad. Earning an LL.M. conveys eligibility for admission to J.S.D. (or S.J.D.) programs, which is required for professorship positions in some countries. While Berkeley Law’s J.S.D. program does not require applicants to have earned their LL.M. at Berkeley, our students are able to take advantage of opportunities on campus to network with other legal scholars and develop mentoring relationships with law professors.