Admissions Procedures and Requirements

All applicants to the LL.M. Program for Foreign Lawyers must meet two requirements:

1. Completion of a degree in law from a university outside the United States that qualifies the candidate for bar admission.

2. Oral and written proficiency in the English language. Applicants for whom English is not the first language must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and attain a minimum score of 243 (97 for the internet-based exam, 590 for the paper-based examination).

The LL.M. Admissions Committee will not act on an application until the applicant's file is complete. The deadline for completed applications is April 1, 2008.

An LL.M. applicant's file is complete when the School has received:

* A completed Saint Louis University School of Law LL.M. for Foreign Lawyers application
* A transcript from each post-secondary school attended by the applicant, translated into English and certified
* Two letters of recommendation from university instructors and/or employers
* TOEFL score of at least 243 (97 for the internet-based exam, 590 for the paper-based examination)
* A written personal statement.

Please note that the School of Law does not charge an application fee to prospective LL.M. students.

Academic transcripts and diplomas must be translated into English by the appropriate head of department of the candidate's university. All such translations must be on official university letterhead. They should also identify which academic courses mentioned in the transcripts were counted for the award of the Degree in law, including specifications as to whether the degree was a graduate or undergraduate degree. The candidate's application cannot be considered for admission to the LL.M program until these official materials are received.

The personal statement may contain information about any special factors, achievements, concerns or plans that the candidate would like to bring to the attention of the admissions committee. Whatever the content, the statement should reflect the candidate's own writing style. Candidates should pay attention to brevity and clarity of thought and expression. The personal statement should not address financial aid issues and should be limited to 500 words or less.

Letters of recommendation from college instructors who are familiar with the applicant's work are most helpful. Recommendations from employers, supervisors and associates are welcome for those candidates who have been away from the classroom for a period of time.

In addition to the applicant's post-secondary transcripts and recommendations, the committee will consider other factors such as: strength of the undergraduate program; any graduate degrees earned; work experience; motivation; and demonstrated leadership skills.

*Contact Information*

Individuals interested in information about application procedures can contact the Center for International and Comparative Law, LL.M. Program for Foreign Lawyers, Saint Louis University School of Law, 3700 Lindell Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63108 USA. Email: cicl@law.slu.edu