New students are always interested in choosing courses and registering for the new semester. Before or during orientation, you are required to attend an academic advising appointment where you will discuss your course selections with your advisor. After that, you will learn the registration procedures and can register for classes.
- Review the degree requirements
- Consult the course offerings and teaching schedule
- Consider the options:
- Are you interested in completing a Specialization?
- Do you plan to take a U.S. state bar exam?
- Are you a non-degree exchange student who might return for a degree?
Review the Degree Requirements
General Requirements
The following courses are required for all students in the LL.M., M.C.L., Thesis, and S.J.D. programs.
| Course | Semester(s) Offered | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Legal Discourse & Writing (B530) | Fall, Spring | 2 |
| Introduction to American Law (B504) 1 | Summer: in-person, intensitve | 2 |
| Introduction to American Law (B504) 1 | Fall, Spring: online only | 0 |
| American constitutional Law (B570)1 | Spring: with online (B504) only | 2 |
| Dissertation Fundamentals (B560) 2 | Fall | 2 |
| Academic Legal Writing (B560) 2,3 | Spring | 1 |
| Advanced Legal Research (B639) 2 | Spring | 2 |
1 Required for LL.M., M.C.L., and Thesis students only.
2 Required for S.J.D. students.
3 Required for Thesis students and students enrolled in seminars
LL.M. Degree Requirements
To be eligible to receive the Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree, a student must
- satisfactorily complete the required courses before or during the first semester:
- B530 Legal Discourse & Writing (2 credits)
- B504 Introduction to American Law (online - 0 credits) AND
- B570 American Constitutional Law (2 credits)
OR
- B530 Legal Discourse & Writing (2 credits)
- B504 Introduction to American Law (summer - 2 credits)
- complete a minimum of 24 credit hours of coursework (including the two required courses above);
- have at least two semesters in residence;
- maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.0;
- fulfill any other requirements as set forth by the Graduate Committee; and
- complete all degree requirements within three consecutive semesters unless special permission for a longer term of study is obtained from the Graduate Committee.
MCL Degree Requirements
To be eligible to receive the Master of Comparative Law (MCL) degree, a student must:
- satisfactorily complete two required courses:
- B504 Introduction to American Law (online, 0 credits)
- B530 Legal Discourse & Writing (2 credits) AND
- B570 American Constitutional Law (2 credits)
- B530 Legal Discourse & Writing (2 credits)
- B504 Introduction to American Law (summer - 2 credits)
- complete a minimum of 24 credit hours of coursework (including the two required courses above);
- maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.0;
- fulfill any other requirements as set forth by the Graduate Committee; and
- complete all degree requirements within two consecutive semesters unless special permission for a longer term of study is obtained from the Graduate Committee.
LLM Thesis Degree Requirements
- To be eligible to receive the Master of Laws with Thesis (LLM Thesis) degree, a student must:
satisfactorily complete these required courses:- B560 Academic Legal Writing (1 credit)
- B530 Legal Discourse & Writing (2 credits)
- B504 Introduction to American Law (online, 0 credits) AND
- B570 American Constitutional Law (2 credits)
OR
- B560 Academic Legal Writing (1 credit)
- B530 Legal Discourse & Writing (2 credits)
- B504 Introduction to American Law (summer, 2 credits)
- complete a minimum of 24 credit hours of coursework (including the three required courses above);
- work productively with an assigned thesis faculty advisor;
- submit a satisfactory thesis for which 6 credit hours* of B704 Thesis Research will be awarded;
- maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.0;
- fulfill any other requirements as set forth by the Graduate Committee;
- submit a final electronic version of the signed thesis to the Digital Repository of the Law Library as directed by the Graduate and International Programs Office; and
- complete all degree requirements within two years (four consecutive semesters) unless special permission for a longer term of study is obtained from the Graduate Committee.
SJD Degree Requirements
To be eligible to receive the Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD) a student must:
- satisfactorily complete three required courses within the first year of matriculation:
- B560 Academic Legal Writing: Dissertation Fundamentals (Fall, 2 credits)
- B560 Academic Legal Writing - LL.M. & S.J.D. (Spring, 1 credit)
- B639 Advanced Legal Research: LL.M. & S.J.D. (Spring, 2 credits)
- complete a total of 30 credit hours, consisting of the three required courses above, any relevant coursework (not more than 8 credit hours) as directed by the faculty advisor, and B705 Doctoral Research for the remaining credit hours;
- complete at least one academic year (two semesters) in residence at Indiana Law after matriculating into the program;
- successfully defend the dissertation proposal to the student’s faculty committee by the end of the first semester of matriculation into the program, or as directed by the advisor within the first year of the degree program;
- submit a Progress Report form to the Graduate and International Programs office within the first 30 days of the beginning of every semester while in the program;
- satisfactorily complete a dissertation of publishable quality;
- successfully defend the dissertation orally;
- submit a final electronic version of the signed dissertation to the Digital Repository of the Law Library as directed by the Graduate and International Programs Office;
- complete any other requirements as set forth by the Graduate Committee; and
- complete all degree requirements within three years (six semesters) unless special permission for a longer term of study is obtained from the Graduate Committee.
Consult the course offerings and teaching schedule
Information about law school courses is available on the courses page. On this page, you will also find links to registration materials, including course grids, course schedules, exam schedules, and course descriptions for the current academic year.
The course grid presents the teaching schedule in a grid format with the days of the week in columns and the times of day in rows. Courses are listed on the schedule by name (which is often abbreviated to accommodate the amount of space on the page) and include the name of the faculty member who is teaching the course. The easiest way to determine the number of credit hours is to count the number of hours the class meets each week. For example, a class that meets for three hours each week counts as a three-credit-hour course.
The course schedule lists all the course details for each course being taught in that semester, such as section and course numbers, title of the course, number of credit hours, and course time/days/room/instructor. Please note that the days of the week are abbreviated in this way: M=Monday, T=Tuesday, W=Wednesday, R=Thursday, and F=Friday. The exam schedule gives the dates and times for each regularly scheduled exam. Finally, the course description offers more detailed information about the subject matter and requirements of each course
Consider the Options
Specializations
As an Indiana Law graduate student, in addition to earning a general LL.M. or M.C.L. degree, you can choose from several specialized areas of study that suit your interests and career goals. Students who successfully complete a specialization will receive a certificate of completion. In addition to the two courses required for the LL.M. and M.C.L. degrees, students following a specialization path must complete 12 credit hours (or about four core courses) in their chosen area of specialization. The remaining credit hours necessary for the LL.M. degree (24 credit hours total) or M.C.L. degree (20 credit hours total) can be chosen from elective courses within the specialization or from another area of law.
Students can select from six predesigned curricular paths:
- American Law for Foreign Lawyers
- Business and Commercial Law
- Financial Regulation and Capital Markets
- Information Privacy and Cybersecurity Law
- International and Comparative Law and Globalization
- Intellectual Property Law
Read more about specializations.
Note that diplomas will only reflect a general LL.M. or M.C.L. degree. Students will receive a separate Specialization Certificate to include with their diploma. Final transcripts can be used to show relevant coursework, if needed.
U.S. Bar Examinations
In the United States, law school graduates are required to take a bar exam in order to practice law. Bar admission is regulated by each of the 50 U.S. states, and each state has complete discretion in the process. Some states permit foreign lawyers with an LL.M. degree to take the bar exam and be admitted to practice; however, bar examination eligibility rules vary among the states and change from year to year. Please carefully review the requirements outlined in the Comprehensive Guide to Bar Admission Requirements.
Our LL.M. graduates typically sit for the bar exam in New York; however, some graduates prefer to sit for the Washington D.C. or California bar exams. If you intend to take a bar exam, please be sure to mention it during your academic advising appointment at orientation. That way, you can make sure your academic plan meets the curriculum requirements for bar exam eligibility, and you can be aware of any important application deadlines and visa-related issues. For questions about the New York or other state bar exams, please consult Professor Gabrielle Goodwin.
Becoming eligible to take a U.S. bar exam may require a lengthy process. You should start the process as early as possible, even before arriving in the United States. You can read more about the specific requirements for the three most popular bar exams on their websites:
Exchange Students
Exchange students who perform well in their classes and have an interest in returning to Indiana Law for the LL.M., M.C.L., or Advanced-Standing JD upon completion of their degree at home should discuss their interest with the Director of Graduate Legal Studies, the Director of Graduate Admissions, and the Assistant Dean of International Programs before departing Bloomington. Former exchange students may return within five years and may count up to 12 credit hours taken during the exchange semester, for which they received a grade of B or above, towards the LL.M. or M.C.L. degree. In most circumstances, this will allow students to complete the degree in one semester. During course advising, please let your academic advisor know whether you are considering returning for a degree because the required courses may not be offered every semester.
Exchange students wishing to pursue a concentration in any one of the areas of specialization available to LL.M. students may do so by taking a minimum of 8 credits in one area of specialization. Be sure to indicate your plan to pursue a concentration on your academic advising form.
Exchange students who have an interest in returning to Indiana Law to finish the LL.M. degree and to take a U.S. bar exam should look very carefully at the academic and other eligibility requirements for the state bar exam they may wish to take in the future. To qualify to sit for a bar exam, most states require foreign lawyers to take specific classes during an LL.M. program, such as Introduction to American Law, Legal Discourse and Writing, and Legal Professions.
If you might be interested in eventually taking a U.S. bar exam, please discuss your bar exam plans with Professor Goodwin during academic advising and carefully review the requirements outlined in the Comprehensive Guide to Bar Admission Requirements.