LL.M. Application Deadlines for Fall 2020 - US Law Schools

Looking to start an LL.M. in the US in the fall of 2020? Then make sure you know when the application deadlines are.

Are you looking to start an LL.M. in the US in the fall of 2020? Then make sure you get your application in by the proper deadline. To help, LLM GUIDE has compiled the below list of application deadlines for LL.M. programs starting in the fall of 2020 offered by law schools in the United States. The schools were chosen based on the most-visited university programs on LLM GUIDE and other top programs. 

Some law schools have different deadlines for domestic and international students, so make sure you apply by the correct deadline. 

Applications at some schools are already open, and some open their applications cycles in September. But you better not wait too long, because the deadlines for some American LL.M. programs is as early as November or December 2019. 

Some law schools have not announced their LL.M. application deadlines yet; we'll update this list as more add their deadlines. 

Unless otherwise stated, the deadlines below are for full-time LL.M. programs that run from the fall of 2020. 

UC Berkeley School of Law

  • Application deadline, LL.M hybrid option: November 15, 2019
  • Application deadline, LL.M. traditional and/or professional track: December 18, 2019

Harvard Law School

  • The final deadline for the 2020 LL.M. program is December 1, 2019

USC Law School

  • LL.M. application deadline not yet announced

Georgetown University Law Center

  • LL.M. application deadlines not yet announced

Columbia Law School

  • Fall 2020 LL.M. application deadline (early review): November 1, 2019
  • Regular review: December 18, 2019

UCLA School of Law

  • LL.M. deadline: February 1, 2020

Stanford Law School

  • Application deadline, LL.M.: December 1, 2019

Boston University School of Law

  • Fall 2020 LL.M. application deadlines not yet available 

UPenn (Penn Law)

  • Fall 2020 LL.M. application deadlines: November 15, 2019 (early notification) or December 16, 2019 (regular notification)

New York University (NYU) School of Law

  • 2020-2021 LL.M. application deadlines not yet announced.

George Washington (GW Law)

  • Deadline, 2020 LL.M.: March 15, 2020 (although applications will continue to be accepted on a space-available basis until June 1, 2020)

Northwestern University School of Law

  • Fall 2020 LL.M. application deadlines: January 15, 2020

UC Irvine

  • Application deadline, fall 2020 LL.M. intake: not yet available

University of Miami School of Law

  • Applications are accepted on a rolling basis with a priority deadline of March 1.

Duke Law School

  • LL.M. application deadline: January 20, 2020 (although candidates are encouraged to apply as early as possible)

UC Davis School of Law

  • Application deadline, LL.M.: the recommended deadline is March 1, 2020, but applications are reviewed continuously until the school year begins.

Cornell Law School

  • Fall 2020 LL.M. application deadline: December 15, 2019
  • Cornell Tech LL.M. application deadlines: Round 1: October 25, 2019; Round 2: December 4, 2019; Round 3: January 17, 2020; Round 4: March 6, 2020: applications accepted on a rolling basis until April 30, 2020

Michigan Law

  • LL.M. application deadline: applications are accepted from September 1, 2019 onwards. All applications which are complete at Michigan Law by the deadline of January 31 have equal chances for admission.  Applications complete after January 31 will be considered on a rolling basis.

Fordham University School of Law

  • LL.M. application deadline: March 1, 2020 (applications open on September 15, 2019)

University of Chicago Law School

  • Fall 2020 LL.M. applications priority deadline: December 15, 2019 (documents such as application, personal statement, and resume must be submitted by this date). Priority application completion deadline is February 1, 2020

University of Hawaii at Manoa - William S. Richardson School of Law

  • Applications for the 2020 LL.M. fall intake are considered on a rolling basis, from October 1, 2019 to June 1, 2020

University of Virginia School of Law

  • LL.M. application deadline: February 1, 2020

Yale Law School

  • Application deadline, LL.M.: December 1, 2019

Cardozo School of Law

  • Fall 2020 LL.M. application deadlines not yet announced

University of Maryland Law School

  • LL.M. application deadline, fall 2020: applicants are encouraged to submit their information no later than August 1, 2020.

Vanderbilt University Law School

  • LL.M. application deadline: April 30, 2020

UC Hastings

  • Priority deadline, scholarships and financial aid consideration: application deadline not yet available

Florida International University (FIU)

  • Fall 2020 LL.M. application deadlines not yet available

Brooklyn Law School

  • Application deadlines for fall 2020 intake not yet available

Penn State Law (University Park)

  • Fall 2020 LL.M. application deadlines not yet available

Ohio State University - Moritz College of Law

  • Fall 2020 deadline: April 15, 2020

University of Arizona - Rogers College of Law

  • Fall 2020 LL.M. application deadlines: May 15, 2020 (if you require a visa); July 1, 2020 (if you do not require a visa)

Albany Law School

  • 2020 LL.M. application deadline: not yet available

Northeastern University

  • LL.M. application deadlines not yet available

Tulane Law School

  • Application deadline, LL.M.: May 1, 2020

University of Houston Law Center

  • Fall intake deadlines: not yet available

Loyola Law School Los Angeles

  • LL.M. application deadline not yet available

George Mason University

  • Deadline for international students who need to apply for a student visa: May 1, 2020
  • Deadline for students who do not need a visa: August 1, 2020

University of Texas School of Law (UT)

  • LL.M. application deadline: March 1, 2020 (for priority consideration)

Tufts University - Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy

  • Deadlines: November 10, 2019 (early notification); January 10, 2020 (regular); February 20, 2020 (round 3 deadline)

University of San Francisco - School of Law (USF)

  • Fall 2020 LL.M. application deadlines not yet available

University of Minnesota Law School

  • Fall 2020 LL.M. application deadline: not yet available

Pepperdine University School of Law

  • Applications accepted on a rolling basis for most LL.M. programs

Emory University School of Law

  • LL.M. application deadline, fall 2020: June 30, 2020

University of Florida (UF)

  • LL.M. application deadline, fall 2020: not yet available

Pace Law School

  • No official deadline for LL.M. program; candidates are urged to apply as early as possible

Chapman University - Fowler School of Law

  • Rolling applications: June 30, 2020 is the priority deadline

Golden Gate University

  • Fall application deadline: not yet available

Boston College Law School

  • Rolling applications

University of Oregon School of Law

  • Rolling admissions: Applicants are encouraged to apply by April 9, 2020

University of Connecticut School of Law (UConn Law) 

  • Fall 2020 LL.M. deadline for non-US residents: June 15, 2020
  • Deadline for US residents; July 15, 2020

University of Notre Dame Law School (NDLS)

  • Application deadline not yet available

Saint Louis University (SLU) School of Law 

  • LL.M. applications are accepted until March each year, but the school recommends students apply by mid-December 

Indiana University - Robert H. McKinney School of Law

  • Rolling admissions accepted

Louisiana State University (LSU) - Paul M. Hebert Law Center

  • Fall 2020 applications: March 1, 2020 (priority deadline); April 30, 2020 (final deadline)

Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law

  • Applications for LL.M. beginning Fall 2020: May 1, 2020 (international applicants); July 22 (domestic applicants)

University of Pittsburgh School of Law 

  • No fixed deadline, but it is recommended to apply by March 31, 2020

Wake Forest University (WFU) School of Law

  • Admissions accepted on a rolling basis for LL.M. beginning Fall 2020

Syracuse University College of Law

  • LL.M. beginning Fall 2020: the school recommends LL.M. candidates submit application materials by the June 1, 2020 for priority consideration

University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) - William S. Boyd School of Law

  • Applications accepted on a rolling basis (priority deadline is March 15, 2020)

IMPORTANT: All prospective students are advised to double-check the above application deadlines with law schools as soon as possible before applying.


Image: Tim Rodenberg / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)

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