Boston College Law School (BC Law)

Professor Hillinger teaching class

Our students are immersed in the JD student community, take their classes alongside JD students, and work with international scholars and experts to better understand the latest international business practices, rules of law, and global developments. In 2016-2017, we enrolled 15 students from 9 different countries including China, Chile, Colombia, Ethiopia, France, Israel, Korea, Mongolia, and Uganda.

Our LLM program features flexibility, breadth, and depth: students can choose from an array of courses—both introductory and advanced—to build their knowledge, skills and network. They can also specialize their studies by pursuing a concentration in one of five areas:

• Business and commercial law

• Environmental law

• Human rights

• Intellectual property

• Taxation

We also have significant strengths in international law, constitutional law, gender and family law, and legal history. LLM students can cross-register for courses in Boston College’s other graduate schools and university departments as well.

Because our program immerses students in the US legal system while preparing them to thrive in an increasingly global legal community, our graduates pursue diverse career opportunities: Private practice, government service, the judiciary, international organizations, non-governmental organizations, and legal scholarship are just some of the areas in which they work. More: see our LLM website.

The Boston College Chestnut Hill campus

Founded as a small liberal arts college in 1863, Boston College has grown in size and stature to become one of the world's leading Jesuit universities. Our student body of 14,500 draws from 100 countries worldwide, and includes some 5,000 students in nationally ranked graduate schools of arts and sciences, education, management, nursing, social work and law. As part of our continuing commitment to academic excellence, we are in the process of adding faculty positions, expanding faculty and graduate research, increasing student financial aid, and widening opportunities in key undergraduate programs.

Even as we have grown in size and prestige, Boston College has remained committed to the goal of Jesuit education: the development of students' minds and hearts through rigorous intellectual challenge, set in a context of spiritual and ethical values. The University seeks to educate men and women of many cultures and religions to serve others, and to seek leadership roles in seeking a more just society. The Jesuit character brings to Boston College a sense of hope, a respect for the integrity and value of every person, and a deep commitment to justice -- qualities that touch every corner of the University.

The Boston College Newton campus

Boston College Law School combines one of the best legal faculties in the country with a cutting-edge, academically challenging curriculum focused on the building blocks of a successful legal career—legal doctrine along with research, writing, and analysis—as well as a diverse set of over 200 elective courses and a wide range of options for immersive practical experience. The School educates distinguished lawyers and industry leaders—all located on a peaceful campus setting, just minutes away from one of the nation’s most historic and dynamic cities.

BC Law faculty foster collaborative relationships and encourage teamwork and support, both academically and personally. The curriculum is designed to help students develop the framework needed to become leaders who can adapt successfully to changes in society and the legal profession. The school’s nationally recognized research and writing and clinical programs, as well as its unique externships and advocacy programs housed within the Center for Experiential Learning, help prepare new lawyers for the real-world practice of law.

BC Law’s attention to mentoring relationships goes far beyond the classroom walls. The school’s 13,000 alumni make up a deep and supportive network that will serve as the foundation of a graduate’s professional life for decades to come. BC Law graduates often refer to their time in law school as some of the best years of their lives, and their fondness for the school shows in their enthusiasm and support. That support, as well as one of the best career services operations in the country, helps new graduates land their dream jobs anywhere in the world.

Professor Lyons in class

BC Law faculty are highly regarded published scholars and leaders in the profession, recognized nationally and internationally for their expertise. But first and foremost, they are leaders and mentors in the classroom. Their dedication is illustrated by the time spent with students long after office hours have ended. The faculty believes in the importance of a legal education designed to enable graduates to adapt to the changing demands of law practice, supported by a strong skills-based approach that gives students real-world experience in the practice of law. More: see academics & faculty

Beginning in September, we accept applications on a rolling basis. We encourage you to apply early in the process.

We seek applicants from a diverse range of academic fields of interest and experience in the law. We’re most interested in applicants from other countries and from experienced US lawyers who may uniquely benefit from advanced work at BC Law.

ELIGIBILITY

To apply, you must have either:

• Graduated from an American Bar Association-approved US law school

• Obtained a full degree in law from a non-US university

• Been admitted to practice law in a country other than the US

ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS

BC Law coursework and academic activities require written and spoken fluency in English, so you must be able to express yourself in spoken and written English and must read the language with ease.

You must submit evidence of your English language ability unless English is your native language or English was the language of instruction for your entire legal education.

We accept the following tests as evidence of your English ability:

• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)—we require a minimum score of 100

• International English Language Testing System (IELTS)—we require a minimum Overall Band Score of 7.0

To apply for the 2017–18 academic year, complete your online application through the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) starting September 15, or download, print, and send us the application form.

Online: We prefer that you apply through LSAC and use the LSAC LLM Credential Assembly Service. LSAC forwards the relevant documents to us.

Mail: If you apply using the paper version of the application, submit original paper recommendations and transcripts directly to us and ask the appropriate testing service to send your TOEFL or IELTS score report (if required) directly to us.

If you apply electronically, you must pay the $75 application fee by credit card. If you apply via mail, you can pay the application fee with check, traveler’s checks, or postal money order. If none of these forms of payment is available to you, contact the Office of Graduate Legal Education.

YOUR COMPLETED APPLICATION MUST INCLUDE:

• Application form
• Resume or CV
• Statement of Purpose
• Three signed letters of recommendation
• Official transcripts with a certified English translation from all of your colleges, universities, and graduate and professional schools
• Official TOEFL or IELTS score report
• $75 application fee

The estimated total cost of living for the 2016–2017 academic year is $70,160. This figure includes tuition and fees ($52,100) and estimated living expenses ($18,060). It doesn’t include the expenses of travel between your home country and Boston. 

FINANCIAL AID

We offer a limited number of scholarships to LLM students. You may submit your completed financial aid application with your admission application or after you receive an offer of admission.

If you need financial assistance, explore funding sources—employers, government agencies, and foundations, for example—in your home country well in advance. Your home country’s U.S. embassy or consulate may have additional information on Fulbright Scholarships and other fellowship opportunities.

Other opportunities for scholarship funding include:

• American Association of University Women
• American-Scandinavian Foundation
• DAAD Scholarships for German citizens
• Fulbright Scholarships
• Golden Key International Honour Society
• International Federation of University Women
• Kosciuszko Foundation Scholarships for Polish citizens
• Mackenzie King Scholarships for Canadians
• Margaret McNamara Memorial Fund
• Organization of American States
• P.E.O. International Peace Scholarships for Women
• Rotary Ambassadorial Grants
• World Bank Scholarships Program

You may also be able to acquire loan funding through private loans. However, if you are not a US citizen or permanent resident, lenders generally require a US citizen or permanent resident to guarantee the loan.

Founded in 1929, BC Law is located on an attractive 40-acre campus in Newton, Massachusetts, just minutes from downtown Boston, a thriving hub full of legal, corporate, and academic opportunities for current students and graduates. Boston is one of the country’s leading centers for major law firms and corporations—including many high-tech and biotech companies—as well as government agencies and nonprofits. The school’s clinical programs take full advantage of these opportunities to immerse students in the kinds of experiences that help them learn what it means to practice law.

The BC Law campus is designed to foster the growth of community and to provide a learning environment that allows for both formal and informal interaction among faculty, students, and staff. The law library encourages individual or group study, with its desk and lounge areas, computer centers, audiovisual resource rooms, and private study rooms. With its soaring atrium entry and light-filled spaces, the East Wing includes classrooms and faculty offices, administrative offices for a career services center and a career resources library, two conference rooms, and the John J. and Mary Daly Curtin Center for Public Interest Law (a suite of offices for student groups working on public service projects). The East Wing’s brick exterior complements the law library and the Stuart House administration building, as well as the Barat House building, home of the Rappaport Center for Law and Public Policy. The three buildings form an attractive courtyard for outdoor use by the law school community. The school’s Center for Experiential Learning is housed in the Smith Wing and provides a central location for students, faculty, and clients working together on clinical and externship programs. All academic, administrative, library, and service facilities are accessible to persons with physical disabilities. View an online virtual tour.

LLM student life starts with the LLM student community. That community is small, but vibrant, allowing for close personal interaction both with your classmates and faculty, as well as the JD student population. We work hard to help our LLM students engage each other, organizing social events, symposia, court visits, and more.

We put a premium on integrating LLMs into the Law School community in general. From the outset, each LLM student is paired with one or two JD student "buddies" who can introduce the LLM student to new friends, show him or her around, and provide informal advice on things like housing, restaurants, movie theaters, and the Boston area. In addition, we introduce each LLM student to faculty working in the student's areas of interest early during their time here, in order to promote informal mentoring relationships.

There is also a vibrant community of students, faculty, and visitors interested in international matters in particular. This includes several internationally oriented student organizations within the Law School, and the Graduate International Student Association affiliated with the University's Office of International Students and Scholars.

LLM students' lives are enriched by the life of the University as a whole. Opportunities include the plays and concerts performed in the Robsham Theatre on the main campus; Saturday afternoon football games before a roaring home crowd in Alumni Stadium; exhibitions of world-renowned paintings and sculptures in the McMullen Museum of Art; and the dozens of other cultural, educational, and sporting events that take place in every part of the campus each week. A variety of the University's clubs and groups welcome graduate students, and the RecPlex has facilities for indoor tennis, squash, racquetball, volleyball, basketball, swimming, indoor track, weight training, and aerobics.

Particularly relevant to our prospective LLM students is our Summer Institute: Foundations of US Law and Practice, a three-week program for up to 30 participants from outside the US. The program offers interactive sessions led by BC law faculty on areas of their expertise in US law; daily intensive small-group (approximately 10 participants) sessions with BC Law faculty on legal reasoning and communication, including oral and written projects; and opportunity to participate in simulations including trial practice and negotiation workshops. The Summer Institute also includes visits to courts and law offices and informal discussions with judges and practicing lawyers.

An excellent introduction to future LLM study, Summer Institute participants have included law professors, law school administrators, and graduate and undergraduate law students, including law students preparing to enter our LLM program in the US.

More: Summer Institute website