LLM Application Information

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GW Law Graduate & International Programs
2000 H St., NW
Washington, DC 20052
202.994.7242
[email protected]

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Deadlines

Applications for the Fall and Spring semesters are accepted on a rolling basis. For priority review, especially for scholarship consideration, applications for Fall admission should be received by March 15, but will continue to be accepted on a space-available basis until June 1. For Spring admission, the priority deadline is November 1.

Entrance Requirements

Applicants with a JD from a U.S. or Puerto Rico law school must hold a BA or equivalent degree from a regionally accredited college or university and a JD or equivalent degree from a law school that is a member of the Association of American Law Schools (AALS) or is accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA).

Applicants with a law degree from a law school outside of the United States must have earned the degree from a recognized institution. Non-U.S. law school graduates may also need to meet the minimum language test requirement (see below).

All candidates for admission must have demonstrated excellence in academic standing and professional achievements or positions indicating their capacity for performing master’s-level work.

Application Requirements

All LLM applicants must submit the following to be considered for admission:

  • A completed application form accompanied by the application fee of US $80
  • Official transcripts from all law, graduate, and undergraduate schools attended
  • Two original letters of recommendation, accompanied by the enclosed recommendation form
  • A brief essay describing the applicant’s professional goals and areas of interest for the study of law (question 36 on application)
  • If applicable, an official report of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) score. Students whose initial law degree was earned from a non-U.S. law school where English is not the language of instruction are required to take the TOEFL or IELTS test and receive a score in the 100-point range on the Internet-based TOEFL test or in the 600-point range on the paper-based TOEFL test. Those taking the IELTS test must receive a score of 7.0 or higher. Test scores are reported to the Law School six to eight weeks after the test is taken; therefore, applicants are advised to check with TOEFL or IELTS for information well before the semester for which they are applying. For the TOEFL, the Institutional Code for GW Law School is 5246 and the Department Code is 03. For the IELTS test, list the George Washington University Law School to receive a score report. If English was the medium of instruction for an applicant’s university education, please include documentation from the university registrar.
  • A résumé or CV is required

Note on transcripts: Official transcripts must be sent by the issuing institution directly to the Graduate Programs Office, The George Washington University Law School, 2000 H Street NW, Washington, DC 20052. Unofficial records sent by the student will not be accepted. Applicants should request that their law school transcript(s) include the grade point average for work leading to the degree and class standing at the time of graduation.

Scholarship Information

All applicants are considered for a scholarship. There is no separate scholarship application. 

The following scholarships are available for LLM applicants:

  • The Honorable Gerald J. Mossinghoff Fellowship for Graduate Research in Intellectual Property Law is awarded annually to LLM candidates. Preference will be given to a candidate specializing in the pharmaceutical field.
  • Randolph C. Shaw Graduate Fellowship is awarded to a student or students in the Environmental Law program who will assist the program director on a part-time basis.
  • Thomas Buergenthal Scholarship covers full or partial tuition and is awarded on the basis of academic merit and financial need.
  • Ben Gupta Endowed Fund for International Legal Education provides need-based scholarships to students from the developing world.
  • The Licks Attorneys LLM Scholarship provides tuition assistance to Brazilian law school graduates.
  • Richard P. Momsen Fund for Brazilian Law Graduates provides tuition assistance to Brazilian law students with a special interest in U.S. constitutional law or intellectual property law.