Widener University Delaware Law School

Delaware Law's nationally recognized graduate programs offer specialized study for accomplished professionals who want to enhance their careers. Because our programs attract students from all over the world, classroom discussions are informed by a diversity of experience and perspectives.  In addition to our LLM programs offered on our Wilmington, Delaware campus, Delaware Law School also offers several online LLM programs.

To earn a Master of Laws (LL.M.) students must complete 24 semester hours of coursework at the graduate level, including at least 20 hours in the areas of corporate law, international law, or finance. At least 18 of your 24 semester hours must be completed in residence at Delaware Law, although you may complete this residence requirement as either a full-time or part-time student.

To qualify for the Master of Laws degree, you must complete all qualifications within four years of your date of matriculation.

Master of Laws in Corporate Law and Finance (LLM) (on campus only)
Hundreds of thousands of companies have incorporated in Delaware and are governed by its corporate law. The Master of Laws in Corporate Law and Finance program allows attorneys to gain the advanced knowledge and analytical skills needed in the business world while studying in the heart of America's unofficial 'corporate law capital.'

Master of Laws Program (LLM) in various concentrations
Delaware Law's LL.M. programs are designed to allow students the option of selecting from multiple concentrations to meet their professional needs. The program is open to graduates of United States Juris Doctor programs and International Students who have completed a first degree in law from a non-U.S. law school that fulfills the academic requirements for the practice of law in that country.

This degree is ideal for attorneys seeking in-depth training in an area of law in which they currently practice and for those planning to develop a new area of expertise. To earn a Master of Laws, students must complete 24 semester hours of coursework (all coursework must be completed within 4 years of matriculation).

Students can build their LL.M. Program from one of the following concentrations:
- American Legal Studies (on campus only; for foreign-trained lawyers only)

- Corporate Law Regulatory Analysis & Compliance (online only)

- Health Law Regulatory Analysis & Compliance (online only)

Learn more at delawarelaw.widener.edu/llm

About Widener

Welcome to Widener University

President Julie E. Wollman

We hope you take the time to explore everything this great university has to offer from our supportive faculty to in-depth research opportunities as well as leadership training that will prepare you for careers.

At Widener University, we believe academic excellence, career preparation, and civic engagement are the foundations for success.

Widener meets students where they are in their education journeys, with associate, baccalaureate, master, and doctoral degrees.

Our close-knit community of top-notch teachers, nationally renowned researchers, and students from 48 states and 37 countries are passionate about learning, leadership, and making a difference.

Since 1975, when our first law class graduated, Delaware Law has been a trusted resource in the region. We have educated nearly 12,000 alumni, many of whom have risen to positions of leadership on the bench and in the bar. They include current and past presidents of the Delaware, New Jersey, and Philadelphia bar associations; and more than 150 sitting judges, including one sitting Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court.

Dean Rod Smolla came to Delaware Law School after serving as a visiting professor of law at the University of Georgia School of Law. He has previously served as the dean of University of Richmond School of Law and Washington and Lee University School of Law, and as president of Furman University in Greenville, S.C.

A native of the Chicago area, Smolla graduated first in his class from Duke University School of Law and earned his undergraduate degree from Yale University. He has authored and edited many books for general audiences, legal treatises, law school casebooks, law review articles, and pieces for newspapers and magazines. The FX television network turned his book Deliberate Intent: A Lawyer Tells the True Story of Murder by the Book into a movie with Timothy Hutton in the role of Smolla.

His book Free Speech in an Open Society won the William O. Douglas Prize, which recognizes distinguished contributions to freedom of speech.

An active litigator, Dean Smolla has presented oral arguments in state and federal courts throughout the nation, including the U.S. Supreme Court. His many service activities include eight years as a Director of the Media General Corporation, service on the Executive Committee of the Board of the American Arbitration Association, and an appointment as a Commissioner on the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education. He has taught a wide variety of courses in the law school curriculum, and has been the recipient of many teaching awards.

Widener University's Delaware Law School offers legal education at its best. It’s personal, practical, and centered on professional experience. Delaware Law, located in the heart of America's corporate capital, is the perfect location to focus on and pursue an LLM in corporate and financial law. The Widener Institute of Delaware Corporate and Business Law strives to serve as a forum for interaction between business law scholarship and business law practice. The law governing both corporations and other business entities profits from active engagement among lawyers, judges, legislators, and scholars who practice, study, and define it. Involving today’s students in this process promotes the development of tomorrow’s business law practitioners. The governing credo of the Institute is “corporate and business law scholarship in service of practice.” Since 1975, The Delaware Journal of Corporate Law (Del. J. Corp. L.), published by the Institute, has been providing the nation and the world’s legal community with well-researched, analytical articles on issues of timely import. It is ranked in the top 10 in the nation by Washington and Lee University when compared to all specialized law reviews, and it is ranked first in the United States in corporate law and business.

No matter what you choose to study, you’ll be taught by a faculty of nationally respected legal scholars whose passion for the law is matched only by their passion for teaching.

Delaware Law is about more than making the grade, it’s about making a difference. Our welcoming campuses promote intellectual, social, and cultural diversity and offer a wide range of experiences. We instill in our students a respect for the law as an instrument of positive change, as well as a means to build a rewarding career. We encourage them to take advantage of our many clinical and externship experiences that involve pro bono legal assistance to low-income clients or legal work in a government branch or agency. Widener University Delaware Law School is fully accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) and the Association of American Law Schools (AALS).

A great law school is led by great faculty. Delaware Law'’s faculty includes former prosecutors, public defenders, and attorneys from all types of practice, large and small law firms, major corporations, government agencies, and public interest organizations. Some of our distinguished faculty have included Delaware Supreme Court Justice, Chancellors from the Delaware Court of Chancery, and prior to being elected as Vice President of the United States, the Honorable Joseph Biden.

Outside of the classroom, Delaware Law faculty members advise state and federal court systems, state legislatures, the U.S. Congress, and international organizations. Many of them are internationally known for their research and writing in corporate, business, tax, health, international, labor, constitutional, administrative, and environmental law. But no matter how far-reaching their research or in-demand their counsel may be, Widener faculty members’ first priority is their students. They pride themselves on bringing to the classroom the same energy and enthusiasm they bring to the courtroom.

In addition to conducting energizing classroom discussions, our faculty is known for scholarship, and their work is frequently cited nationally and internationally. These influential contributions are often collaborative, involving jurists, practitioners, and our students and alumni. They tackle interesting issues with innovative approaches, understanding that the law is an ever-evolving body of work that must meet the challenges of each new generation.

Applicants must be graduates of a United States juris doctor program or have completed a degree in law from an academically qualified non-U.S. law school.

For applicants whose first language is not English, current TOEFL or IELTS scores showing sufficient proficiency in the English language is required. Delaware Law requires a minimum score of 83 on the Internet-based (iBT) TOEFL, or a minimum score of 6.5 on the IELTS to be competitive for admission to the program. Applicants must have taken the TOEFL or IELTS within two years of submitting their application.

Choose from two options:

Option 1: Apply through Law School Admissions Council (LSAC) LLM Credential Assembly Service

Option 2: Apply directly to Widener Law Delaware by downloading the Application Form (pdf) and submitting it, along with the required application materials listed below, via email to DelawareLawGICLS@widener.edu, fax to 302-477-2067, or standard mail to:

Delaware Law School
Graduate, International, Compliance, and Legal Studies Office
4601 Concord Pike
Wilmington, DE 19803-0474

Items 1 through 6 are required from all LLM applicants:

Application & Application Fee

1. A completed application and $60.00 non-refundable application fee, payable to Delaware Law School.
2. Official Transcripts
   Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended.
3. Resume
   The applicant must submit a resume. There is no page limit.
4. Personal Statement
   The applicant is required to submit a 2-page word statement of educational and professional goals, double-spaced, that will serve as both a statement of purpose and a writing sample. The thoughts and words of the statement must be uniquely those of the applicant. With the exception of basic proofreading, no other(s) may assist in the creation of this statement.
5. Letters of Recommendation
   The applicant must submit two letters of recommendation addressing the applicant’s academic and professional potential. Letters of recommendation must identify you as an LLM applicant.
6. English Proficiency
   LL.M:For applicants whose first language is not English, current TOEFL or IELTS scores showing sufficient proficiency in the English language is required. Delaware Law requires a minimum score of 83 on the Internet-based (iBT) TOEFL, or a minimum score of 6.5 on the IELTS to be competitive for admission to the program. Applicants must have taken the TOEFL or IELTS within two years of submitting their application.

To Apply click here. Or visit delawarelaw.widener.edu/llm.

Please visit the Tuition and Fees page of our website at delawarelaw.widener.edu

Fulbright Scholarships are available to eligible applicants.

Our Delaware Campus is located in Wilmington, home to more than 70% of the Fortune 500 Companies, many of the nation’s largest corporations, as well as many leading corporate law firms. In addition, Institute of Delaware Corporate and Business Law, is housed here at the law school and takes advantage of Delaware's strategic location.  The Delaware Law School is located just ten minutes from downtown Wilmington and the exciting and scenic well-known Delaware Riverfront area, a 1.3 mile stretch along the Christina River, with shops, restaurants, sports complexes, historic attractions, and theaters.

Our 34-acre picturesque campus is home to a variety of housing options to suit your needs and lifestyle preferences. From single occupancy residence halls to one- and two-bedroom town-home apartments, Delaware Law is an ideal place to live and learn.

Download the 2017-2018 Campus Housing Reservation Form (.pdf)

When you choose to live on campus, you enjoy many amenities and conveniences, such as:

• Shopping and dining options within walking distance
• Easy access to parks, museums, and many other cultural and recreational activities
• Ample free parking
• Exercise room
• Tennis, volleyball, and basketball courts
• Nine-month lease based upon the academic calendar
• 24-hour security

Please note that our campus is tobacco-free and only service animals are permitted in residences.

If your goal in earning a law degree is to use the law as a tool to help clients assert their rights and redress grievances, there is no better place to learn than Delaware Law. Learning here begins in the classroom —where you will encounter an inclusive learning environment that values a diverse range of opinions and experience. Your skills will be honed in one of our student-run activities and organizations. Our law reviews and journals develop your legal research, writing, and editing talents, while our Moot Court and Trial Advocacy honor societies sharpen your skills at preparing and arguing cases. Of course, a good lawyer also needs good people skills, which you can perfect in Delaware Law's service organizations and social clubs.

Because studying the law is a full-time job, we try to minimize the distractions and maximize the convenience so you can get the most out of your legal education. The Delaware Campus provides dining and recreation options on or near campus. Widener also offers on-campus housing, and there is plenty of reasonable off-campus housing in Delaware.

As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, an understanding of the international legal climate is essential. Delaware Law has been a leader in the development of innovative and exciting opportunities for foreign legal study.

Delaware Law offers a unique opportunity for students who are unable to commit to a full year of study, yet interested in studying in the corporate capital of the United States.

The Summer Law Programs provide intensive courses in topics such as Corporate Law, International Money Laundering, Environmental Human Rights, Constitutional Law, Human Dignity Rights, American Legal Studies, and Anti-Corruption.

Widener University Delaware Law School's Summer Law Programs are for international attorneys and law students from around the world.

More information can be found at delawarelaw.widener.edu/summerprograms