St. John's University - School of Law - LL.M. in Bankruptcy Program

Welcome to St. John's University. St. John's is one of America's leading Catholic universities recognized for its superb academic programs, diverse student life, BIG EAST excitement and New York vitality.

Founded in 1870 by the Vincentian Community, St. John's is known for giving students the knowledge, skills and confidence to serve others while achieving personal and professional success. Graduates become leaders in their professions, their communities and the world.

The Queens campus features broad lawns, handsome stone buildings, and state-of-the-art athletic facilities. Combining urban excitement with suburban tranquility, the campus is located in a leafy, residential area of one of the five boroughs, or counties, that make up New York City. Though students at St. John's often travel into Manhattan on weekends, they also enjoy shopping and fine restaurants within blocks of the campus.

Celebrating over 80 years of excellence in legal education, St. John's School of Law has produced lawyers who have distinguished themselves in practice, government, and the judiciary. Among its graduates are former New York governors Mario M. Cuomo and Hugh L. Carey, current Court of Appeals Judges Carmen Beauchamp Ciparick and Theodore T. Jones, and the School's former Dean and former Court of Appeals Judge Joseph W. Bellacosa. The law school plays a prominent role in the New York City legal community, imbuing all that it does with the University's Vincentian tradition.

THE NATION'S PREMIER LL.M. IN BANKRUPTCY PROGRAM
St. John's has the most extensive bankruptcy program of any law school. In addition to the nation's first and only structured LL.M. program in bankruptcy law, we publish the American Bankruptcy Institute Law Review, the nation's top bankruptcy journal with a circulation of more than 6,000. We also sponsor, jointly with the American Bankruptcy Institute, the annual Duberstein Bankruptcy Moot Court Competition, which brings teams to New York from law schools throughout the country to argue major current issues in bankruptcy law and culminates in a banquet attended by approximately 1000 leading practitioners, academics, prominent judges, and students. Other bankruptcy activities include an active Bankruptcy Law Society, the Institute of Bankruptcy Policy and the ABI/St. John's Bankruptcy Mediation Training.

A RIGOROUS ACADEMIC PROGRAM
Our LL.M. in Bankruptcy Program is both practical and comprehensive. The 24 credit hour program offers almost two dozen specialized bankruptcy courses, ranging from basic required courses like Business Bankruptcy Reorganization and Bankruptcy Taxation to electives like International Bankruptcy and Bankruptcy Sales. While most students take only LL.M. courses, the full array of J.D. offerings and selected M.B.A. courses are available to tailor the program to the interests of any student.

J.D./LL.M. OPTION
The J.D./LL.M. option is available to St. John's law students and to students attending ABA-accredited law schools (subject to the consent of the home school's Dean) who have completed the equivalent of two years of law school. If accepted, the student may take up to 12 credit hours of LL.M. courses as a J.D. students, with those credits counting both toward the completion of the J.D. degree and toward the LL.M. degree.

For more information, please call us at 718-990-5343, email [email protected], or visit on the web at www.stjohns.edu/bankruptcy.

In addition to members of St. John's full time faculty, courses are taught by more than 20 adjunct faculty members who are leading judges, former judges, and successful bankruptcy lawyers.

Our adjunct professors bring a real world perspective to the classroom and allow us to offer small, highly specialized courses at the cutting edge of bankruptcy practice. While most of the adjunct faculty comes from the New York area, we fly in experts from around the nation and, occasionally, the globe to teach our specialized bankruptcy courses.

The student body will be limited to outstanding candidates who have the capacity to handle a rigorous academic curriculum. Acceptance will be based on the individual's performance at undergraduate and law schools, experience in practice (where applicable), published and unpublished written work, and, where appropriate, personal interviews. Particular emphasis will be placed on the applicant having achieved an outstanding academic record in obtaining a Juris Doctor from an accredited A.B.A. law school and on the applicant's employment history and documented promise in the practice of bankruptcy law. The evaluation of applicants will be conducted by an appropriate LL.M. program faculty committee in concert with the law school Faculty Admissions Committee and the Dean of Admissions.

Student Selection Standards
The student body will be limited to outstanding candidates who have the capacity to handle a rigorous academic curriculum. Acceptance will be based on the individual's performance at undergraduate and law schools, experience in practice (where applicable), published and unpublished written work, and, where appropriate, personal interviews. Particular emphasis will be placed on the applicant having achieved an outstanding academic record in obtaining a Juris Doctor from an accredited A.B.A. law school and on the applicant's employment history and documented promise in the practice of bankruptcy law. The evaluation of applicants will be conducted by an appropriate LL.M. program faculty committee in concert with the law school Faculty Admissions Committee and the Dean of Admissions.

Rolling Admissions and Application Deadline
Students may commence the program either in the Fall or Spring terms. We use a rolling admissions process and consider applications as they come in and make every effort to inform you of our decision as soon as possible after receipt of your completed application. An application is considered complete when the School of Law has received the following:

Completed and signed application
Two letters of recommendation
Personal statement
Transcripts from law school (including class rank) and undergraduate schools attended
LSAT Score (a copy of the front sheet of the applicant's LSDAS report, indicating his/her LSAT score provided by Law School)
Application fee of $100 (non-refundable)

A prospective student may apply by sending the completed application to:
LL.M. in Bankruptcy Program
St. John's School of Law
8000 Utopia Parkway
Queens, NY 11439

Apply Online (LSAC)*
LL.M. Application Form - (PDF form for printing and mailing) - st.johns.edu/law/bankruptcy

*Online applicants must also have their official transcripts from law school (including class rank) and undergraduate schools sent to the LL.M. in Bankruptcy Program, as well as submitting them through LSAC

Foreign Applicants: The New York bar examination has often been the choice for foreign-educated lawyers who complete an LL.M. program at an ABA-accredited law school. In April 2011, changes were made to the eligibility requirements that become effective August 2012. Eligibility requirements for the New York bar examination found at nybarexam.org.

TUITION AND SCHOLARSHIPS

Tuition (2015/2016 Academic Year)

Full-time students (one year): $1,776 per credit
Part-time students: $1,776 per credit

Base tuition for 24 credits (if completed in the 2015/2016 academic year): $42,624
Dean's Scholarship Discounts (see below):
Maximum 2015/2016 tuition for students in top quarter of law school class: $30,624
Maximum 2015/2016 tuition for students in top half of law school class: $34,624

LL.M. Bankruptcy Scholarships

St John's offers a variety of generous scholarships

Dean's Merit Scholarship
Dean's Merit Scholarships are awarded based on the individual's credentials, potential for success and need. All admitted applicants who graduated in the top half of their law school graduating class will receive a minimum Dean's Merit Scholarship. The minimum awards are:

An admitted applicant graduating in top 25% of their JD class will receive a minimum scholarship of $12,000, resulting in a net tuition of $30,624.

An admitted applicant graduating in top 50% of their JD class will receive a minimum scholarship of $8,000, resulting in a net tuition of $34,624.

Dean's Merit Scholarships may be awarded to applicants who did not graduate in the top half of the JD class and awards higher than the minimums stated above may be given based on individual factors, but those are not awarded automatically. Applicants interested in applying for such scholarships must complete the Scholarship Application form and submit it with their applications. A scholarship request has no impact on the admission decision but must be applied for during the admission process.

ABI Scholarship
The American Bankruptcy Institute provides a $15,000 annual scholarship to a deserving LL.M. in Bankruptcy student based on the student's credentials, demonstrated interest in bankruptcy law and potential for success in the field. Applicants interested in applying for this scholarship must complete the Scholarship Application form and submit it with their applications.

The Robert M. Zinman Bankruptcy Scholarship
The Robert M. Zinman Bankruptcy Scholarship Fund provides an annual scholarship to a deserving LL.M. in Bankruptcy student based on the student's credentials, demonstrated interest in bankruptcy law and potential for success in the field. Applicants interested in applying for this scholarship must complete the Scholarship Application form and submit it with their applications.

The Richard Lieb Bankruptcy Scholarship
The Richard Lieb Bankruptcy Scholarship Fund provides an annual scholarship to a deserving LL.M. in Bankruptcy student based on the student's credentials, demonstrated interest in bankruptcy law and potential for success in the field. Applicants interested in applying for this scholarship must complete the Scholarship Application form and submit it with their applications.

To apply or for more information, please visit our website.

St. John's University School of Law encourages all applicants and current students who need financial assistance for law school to apply for financial aid. The free Application for Financial Student Aid (FAFSA) is required to apply for financial aid and for consideration of federal loans at St. John's Law. You may apply online at www.fafsa.ed.gov. St. John's federal school code is 002823. Financial Aid counselors can be reached at 718-990-2000 or [email protected]. You will find more detailed information in this Financial Aid Process document and this Financial Aid Newsletter created by the University Office of Student Financial Services. You should visit the University Office for Student Financial Services website for detailed information about Financial Aid.

LL.M. classes are held both at our Queens and Manhattan campuses. We also offer a select few online courses. Classes are generally held in the evenings, but several classes are offered in condensed format over one to two weekends.

The School of Law has the benefit of being on a campus located in a quiet, safe, inexpensive and suburban neighborhood in Queens, about 30 minutes from Manhattan. St. John's understands that many incoming students will need to relocate to the area and would like to provide you with the information to make this transition as smoothly as possible. There are several housing options for law students including:

Living in the University-owned DePaul Townhouses;
Living in Off-Campus Housing; and/or
Being placed on the Roommate List.

Contact Information
If you have any further questions concerning your Housing options, please visit contact the School of Law Admissions Office at (718) 990-6474 or at [email protected].