LL.M. Curriculum
The LL.M. program is a 24-credit, one academic year course of study. Students must enroll in at least 12 credits per semester and may enroll in no more than 17 credits per semester.
LL.M. Degree Requirements
To earn the LL.M. degree, students must earn a minimum of 24 credits and complete with a passing grade the following courses:
- Legal Argument & Factual Persuasion (3 credits)
- Problem Solving II: The Lawyer As Writer (3 credits)
- Introduction to the United States Legal System (2 credits)
In addition, students must enroll in one course from the following list:
- Civil Procedure
- Constitutional Law I
- Contracts
- Criminal Law
- Criminal Procedure
- Property
- Torts
The academic deans may waive any of the course requirements where students have satisfactorily completed equivalent courses at another U.S. law program or in a common law country.
LL.M. Graduate-Level Courses
With the approval of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, LL.M. students may enroll in courses offered in other Penn State graduate programs, including but not limited to the University’s Masters in Public Administration and Masters in Business Administration degree programs (offered at Penn State Harrisburg), and the University’s World Campus.
LL.M. Independent Study
LL.M. students may take independent study courses for up to 3 credits in any one semester, and no more than a total of 4 credits during the two semesters of the LL.M. program.
LL.M. Experiential Learning
With the approval of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, LL.M. students may enroll in pro bono experiential learning courses offered at the law school. LL.M. students who are eligible for Curricular Practical Training or have work authorization in the U.S. may also enroll in clinical and internship programs.
LL.M. Third Semester Option
LL.M. students may apply to stay for a third semester of legal study with the intent of completing an experiential learning program or preparing for a U.S. bar exam.
Transfer to the J.D. Program
Candidates for the LL.M. degree may seek to transfer to the J.D. program. Criteria for transferring to the J.D. program are set by the Dean of Admissions and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. Important factors are excellent English language skills and strong performance in classes taken at the Law School. For more information, review the LL.M. Academic Policies.
LL.M. Concentrations and Courses
Arbitration, Mediation and Negotiation
Courses
- Dispute Resolution
- Arbitration: Domestic and International
- Negotiation/Mediation
- Client Counseling
- Congressional Investigations Seminar
- Entrepreneurship Law: Operational Issues
- Civil Litigation in the United States
- Civil Procedure
- Trial Advocacy (Advocacy I)
- Advanced Trial Advocacy (Advocacy II)
- Federal Courts
- Pennsylvania Practice
- Evidence
- Electronic Evidence Seminar
- Remedies
- Criminal Litigation in the United States
- Criminal Law
- Criminal Procedure
- Advanced Criminal Procedure
- Federal Criminal Practice
- Pennsylvania Criminal Law Practice
- Post-Conviction Process
- Substantive Law-Specific Procedure in the United States
- Administrative Law
Business Law
Courses
- Business Structures
- Business Entities I: Unincorporated Business Entities
- Business Entities II: Corporations
- Business Planning for Small Business Enterprises
- Entrepreneurship Law: Company Creation
- Entrepreneurship Law: Operational Issues
- Substantive
- Antitrust
- International Business Transactions
- International Investment Law
- Contracts
- Federal Securities Regulation
- Nonprofit Organizations
- White-Collar Crime
- Sales
- Secured Transactions
- Consumer Protection
- Bankruptcy
- Banking Regulation
- Payment Systems
- Construction Law
- Property
- Labor Law
- Employment Law
- Torts
- Practice Based
- Accounting for Lawyers
- Lawyering and Ethics for the Business Attorney Seminar
Constitutional and Administrative Law
Courses
- Federal & Constitutional Law
- Constitutional Law I
- Constitutional Law II
- First Amendment – Free Speech
- Administrative Law
- Congressional Investigations Seminar
- Federal Courts
- Civil Liberties Litigation
- Substantive
- Election Law
- Nonprofit Organization Law
- White Collar Crime
- Regulatory & Legislative Practice Seminar
- National Security Law
- Immigration Law
- Energy Law and Policy
- Federal Tax Law
- Environmental Law
- Communication Law
- Law and Individuals with Disabilities
- Practice Based
- Negotiation/Mediation
- Strategic Legal Research
- State Law
- State and Local Government Law
- State & Local Taxation
- State Constitutions Seminar
- Protection of Individual Rights Under State Constitutions Seminar
Criminal Law and Procedure
Courses
- Foundational
- Criminal Law
- Criminal Procedure
- Advanced Criminal Procedure
- Substantive
- International Criminal Law
- Death Penalty Seminar
- Post-Conviction Process
- Juvenile Law
- White-Collar Crime
- Federal Criminal Practice
- Congressional Investigations Seminar
- National Security Law
- Pennsylvania Criminal Law Practice
- Practice Based
- Trial Advocacy (Advocacy I)
- Advanced Trial Advocacy (Advocacy II)
Health Law and Policy
Courses
-
- Law and Medicine
- Health Care Law and Policy
- Health Care Innovation and Entrepreneurship
- Heath Care Organizations and Finance
- Administrative Law
- Torts
- Nonprofit Organizations
- Elder Law
- Law and Aging Policy Seminar
- Law and Individuals with Disabilities
- Employee Benefits Law
- Wills, Trusts, and Estates
- Estate Planning
- Poverty Law
- In-House Clinics
- Children’s Advocacy Clinic
- Medical-Legal Partnership Clinic
Intellectual Property and Innovation
Courses
- Contracts
- Introduction to Intellectual Property Law
- Copyrights
- Patents
- Trademarks
- Internet Law
- Communications Law
- Sports and Entertainment Law
- Business Creation
- Business Planning for Small Business Enterprises
- Entrepreneurship Law: Company Creation
- Entrepreneurship Law: Operational Issues
- Contracts
- Business Operations
- Basic Federal Income Tax
- Advanced Federal Income Tax
- Sales
- Secured Transactions
- Federal Securities Regulation
- Consumer Protection
- Employee Benefits Law
- Bankruptcy
- Employment Law
- Labor Law
- Introduction to Intellectual Property
- International Business Transactions
- Practice Based
- Accounting for Lawyers
- Arbitration: Domestic and International
- Lawyering and Ethics for the Business Attorney Seminar
- Transactional Writing and Drafting
International Trial Advocacy
Courses
- Substantive
- International Human Rights
- Comparative International Taxation
- National Security Law
- International Investment Law
- Energy Law and Policy
- Immigration Law
- International Criminal Law
- Congressional Investigations Seminar
- Practice Based
- Trial Advocacy (Advocacy I)
- Advanced Trial Advocacy (Advocacy II)
- Advanced Appellate Advocacy
- Arbitration: Domestic and International
- Cross-Border Legal Practice Seminar
- Internships
- International Justice Internship
Public Interest Law
Courses
- Constitutional
- Constitutional Law II
- First Amendment — Free Speech
- Protection of Individual Rights Under State Constitutions Seminar
- Federal
- Election Law
- Congressional Investigations Seminar
- Federal Indian Law Seminar
- Immigration Law
- Human Rights
- International Human Rights
- Gender and Sexuality Law
- Race, Racism, and American Law Seminar
- Public Interest
- Juvenile Law
- Law and Individuals with Disabilities
- Poverty Law
- Nonprofit Organizations
- Education Law
- Criminal
- Post-Conviction Process
- Death Penalty Seminar
- In-House Clinics
- Children’s Advocacy Clinic
- Community Law Clinic (handling cases in family, disability, housing, and public benefits law)
Security Law
Courses
- National Security Law
- Homeland Security Law
- Counterterrorism
- Military Law
- Information Privacy & Security Law
- Administrative Law
- Congressional Investigations Seminar
- Regulatory & Legislative Practice Seminar
- Civil Liberties Litigation
- Cyberlaw in Practice
- Cybersecurity Law & Policy Seminar
Tax Law Concentration
Courses
- Basic Federal Income Tax
- Advanced Federal Income Tax
- Corporate and Partnership Tax
- Comparative International Taxation
- State and Local Taxation
- Estate Planning
- Entrepreneurship Law: Company Creation
- Entrepreneurship Law: Operational Issues
Trial Advocacy and Litigation
Courses
- General Litigation
- Evidence
- Trial Advocacy (Advocacy I)
- Advanced Trial Advocacy (Advocacy II)
- Advanced Appellate Advocacy
- Federal Courts
- Conflict of Laws
- Civil
- Civil Procedure
- Torts
- Advanced Torts
- Remedies
- Insurance Law
- Civil Liberties Litigation
- Remedies
- Property
- Criminal
- Criminal Law
- Criminal Procedure
- Advanced Criminal Procedure
- Federal Criminal Practice
- International Criminal Law
- White-Collar Crime
- Post-Conviction Process