Hey ppl,
I'm a law student from India and I would like to know about scholarships and available for foreign students who wish to pursue a LLM in IP from US universities. What kind of scholarship options are available and how & when to apply etc. If anyone can help me out with my queries I'd be grateful. If one could guide me as to the TOP universities for LLM in IP, that would be a bonus.

Cheers!

There are 2 top programs in IP that I consider to be at the top. One is the IP LLM at George Washington University in Washington, DC. That program is more patent-focused.

The other is a LLM in Trade Regulation, specializing in Intellectual Property, at NYU in New York City. I am actually beginning this program in the fall. This one is more of a general IP program, with opportunities to also take anti trust and international trade courses.

Aside from those programs, Cardozo law school in New York has a IP LLM. They are a very highly regarded school in regards to IP law, but not so highly regarded in terms of general reputation. Same thing with Franklin Pierce law school, I think they're in New Hampshire or somewhere in the Northeast. Good IP program but not a good school overall. The University of Santa Clara law school, in Santa Clara, CA has a IP LLM too. Same story though, decent IP program, not such a great school overall.

In my personal opinion, you should go to a school that has a reputation for a good IP program but also the most highly regarded law school in general that you can get into. Law firms and potential employers still look at the overall reputation of the good and put more weight on that, than the reputation of specific programs.

Any scholarships are given directly by the school you attend. Obviously, these are very sought after and it is highly competitive to get one. You apply for these scholarships when you apply for the LLM program with the school you are interested in. Specific information can be found on each school's website.

There are very few of these scholarships but if your background and credentials are outstanding enough you may have a chance at receiving one. Good luck!

thanks a ton! u've given me a good lead to do further research on the topic

thanks again. one question though, i hope u dont mind me asking, what are the eligibility req? TOEFL? LSAT? I'm a non-US law student.

Here is application information from NYU's website for foreign trained (non-U.S) applicants. Basically, you have to fill out the admissions application and submit your transcript from your law school. You must take the TOEFL if your first law studies were done in a language that was not English. You must also take it if your first law studies were taught in English but located in a country where the main language is not English. You do not need to take the LSAT for a LLM application, but you would need to take it if you apply to a JD program. More specific information is below -- I apologize it is so long!



Completing Your Application: Applicants with Foreign Education Credentials

Applicants with Foreign Education Credentials

Applicants for the LL.M. degree may apply to only one specialization.

Applicants for the J.S.D. program may elect to be considered for the LL.M. if they are not admitted to the J.S.D.

LL.M. Credential Assembly Service
NYU School of Law requires LL.M and J.S.D. applicants to the LL.M. or J.S.D. programs who are graduates of international universities or law schools to register with the Law School Admissions Councils (LSAC) LL.M. Credential Assembly Service. Applicants will need to obtain transcripts and other required credentials only one time in order to make them available to all of the law schools to which they are applying. LSAC will collect, authenticate and distribute transcripts and TOEFL scores (if required) to all of the U.S. or Canadian law schools to which candidates apply.

The registration fee for this service is $185 (U.S. dollars) and applicants will be able to use this credential-processing service to apply to participating law schools for five years. Please note that NYU School of Law is unable to provide a reduction of this fee.
For registration information, please see the enclosed booklet LL.M. Credential Service or visit www.LLM.LSAC.org.

International applicants will be assigned a student identification number by LSAC in lieu of a social security number.

Important Announcement for International LL.M. and J.S.D. Applicants

Transcripts
Please see the enclosed booklet LL.M. Credential Service or visit www.LLM.LSAC.org for details on how to send your transcripts directly to LSAC. Transcripts should not be sent to NYU School of Law.

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
Please see the enclosed booklet LL.M. Credential Service or visit www.LLM.LSAC.org for details on how to send your TOEFL score report to LSAC.

Applicants who are required to take the TOEFL (see below) must arrange to have the Educational Testing Service send their TOEFL score directly to LSAC. Applicants will not have to send the TOEFL score separately to law schools that participate in the LL.M. Credential Assembly Service. LSAC will include the TOEFL score as part of the law school report which will also include your transcripts.

For Information about the TOEFL and TWE, contact:
Test of English as a Foreign Language Educational Testing Service
P.O. Box 6151
Princeton, NJ 08541-6151
www.toefl.org

The institution code for LSAC is 8395.

Applicants whose first law degree program was not taught in English must take the TOEFL.

Applicants whose law degree program was taught in English but the school is located in a country where English is not the primary language, must take the TOEFL.

A total score of at least 600 with minimum scores of 60 in each of the three sections (listening comprehension, structure and written expression, vocabulary and reading comprehension) is required for consideration. Applicants who take the computer-based TOEFL must achieve a minimum total score of at least 250 and minimum scores of 25 on each of the subsections. There is no conditional admission status for applicants who do not achieve this minimum standard.

J.S.D. applicants must present TOEFL scores substantially higher than the minimum.
The Test of Written English (TWE) portion of the TOEFL is also recommended. Applicants are advised to take the TOEFL and TWE no later than December. We do NOT accept student copies of TOEFL and TWE score reports. Applicants must arrange to have an official score report sent directly from the Educational Testing Service to LSAC.

Applicants whose first law degree was not taught in English, but who are now enrolled in or have completed an advanced degree taught in English in a country where English is the primary language may request a waiver of the TOEFL by making a written request and submitting an official transcript of the advanced graded academic coursework. These items should be included when submitting an application.

Note: Applicants whose primary language is not English must have strong English language proficiency in order to participate productively and successfully in all aspects of the graduate program. Simply meeting the minimum standards on the TOEFL and TWE exams is not sufficient and will not ensure academic success. In addition to the TOEFL, interviews for English proficiency may be required; any such interviews would be conducted in the applicants home country.

Students who are admitted to the graduate program but whose English proficiency is not excellent and who are not completely confident in their ability to understand, speak and read complex texts in English are strongly urged to postpone arrival until they can improve in this area.

Recommendation

One academic letter of recommendation is required for the LL.M. program. You may submit only one additional academic or professional letter if you wish to do so.
Applicants to the part-time LL.M. in Taxation and the Advanced Certificate in Taxation may submit a letter of recommendation but are not required to do so.
Two academic letters of recommendation are required for the J.S.D. You may submit one additional academic or professional letter if you wish to do so.
Applicants for the LL.M. in Public Service Law are encouraged to submit two letters of recommendation, at least one of which should speak in detail about the applicants work experience.
The recommender should attach his or her letter to the recommendation form and return the form to you in the envelope provided. If your recommender prefers to send the letter directly to the Law School, he or she may do so.
If you are submitting more than one letter of recommendation, photocopy the recommendation form and use a regular envelope for the additional letter or letters.
Ask your recommender to sign across the seal of the envelope to ensure confidentiality.

Note: We are not able to confirm the receipt of individual recommendations not submitted with your application. However, if you want an acknowledgment that a recommendation letter not included with your application materials was received, please write the recommenders name on a stamped, self-addressed postcard and put it in the envelope you give to your recommender.

Personal Statement and Additional Materials
Please submit a brief statement of no more than 500 words. You may describe your professional interests and goals or, since the Committee on Admissions does not grant interviews, you may use the statement to describe aspects of yourself and/or your work that are not apparent from your other application materials. You should include your reasons and qualifications for applying for a particular program or specialization. You are welcome to submit a resume provided that it does not exceed one page.

Due to the large number of applications that we receive each year, the Committee on Admissions is not able to read and consider writing samples, articles or research papers submitted with applications.

Applicants for the LL.M. in General Studies must also complete the Proposed Course of Study form and provide a rationale for their course of study. Complete course descriptions are available on our Web site.

Applicants for the LL.M. in Labor and Employment Law should submit a two-page research proposal for the directed research component of the program.

Applicants to the LL.M. Program in Public Service Law should focus specifically on their experience in and commitment to the practice of law as a public service profession, and address their expected future professional commitment to such work. Applicants should also address how the LL.M. P.S.L. would contribute to their future legal career. A resume or c.v. should also be included with the application.

Applicants to the part-time LL.M. in Taxation and the Advanced Certificate in Taxation may submit a personal statement but are not required to do so.

Applying for Scholarships
Applicants who wish to be considered for the Hauser Global Scholars Program, the Global Public Service Scholarship, the Hugo Grotius Scholarship, or the Arthur T. Vanderbilt Scholarship should submit all application materials by December 1.
Applicants for these scholarships should also register with and send all required documents to the LSAC LL.M. Credential Assembly Service by December 1.

Rank in Class
If you attended a law school that releases information about class rankings, please include that information in your application. Where class rank is not available, please include your law schools printed description of its grading system and the guidelines or regulations that govern it.

hey there~
I am going to do an LLM in IP as well, either in London or California (I have not yet decided which). Here are a few suggestions for you...

Where to go:
Look at the courses offered to see if they gel with what you want to do. A patent based program (like GW) won't be the best for you if you want to focus on Copyright. Some people choose schools just for the prestige that comes with a name, but I think it far better to go where the classes suit your interest.

Where to get the money:
Scholarships are available from many sources, not just the school you attend. For example, the Federal Circuit Bar Ass'n gives out a $10,000 scholarship each year. Look at the Financial Aid section of a handful of schools' websites, as they often post information on all sorts of scholarships with different qualifications (race, nationality, domicile, area of practice, need, etc). The deadlines vary, and some have passed already for the 2005-2006 school year.

I hope I helped you out a bit. Good luck :)