Graduate Legal Studies

For more than a century, Columbia Law School has educated students who, having already earned a basic law degree, wish to pursue an advanced course of full-time study in furtherance of careers in teaching, public service, or the international practice of law.

Each year, the Law School enrolls approximately 250 graduate students from more than 50 jurisdictions in our Master of Laws (LL.M.) and Doctor of the Science of Law (J.S.D) degree programs. Their experience spans all areas of the legal profession—including academia, the judiciary, public service, civil rights and human rights advocacy, NGOs, international organizations, and private practice. Law School students interact with unrivaled faculty and highly accomplished students; work hard; are treated exceptionally well; and obtain a degree that represents the best that U.S. legal education can offer. This remarkable community of individuals makes the school an especially dynamic and vibrant community in which to study law. We invite you to explore the rest of the site and to contact us with further questions.

Effective immediately:

Applications for admission to our 2014-2015 LL.M. and J.S.D. programs and all supporting documents must be submitted through LSAC. We will no longer accept supporting documents by mail or email. Regretfully, any application items submitted directly to the Graduate Legal Studies office will be discarded.

Please check our website regularly for updated instructions about our application process.

Columbia Law School’s online LL.M. and J.S.D. applications will be available through LSAC beginning in late September.

We strongly encourage applicants to begin sending transcripts, letters of recommendation and TOEFL scores to LSAC through their online Credential Assembly Service. Personal Statements and Resumes may be submitted through the online application with LSAC in September.

For additional information on applying through LSAC and other services LSAC offers, please visit the LSAC website.

LL.M. Program

J.S.D. Program

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A Rich Curriculum

Columbia offers a general LL.M. degree, giving students much freedom to select their courses from the Law School’s incredibly rich curriculum. The key to a satisfying LL.M. experience is student choice—and we help our students design a program of study to meet their academic and professional goals.

Distinguished Scholarship

For those who desire a career in law teaching, Columbia’s J.S.D. Program provides opportunity for distinguished scholarship through advanced seminars and colloquia, facilities for independent research, and the advice and guidance of members of the Faculty of Law.

Online Application

In evaluating applications for admission to our Graduate Legal Studies programs, we strive to select a student body of diverse backgrounds and interests, with a shared, discernible commitment to excellence.

Graduate Legal Studies | Columbia Law School