Application Information for International and Graduate Programs
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTSLL.M. ProgramApplicants to the LL.M. program must hold a J.D. or LL.B. degree, or the equivalent from a law school that, if in the United States , is accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of the American Law Schools, or, if outside the United States , has comparable standing. The International Program Committee (which oversees all graduate programs) can, in exceptional circumstances, admit students to the LL.M. program who do not already hold a law degree. Typically, such students will hold a Ph.D. or M.D. or an equivalent graduate degree, will have already embarked on an academic or professional career, and will be able to show how legal training is important to the advancement of this career and/or their scholarly work. LL.C.M. ProgramApplicants to the LL.C.M. program must have received an LL.M. degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. In exceptional circumstances, an especially strong applicant who has earned an LL.M. from another law school may be accepted into the program. Admission to both the LL.M. and the LL.C.M. programs may be sought at the same time by checking the appropriate box on the application form. If admitted to both programs, a student may proceed to the LL.C.M. program upon successful completion of the LL.M. without reapplication. S.J.D. ProgramApplicants to the S.J.D. program must have already earned an LL.M. or equivalent degree from Penn Law or another, comparable institution. All applicants must have a well-stated scholarly agenda, with an area of research and appropriate research methodology clearly outlined. Candidates who do not hold a Penn Law graduate degree must, in addition, provide copies of scholarly work published in the English language. Summer ProgramApplicants to the Summer Program must have earned a first law degree prior to the start of that program. Summer Program participants are not required to have been admitted to Penn Law’s LL.M. program. The Summer Program is, however, mandatory for all Penn Law LL.M. students. Applicants to the LL.M. Program therefore do not need to apply separately for admission to the Summer Program. English ProficiencySuccessful participation in any of Penn Law’s programs, including the Summer Program, requires a high level of English proficiency is essential to successful graduate study. Most course-work at Penn Law centers on a Socratic dialogue between the instructor and members of the class. Consequently, a student should be able to understand rapid, idiomatic English as spoken in class and in seminar discussions. Students must be able to express thoughts clearly in both spoken and written English and must read the language with ease. The quantity and quality of academic work required at Penn Law cannot be accomplished without such mastery of the English language. Students must achieve such language proficiency prior to enrollment. Admitted students who feel the need to refresh English skills, however, may want to enroll in the summary ESL course offered in the summer just prior to the Summer Law Program. Information on this course is available at our website, www.law.upenn.edu. Prospective applicants who may need more substantial English language instruction prior to admission may wish to consider the courses offered by the University of Pennsylvania’s English Language Programs. These are described at www.sas.upenn.edu/elp. LL.M. applicants whose native language is not English must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the IELTS exam. (Individual language assessments, conducted in person or by telephone, may also be required at the Law School’s discretion.) Both tests are administered at testing centers throughout the world. Applicants to the LL.M. or LL.C.M. programs should plan on taking one of them no later than January of year in which they propose to enroll at Penn Law. Candidates applying solely to the Summer Program only must also take either the TOEFL or IELTS exam and arrange for results to be delivered to the Law School prior to the June 1 deadline for applications to that program. Please note that the deadline for submission of a completed application has recently been changed to December 1 for Early Notification, February 1 for all other LL.M. and LL.C.M. applicants (absent special authorization, and April 15 for S.J.D. applicants).. Application forms and further information for the TOEFL and IELTS tests may be obtained online at www.toefl.org and www.ielts.org. For TOEFL registration purposes, please note that:
In unusual cases where it is apparent that the TOEFL or IELTS test is unnecessary, the Assistant Dean for Graduate and International Programs may waive the requirement. An applicant may request a waiver through a separate letter or email that fully states the basis on which a waiver may be justified. (e.g., extensive education in an English-speaking environment). Please note that a waiver will not be granted merely because the applicant asserts that he or she is proficient in English or has spent time in studying in the United States. Requests to waive the TOEFL requirement should be submitted as early as possible in the admissions process. An application that lacks either a test score or confirmation that a waiver has been granted cannot be reviewed by the International Programs Committee. APPLICATION PROCESSDeadlinesApplications for admission to graduate programs at Penn Law are reviewed by the International Programs Committee on a rolling basis. Candidates who submit completed applications online prior to the December 1 “Early Notification” deadline, and who ensure that the Law School receives all supporting documents by the same date, will receive a response by February 8. We strongly advise all candidates to submit their completed applications at the earliest possible date. The deadlines are: Required MaterialsAs detailed in the application materials, a completed application to any of Penn Law’s graduate programs must include the items listed below. (Please note: (1) candidates applying solely to the Summer Program need only submit the Summer Program application form and TOEFL or IELTS scores; (2) candidates applying to the LL.M. Program are automatically enrolled in the Summer Program upon acceptance and need not apply to the Summer Program separately).
* Please see our strong recommendation, below, that applicants use the LSAC LL.M. Credential Processing Service described at www.lsac.org. Online and Paper FormsThe International Programs Committee strongly encourages candidates to submit their application data form, personal statement, and application fee online via Penn Law’s website, www.law.upenn.edu/cf/adms/gradapply_online. Materials sent online are often received in a more complete and efficient manner that better facilitates the Committee’s own prompt action. Furthermore, those applying online may pay their application and acceptance fees by credit card and track the status of their application via our website. The Law School is unable to accept credit card payment from applicants submitting their applications via paper forms. Similarly, we strongly recommend that applicants who plan to apply to several law schools in addition to Penn Law submit their transcripts and test scores online via the LLM Credential Processing Service. This service, described on the Law School Admission Council website at www.lsac.org, greatly simplifies the process by requiring original transcripts to be submitted only once. The LSAC then translates the transcripts, confirms their validity, and distributes electronic copies and verified TOEFL scores to select law schools as instructed by the applicant. The International Programs Committee also accepts applications submitted via traditional paper forms. These, along with Recommender Forms and other materials, are available for downloading at the Penn Law website, www.law.upenn.edu/cf/adms/gradapply_online. Forms may also be requested by writing to the Office of Graduate Programs, University of Pennsylvania Law School, 3400 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104-6204 USA. Letters of RecommendationA completed graduate application to Penn Law must include two letters of recommendation, ideally from law professors or others who have personal experience instructing and evaluating the candidate. We appreciate the burden this requirement places on recommenders. Such subjective evaluations from knowledgeable references, however, are important factors in weighing the relative merits of international candidates whose objective credentials necessarily reflect many distinct grading systems and national standards for legal education. An applicant may, alternatively, submit letters from academic instructors outside of the field of law, from employers, or from others with a personal knowledge of the candidate’s intellectual and other strengths. The International Programs Committee strongly advices that all letters be submitted in conjunction with the Recommender Form, but it will review letters submitted without the form attached. Please note, however, that the online “Status Page” cannot track the receipt of letters that lack an accompanying Recommender Form or come from individuals other than those recommenders listed on an applicant’s online data form. ADDITIONAL INFORMATIONAcceptance feeAfter an applicant has been notified of admission, two successive deposits must be paid in order to hold a place in the class. Those who receive notice of admission on or before March 1 must ensure that their initial $500 deposit is received by the Law School by April 1. Those who receive admissions notification after March 1 must ensure receipt of their initial deposit with thirty days of the date of that notification. This deposit cannot be refunded. All admitted applicants must make a second, final deposit of $1,500 within 30 of the applicable deadline for their first deposit. This deposit will be refunded, in part or in full, only under emergent circumstances. Both deposits will be credited towards the applicant’s tuition and/or fees upon matriculation. Manner of paymentThe International Programs Committee strongly encourages all candidates to use the online application form and to pay the $75 fee, the $500 initial deposit and the $1,500 final deposit via credit card. Credit card payment is not, however, an option for applicants using paper forms. All applicants may make any or all of the required payments by check or money order, payable to the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania. (Applicants drawing on funds not held in a U.S. bank must use an International Postal Money Order.) Payment should be mailed to the Office of Graduate and International Programs at the University of Pennsylvania Law School; 3400 Chestnut Street; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104. Deferral of AdmissionIf an admitted applicant is unable to attend the Law School during the year for which admission is offered, he or she may write to the Assistant Dean for Graduate and International Programs to request a one-year deferral. If a deferral is granted, the admitted applicant will be required to complete a deferral form and submit the initial $500 deposit described above. Any financial assistance that is awarded in one year will not be deferred to the following year. ReactivationRequests to reactivate a previous application must be received by the Law School, along with a new $75 application fee, no later than January 15. For further information on reactivating a prior application, please visit our Contact Us page and select Subject: Applicant - Request to Use Reactivated Application Materials. |
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