University of California, Davis (UC Davis) School of Law

The UC Davis School of Law offers the following outstanding academic-year study options:

(1) Customizable General LL.M.: Working with the program director, you will tailor your curriculum either to gain a broad knowledge of the US legal system or to focus on any area of legal scholarship supported by King Hall's world-class curricula. The General LL.M. is designed to fit each student's needs, including preparation for a Bar exam.

(2) LL.M. with a Concentration: If you wish to become a master of one specific area of law, the School of Law offers our LL.M. students six different concentrations. We offer concentrations in Business Law, Intellectual Property Law, Environmental Law, Criminal Law and Policy, Immigration Law and Tax Law. Graduates with a concentration will earn a Masters of Laws degree as well as a concentration certificate in the selected concentration. 

(2) Customized LL.M.: The customized degree option allows students to focus on specific areas that serve the academic needs not covered by a concentration. You may choose a pre-planned specialized area of study such as private or public international law, public interest law, human rights and social justice law, etc. or work with our Program Director to form a customized curriculum.   

(3) Option to Apply for J.D. Transfer: UC Davis School of Law academic-year LL.M. students may apply for transfer to the JD program. Many of our LL.M. alumni have successfully transferred and completed the Juris Doctor program in the past.

(4) Spring Start LL.M. Option: Please contact LL.M. Admissions Office at llm@ucdavis.edu to inquire about whether our spring start LL.M. option is right for you.

(5) Two-Year Advanced LL.M. and Two-Year Extended LL.M. Options. Please contact LL.M. Admissions Office at llm@ucdavis.edu to inquire about whether our two-year LL.M. option is right for you.

Orientation in USA Law
English for Legal Professionals

UC Davis boasts beautiful, park-like green spaces and a peaceful pond located just steps from the School of Law.

The University of California, Davis is located in the heart of Northern California. Davis is a safe, comfortable university town of 67,000 people less than two hours from San Francisco and the Napa Valley, and close to the state capital. Our law school is among the best in the United States, consistently ranked in the top tier.

Phone: (530) 752-6081
E-mail: llm@ucdavis.edu

The School of Law at the University of California, Davis, is one of the world's leading law schools. We are proud of our history of outstanding scholarship, teaching, and real-world impact. Founded over 50 years ago and named after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., King Hall at UC Davis School of Law welcomes students from around the world into its diverse, intellectually rigorous, and distinctly supportive community. Faculty, fellow students, and our alumni form a lifelong professional and personal global network. Join us!

The UC Davis School of Law LL.M. offers a superior educational experience for foreign lawyers, judges, prosecutors, and other legal professionals. Classes are taught by outstanding faculty scholars, and students are integrated into JD classes. The program is designed around individual student needs. Thus, LL.M. students can pursue a general course of study or a specialization from an area within the UC Davis School of Law curriculum. The UC Davis School of Law also provides excellent preparation to participants who choose to take a Bar examination.

Academic and Career Support

Our LL.M. students enjoy individualized academic guidance and advice throughout the year. From a three-day orientation before classes start, to weekly meetings and workshops, our academic and career support staff help students achieve their unique educational and professional goals.

The Office of Career Services provides considerable assistance to LL.M. students, including comprehensive workshops and presentations on various aspects of the job-search process (interview coaching and mock interviews), and individual meetings with the LL.M. Career Counselor to review individual goals and strategies. LL.M. students enrolled full time will also receive access to a personal CMS account (Symplicity), to aid in the job-search process. Students may take advantage of job postings, online job-search resources, and more.

Library

The Mabie Law Library is the heart of study and legal research for the King Hall community, and students access print and online resources including books, journals, databases, and others. Mabie Library's helpful staff includes several attorneys, and students have unlimited access.

Classrooms

The Law School building, King Hall, is a cutting-edge facility recently renovated to provide 24-hour student access to a beautiful, functionally advanced learning space that gives students the full benefit of the latest technologies. King Hall features an appellate courtroom, a moot court room, a large computer lab, study carrels and study lounges, a student social lounge, and many other amenities.

Our outstanding faculty members are recognized worldwide as experts in their fields, and they are among the most published, quoted and cited law professors in the U.S. Their magnitude of experience and expertise has created a supportive and fertile learning environment in which students personalize their courses of study and achieve their academic and professional goals.

Meet some of our accomplished alumni (as well as faculty and students!) in profile videos at https://law.ucdavis.edu/international/about/videos-testimonials.html.

Requirements for the academic year (one- or two-year) LL.M. program:

There is a minimum TOEFL score of 570 (or 88 for the iBT exam; an IELTS score of 6.5 is also acceptable); this is required by the Law School for foreign language applicants to the LL.M. Program. International applicants must present satisfactory evidence of the completion of legal academic training at an accredited educational institution. American applicants must have completed at least seven years of residential study at accredited colleges and law schools and must hold a professional degree from a law school approved by the American Bar Association.

To apply for the one-year LL.M. program, start here: https://law.ucdavis.edu/llm/

We encourage students to apply today! We accept and review applications continuously until mid-August when the academic school year begins. Every student receives personalized attention and support throughout the application process and the program completion and beyond.

To register for one of the open enrollment courses, start here:
https://law.ucdavis.edu/international/about/brochures-applications.html

For the 2022-2023 academic year, tuition and fees are $59,898 (fees subject to change this year). All students must have valid health insurance and are automatically enrolled in the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) at an additional annual cost of $6,186. The healthcare coverage may be waived with proof of comparable healthcare coverage.

UC Davis School of Law offers a limited number of fellowships to highly qualified LL.M. students. All applicants are considered for funding; there is no separate application process. Students will be notified about any fellowship support as part of their acceptance.

King Hall's idyllic surroundings and close proximity to San Francisco and the California state capital, Sacramento, create abundant opportunities for a well-rounded educational experience. The campus offers a full range of excellent graduate and professional programs. Within easy reach of major recreational areas such as Napa, Yosemite, and Lake Tahoe, the campus occupies 3,600 acres within the bike-friendly and charming college town of Davis. Recreational facilities include two outdoor swimming pools, an athletic training center, basketball courts, and outdoor playing fields, among others.

Affordable on-campus apartments are available to enrolled students and their families. Although on-campus housing is a popular option among students, many students enrolled at UC Davis live outside of university housing. The International Programs staff will assist you in finding the best fit.

Student Services and Organizations

The Law Students Association serves the student body at King Hall by improving student life through new initiatives and planning annual school-wide events. The Law Students Association also serves as a liaison to the administration, alumni, and the community at large. More than 50 additional active student organizations make the Law School a wonderfully lively place in which to study.

One student helps another student as they discuss a group assignment during the summer program.

Our summer programs are available to anyone from the legal profession interested in continuing his or her legal education. For over 30 years, we have offered attorneys, judges, pre-LL.M. students, and legal professionals from around the world the opportunity to study in our summer programs at the School of Law, University of California, Davis. Currently we offer: 

• The English for Legal Professionals program (June 24-July 5, 2024) is an ideal training ground for learning legal terminology in English. 

• Orientation in U.S.A Law (July 8-July 26, 2024) provides an excellent three-week overview of the U.S. legal system. 

Please see the below for more information about our Summer Programs.

At UC Davis School of Law, we support LL.M. students through our pre-LL.M. programs. These programs will help you transition to life in the United States, improve your English, and give you an overview of the U.S. legal system as you prepare for an amazing year of LL.M. study.

ORIENTATION IN U.S.A. Law – Four weeks, in July and early August each summer

Join other pre-LL.M. students as well as legal professionals in this in-depth overview of the U.S. legal system. Taught by UC Davis law faculty and expert legal practitioners, this four-week program provides the conceptual foundation of U.S.A. law, and includes topics such as constitutional law, contracts, torts, criminal and civil procedure, business associations and many more. You will have the option to complete specialized workshops to prepare for your LL.M. studies. You will learn the essential analytical skills you need in order to succeed in an LL.M. program. For example, students learn how to analytically read and brief U.S. Supreme Court cases, write essay exams and undertake legal research. Enjoy field trips and events that facilitate networking with other participants.

ENGLISH FOR LEGAL PROFESSIONALS – Two weeks, in late June and early July each summer

This course is designed to provide you with the legal terminology, language and writing skills you need to succeed in an LL.M. program. Throughout the course, you will be able to perfect grammar and structure in your writing, appropriately use legal terms, express and present legal opinions clearly, and understand and produce texts such as legal briefs and memoranda as well as other documents necessary for a successful year of LL.M. study.