Requirements & Applications
Degree Requirements
The Master of Laws (LL.M.) Degree at IU Robert H. McKinney School of Law is a single degree divided into five tracks: American Law for Foreign Lawyers (ALFL), Health Law, Policy and Bioethics (HLPB), Intellectual Property Law (IPL), and International and Comparative Law (ICL). Students are admitted into one of the five tracks of the Program. Students admitted to the LL.M. Program must complete 24 credit hours with the minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) for their LL.M. track.
All students enrolled in the LL.M. program who have not completed a J.D. at an ABA-accredited law school must complete the following courses: Contract Law for LL.M. Students (2 cr.) (Fall Semester Admission) or Tort Law for LL.M. Students (2 cr.) (Spring Semester Admission), Legal Writing for LL.M. Students I (1 cr.), and Legal Research for LL.M. Students (1 cr.), for a total of 4 required credits. These courses must be completed in the first semester of enrollment in the program.
In addition, students enrolled in the designated LL.M. tracks must complete the following courses:
American Law for Foreign Lawyers (ALFL) track—Introduction to the American Legal System (2 cr.). ALFL students must also complete 18 credits of elective courses for a total of 24 credit hours.
Health Law, Policy and Bioethics (HLPB) track—Bioethics and Law (2-3 cr.), Financing and Regulating Health Care (3 cr.), LL.M. Thesis Organization (0 cr.), and LL.M. Thesis (2-4 cr.) HLPB students must complete 12 of their 24 credit hours in courses designated as HLPB courses. Bioethics and Law (2-3 cr.) and Financing and Regulating Health Care (3 cr.) count towards the 12-credit requirement, although the LL.M. thesis credits do not count towards the 12-credit requirement. HLPB students may choose from elective courses in the law school curriculum to satisfy the remaining credits for a total of 24 credit hours.
Intellectual Property Law (IPL) track—Intellectual Property Law (2 or 3 cr.), LL.M. Thesis Organization (0 cr.), and LL.M. Thesis (2-4 cr.) IPL students must complete 12 of their 24 credit hours in courses designated as IPL courses. Intellectual Property Law (2 or 3 cr.) counts towards the 12-credit requirement, although LL.M. thesis credits do not count towards the 12-credit requirement. IPL students may choose from elective courses in the law school curriculum to satisfy the remaining credits for a total of 24 credit hours.
International and Comparative Law (ICL) track—LL.M. Thesis Organization (0 cr.), and LL.M. Thesis (2-4 cr.) ICL students must complete 12 of their 24 credit hours in courses designated as ICL courses. LL.M. thesis credits do not count towards the 12-credit requirement. ICL students may choose from elective courses in the law school curriculum to satisfy the remaining credits for a total of 24 credit hours.
Students enrolled in the LL.M. track in American Law for Foreign Lawyers (ALFL) are required to have a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 ("C") or higher to receive their degree.
Students enrolled in the other LL.M. tracks are required to have a cumulative GPA of 2.3 ("C+") or higher to receive their degree.
LL.M. students who have finished all coursework but have to complete a thesis or who have earned a grade of “I” (incomplete) in any course will be enrolled in LAW-G901 for each subsequent academic session (Fall and Spring). Enrollment in LAW-G901 will cease when the student has satisfactorily completed all outstanding work. G901 is not required for summer sessions.
Ordinarily, an LL.M. student must complete all requirements for his or her LL.M. degree from Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law within thirty-six months after matriculation. An extension of this time period may be granted by law school administration for good cause shown.
Updated: 8/8/2012
