University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Law

General Policy

UCLA School of Law seeks to admit students of outstanding intellectual ability who will bring a wide range of backgrounds, experiences and perspectives to the classroom and the legal profession. Through long experience, the faculty has concluded that the quality of the education of each student is affected in significant ways by the presence of vital, diverse viewpoints. Indeed, students of all backgrounds choose to come to UCLA in significant part because of UCLA Law's outstanding achievements in creating a highly diverse educational environment.

In evaluating each applicant, UCLA Law places substantial weight on traditional measures of academic ability. For the J.D. Program those include grades and Law School Admission Test (LSAT) scores. For the LL.M. Program, the focus is on academic performance and English language proficiency in the form of the TOEFL or IELTS exams. We also recognize in our evaluation that other factors and attributes contribute greatly to a person's ability to succeed as a law student and lawyer. When assessing academic promise and achievement, the applicant's entire file will be considered, including economic, physical or other challenges that have been overcome, scholarly achievements such as graduate study, awards and publications, the rigor of the undergraduate educational program undertaken, and letters of recommendation.

UCLA Law also considers attributes that may contribute to assembling a diverse class. We place special emphasis on socioeconomic disadvantage in our evaluation. We also consider work experience and career achievement; community or public service; career goals (with particular attention paid to the likelihood of the applicant working for underrepresented communities); significant hardships overcome; the ability to contribute to law school programs and specializations; evidence of and potential for leadership; language ability; unusual life experiences; and, any other factors (except those factors deemed inadmissible by applicable law) that indicate the applicant may significantly diversify the student body or make a distinctive contribution to UCLA Law or the legal profession. Many of the subjects we address on the application help us to assess the non-numeric aspects of the applicant's achievements that may also contribute to the strength of our educational environment and to the quality and leadership potential of our graduates.

UCLA Law has, as one of its central purposes, the training of attorneys who will attain high levels of professional excellence and integrity, and who will exercise civic responsibility in myriad ways over long careers.

Course of Study

UCLA offers three academic degree programs: the J.D. (Juris Doctor), LL.M. (Master of Laws), and S.J.D. (Doctor of Juridical Science). The J.D. entails three years of full-time coursework towards the degree. The LL.M. is a one-year (nine-month), full-time course of study degree program. The S.J.D. (doctoral) degree requires one year of coursework in residence at the law school, and two years of research and work on a dissertation, for a program of three years in duration. Evening, summer, and part-time programs are not offered. Applicants for admission to the Juris Doctor professional degree, must have received a baccalaureate degree from an accredited university or college of approved standing before they begin their work at the School of Law. Applicants for admission to the Master of Laws program must have received an undergraduate or first law degree, such as a J.D., LL.B., or other equivalent foreign first law degree prior to beginning coursework at the law school. Eligible applicants for admission to the Doctor of Juridical Science program should hold or obtain both a first/undergraduate law degree and a master of laws degree prior to commencing their studies at the law school.

Deferred Enrollment

UCLA Law reviews deferral requests on a case-by-case basis. All deferral requests must be made in writing. Admitted students whose deferral requests are denied and who decline to attend after being admitted must reapply if they wish to be considered for admission in a subsequent year.

The application for admission to the 2019-2020 LL.M. Program is now available. The deadline to apply is February 1, 2019.

1. Creating Your Online Application

To apply for admission to the UCLA School of Law LL.M. Program, prospective applicants must submit an application and supporting documents through the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) LL.M. Credential Assembly Service (CAS) Document Assembly Service. Instructions for creating an LSAC LL.M. CAS account – which requires a one-time fee of $85 – are provided in the “Creating Your Online Application” section of our website. UCLA has waived its own separate application fee for all applicants to our LL.M. Program. Applications are accepted from September through January, and applicants should submit the required supporting documents outlined on the LSAC LL.M. Checklist throughout this period.

Transmission of the LSAC Document Assembly Service report that will be sent to UCLA for consideration for admission requires an additional $30 fee (which is charged by LSAC per institution). Please note, however, that LL.M. applicants are not required to register for the LSAC CAS LL.M. International Transcript Authentication and Evaluation service, which costs an additional $135. Nonetheless, you are welcome to register for the evaluation service, which may result in faster processing of your application and the Graduate Studies Committee's announcement of its admission decision.

Domestic applicants should note that LSAC’s LL.M. CAS Document Assembly Service is separate from the LSAC service through which they previously applied to U.S. J.D. programs. As such, a new LSAC LL.M. account must be created, which cannot be linked to a previous J.D. account.

2. Submitting Your Supporting Documents

After creating your LSAC account and beginning your online application, please submit the following materials to LSAC:

- Current Résumé or Curriculum Vitae | A list of academic qualifications and relevant work experience.

- Personal Statement | A 12-point font, double-spaced, description of your objectives in pursuing graduate legal studies at UCLA in 3 pages or less.

- Official Transcripts | One copy of each transcript for all undergraduate and graduate coursework leading to a degree – inclusive of law degree(s) – which outlines all courses taken and corresponding grades received. Please provide English translations from a certified translation service, as applicable. Separate supplemental class rank certifications or letters should be submitted if available.

- Two to Four Letters of Recommendation | Reference letters should come from knowledgeable persons who can attest to your academic qualifications, career interests, and professional capacity and performance. The Graduate Studies Committee strongly recommends submitting at least one academic reference; letters from academic sources are typically viewed more favorably.

- Official TOEFL Score | International applicants who are not native English speakers, or do not hold a law degree from an institution at which the primary language of instruction is English, must submit a Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) score if the TOEFL is unavailable in their region. Native English speaker applicants or international applicants who have earned a law degree from an institution at which the primary language of instruction is English are exempt from the TOEFL/IELTS requirement.

3. Confirming Your Application Status

After you submit your online application through the LSAC website and your complete LL.M. Credential Assembly Service report is available on the LSAC website, our staff will download these materials and assemble your application file. Due to the large volume of applications received, this process generally takes 1-2 weeks. After that time, our staff will email you to confirm that your application is complete.

4. Receiving Your Admission Result

The Graduate Studies Committee will begin reviewing an application after all of its corresponding supporting documentation has been received. Admission results will be announced on a rolling basis from late January through April. (Due to the large volume of applications received, it is difficult to predict when a decision regarding a specific application will be reached.) Applicants will receive an email informing them of the Committee's decision as soon as it is made, and an official letter will follow by post.

Tuition & Visa

Tuition & Financial Aid

Listed below are the official fees for attendance in the 2018-2019 LL.M. Program.

Tuition: $57,958.00

Health Insurance: $3,901.94

Mandatory Health Facilities Fees: $238.00

Total: $62,097.94

Please note: Tuition costs are identical for both international and domestic students. Due to the manner in which the program is classified by the University of California, residents of California are not eligible for discounted tuition.

All fees are charged to students in two equal installments, with the first installment due prior to the start of orientation in August and the remainder due in mid-December prior to the spring semester. Alternatively, students may enroll in a specialized plan to pay tuition and fees in monthly installments, should that be a more manageable recourse for payment.

The university estimates that a student can expect to incur living expenses of approximately $20,000 for the year. This estimate varies by student depending upon expenditures on housing, food, books, etc.

LL.M. students may pursue financial aid resources to help supplement the cost of attendance, which include eligibility for consideration for our Dean’s Tuition Fellowship, the possibility of applying for an on-campus paid position as a research assistant to a law professor, or myriad other non-UCLA funding sources that have helped past students to provide additional financial support.

Visa Information

The UCLA Dashew Center for International Students and Scholars will provide instructions regarding how to apply for an I-20 form online, the necessary documentation required to obtain the I-20, and guidance on the process for making an appointment with the U.S. Embassy or Consulate to apply for the F-1 student visa (which is usually required for travel to the United States for non-U.S. citizens or permanent residents) for any student who is accepted to the LL.M. Program.