No, we cannot waive the SJD application fees due to the high degree of administrative cost in processing these applications.
SJD applicants must have an LLM, JD, or equivalent law degree from Penn Carey Law or a comparable institution. Learn about SJD application prerequisites.
No, we ask that applicants do not contact faculty regarding the admissions process. Please direct your inquiries directly to Graduate Programs.
DUE TO COVID-19, THE LAW SCHOOL IS LIMITING VISITORS TO THE BUILDING. PLEASE CONTACT gradadms@law.upenn.edu PRIOR TO ARRIVING TO DETERMINE IF ACCESS IS AVAILABLE
In general, the Law School is open to visitors, who can pick up materials for a self-guided tour. Please check our website for the latest information on building accessibility and hours. We are not able to offer organized tours or information sessions for prospective LLM students. However, we invite everyone to explore Penn Carey Law through our virtual tour. Please note that we do not conduct interviews and that these brief meetings are for informational purposes only.
You can view the latest version of the Viewbook here.
Please note that this Viewbook is for Penn Carey Law’s Graduate Programs.
Payment is handled by the office of Student Financial Services. Please direct all specific questions to that office directly.
In general, all tuition and fees are split in half with the first portion due at the end of July and the second portion due in January. This includes tuition, the tech fee and health insurance charges (if applicable). Scholarships are therefore also split into two and divided equally across the two semester payments.
1. Exception #1 – the Pre-Term Program fee. This is covered by the deposits made during the application process.
2. Exception #2 – The Wharton Business and Law Certificate – the entire amount, will be due at the beginning of the 1st semester (the beginning of September usually).
An initial deposit of $500 is due on April 1 and a second deposit of $2,250 is due on May 1. If you are admitted after April 1, you will be advised when your deposits are due. Admitted students will be provided with payment instructions.
We consider deferrals requests from admitted students on a case-by-case basis. You must submit your initial deposit to secure your place in the LLM class to be considered. Full deferral request instructions are available in our Admitted Student materials.
If granted a deferral, your initial deposit will be credited towards your tuition for the following year. You will be required to submit the second half of the Pre-Term deposit and confirm your plan to attend by January of the following year.
Deferred students must agree not to:
- Hold deferred status at any other law school;
- Enroll in any graduate law program; nor
- Apply for admission to a graduate program at any other law school.
For all immigration related questions, including those related to your visa status, please contact the University of Pennsylvania’s Office of International Student and Scholar Services.
You can find comprehensive scholarship information on our website.
Yes, LLM students are eligible to participate in our clinical programs. In past years, LLMs have enrolled in clinical programs focusing on Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property and Technology, International Human Rights and Immigration, and Mediation.
LLMs and LLCMs often participate in student run journals including: Journal of International Law, Asian Law Review, Constitutional Law Journal, and Journal for Law and Social Change.
Eligibility to sit for a particular state bar exam varies from state to state. Completion of the LLM degree in and of itself does not guarantee eligibility to take a bar examination. Moreover, the LLM program is not intended as a preparatory course for any state’s bar exam.
In some states, including New York, the completion of an LLM degree along with certain other criteria can allow attorneys with a non-U.S. law degree to sit for the bar exam.
Many Penn Carey Law LLM students sit for state bar exams, typically New York, after graduation each year . LLM students should familiarize themselves with the requirements of the bar exam they wish to take. We endeavor to stay abreast of changes in bar requirements and make every effort we can to support the students who wish to take a bar exam.
For information on individual state requirements see Bar Application Process Overview.
Yes, we offer career services! Find comprehensive information within the Office of Career Strategy.
Please send an email to gradadmissions@law.upenn.edu with your name and LSAC number indicating that you are withdrawing your application. Please feel free to let us know where you decide to enroll.
We can accept new, substantive updates via email at gradadms@law.upenn.edu. Please limit your update to a brief email summary that addresses the error, change, or update. We are unable to replace your personal statement or resume.
It may take a week or two for your materials to be uploaded to your application, especially in November, December, and January.
The Admissions Committee reviews applications as they become complete, so we cannot guarantee that all updates (especially those received late in the application process) will be considered by the Admissions Committee.
You will need to submit a new application and application fee via LSAC, but you can request to use previously supplied supporting materials to complete your current application. Reactivation is only possible for materials submitted during the prior year’s application cycle. Materials submitted more than one year ago cannot be reactivated.
Please fill out this form if you have applied to Penn Carey Law within the last year and would like to use previously supplied materials to complete your current application.
You can check the status of your application online. Please note: it may take LSAC several weeks to process your materials. In addition, it may take our admissions staff a week or two to update your status, especially during November, December, and January.
No, we do not offer conditional admission. Applicants’ English language ability must be sufficient at the time their application is submitted.
Yes! All applicants must either submit a TOEFL/IELTs test score or seek a waiver, regardless of the applicants’ background (being a native English speaker is an excellent basis for seeking a TOEFL waiver, but you must still seek the waiver). Failure to do so will delay consideration of your application. Fill out our online TOEFL waiver form. Waiver forms are available after September 1.
Yes. If you feel that you can demonstrate a mastery of English by having completed your education in English, you can apply for a waiver here. Otherwise, we require a TOEFL/IELTS score taken within the past two years.
If you have taken the TOEFL/IELTS in the past two years and feel that your score is not an accurate reflection of your English language ability, you may explain that in your application. You may also consider submitting a letter of recommendation that discusses your English language abilities. Kindly note that Penn Carey Law will not grant admission conditioned upon a future TOEFL/IELTS test score, but you can indicate that you plan to take the test again in your application.
You must submit transcripts from any and all post-secondary degree programs, whether or not you completed the program. This includes transcripts from exchange programs.
You should direct all transcripts directly to LSAC. We cannot accept transcripts via email.
We require two letters and accept up to four. Please note that if your file is otherwise complete, we will review your application once we have received two letters on your behalf. Additional letters do not necessarily strengthen your application.
You should direct all recommendations to LSAC.
Yes, Penn Carey Law may grant waivers of our $85 application fee for the LLM/LLCM in certain circumstances. We cannot grant waivers of any fees charged by LSAC. You can submit a request to be considered for a fee waiver using our online form. Please note: we can only consider your application for a fee waiver if you can provide information on how you intend to finance your LLM or LLCM.
Sometimes. We only waive this requirement on an extremely limited basis. If you are still interested in a waiver of the LSAC requirement, please fill out an application for a LSAC wavier. If your waiver is granted, you will be provided with further instructions.
Yes. All applicants must use LSAC.
Yes. If you require an extension of our standard application deadline, please fill out the deadline extension form.
However, applications are reviewed upon completion and applicants are admitted on a rolling basis. Thus, even if your request for an extension is granted, the later an application is completed, the greater the disadvantage to the applicant. Moreover, all applications received after December 15 will automatically be assessed a $110 application fee (the regular $85 application fee plus a $25 late fee.)
No, we cannot extend the Early Notification deadline. All applications completed after November 15 will be considered in the regular application pool.
We will consider all applications that are submitted to LSAC by December 15. However, we cannot review an application until it is complete, so applicants are advised to closely monitor their completion status and are ultimately responsible for ensuring that their required supporting materials are received by Penn Carey Law.
All applications completed by November 15 will be considered for early notification regardless of when the materials were submitted to LSAC.
LLM and LLCM applications typically open on September 1 each year and SJD applications typically open in October.
We cannot evaluate candidates’ credentials outside the formal application process. However, if you are uncertain about your eligibility to apply, please email gradadms@law.upenn.edu.
No. Penn Carey Law does not accept transfer students into any of its graduate programs.
Yes. Applicants with a U.S. JD may apply to the LLM program, if they:
- Demonstrate a level of academic achievement comparable to that of applicants accepted into Penn Carey Law’s JD program; and
- Tell us in their application why they wish to attend a program designed for lawyers trained outside of the United States.
No. You do not need to submit a score from the LSAT or GRE exam. However, if you wish to submit scores, you may.
Yes. Current law students are welcome to apply if they will receive their degree prior to matriculation in the LLM program.
No. We do accept some exceptional students directly from undergraduate law programs.
There is not a “cut-off” for GPA or ranking for our graduate programs. Most of our successful applicants have outstanding academic credentials from elite universities.
LLM and LLCM students study alongside JD students and choose from a list of over 80 courses per semester.
You can view a list of current and past course offerings.
Please note, because our faculty is engaged in cutting-edge scholarship in all fields, our course and seminar roster changes frequently. We cannot guarantee any given course will be taught in any specific semester
Penn Carey Law LLM students and alumni are welcome to apply to the SJD program but are not guaranteed admission. SJD program information and admission criteria.
Penn Carey Law LLM students are welcome to apply for transfer to the JD program but are not guaranteed admission. You should not view the LLM program as a path to the JD program. Admission to Penn Carey Law’s JD program is extremely competitive.
Penn Carey Law LLMs are not required to submit an LSAT score.
LLMs who successfully transfer to the JD program generally receive advanced standing for legal academic work completed in their home countries. Most start their JD studies as 2Ls, and after three years at Penn Carey Law hold an LLM as well as a JD.
Please note, only current Penn Carey Law LLMs may apply to transfer into our JD program. We do not accept LLM alumni or LLM students from other law schools as transfer students into our JD program.
Please also note that only LLM students who have obtained a law degree prior to enrolling in the LLM program will be eligible to apply to transfer to Penn Carey Law’s JD Program.
No. All LLMs begin in late summer with our comprehensive, mandatory Pre-Term Program. All other programs start at the beginning of the university fall semester.
No. We do not offer a part-time LLM or LLCM program. Working full-time while enrolled in the LLM Program is not permitted. Some of our upper level SJD students work while finishing their SJD.
All matriculating LLMs and LLCMs are eligible for the WBLC, no separate application required. No one else is eligible
The Wharton Business and Law Certificate (WBLC) is designed exclusively for Penn Carey Law LLMs, who pursue the certificate concurrently to the LLM degree. Drawing on key faculty and content from the Wharton School, the WBLC will introduce students to the fundamentals of finance, strategy and responsible business practices and management. The challenging blend of interactive lectures, case studies, simulations, group discussions, and faculty dialogue immerse students in these core business concepts. The WBLC is ideal for those who are — and those who aspire to be — corporate lawyers, in-house counsel, judges, bankers, and other internationally trained legal professionals enrolled in Penn Law’s LLM program.
Visit their website to find more information on the Wharton Business and Law Certificate.
The LLM Pre-Term Program is a mandatory component of our LLM degree, consisting of a five week program in late summer. It is only open to Penn Carey Law School’s LLM students.
Learn more about our SJD program.