There are unique variants of the LL.M., such as the Master of Legal Practice (M.L.P.), which is available at the Australian National University, where students who have completed the Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice (which law graduates must obtain before they can be admitted to the Bar/Barrister) receive credit towards the Master`s qualification. Other variants of the LL.M. are more similar to the LL.M. available in the Enlarged Commonwealth, but under a different title, for example, Master of Commercial Law, Master of International Law, or Master of Human Rights Law. These courses are generally more specialized than a standard LL.M. In Finland, an LL.M. is the standard degree required to practice law. [19] No other qualifications are required. [20] There is one institution that offers an ABA-approved LL.M. that does not offer the first law degree (the JD degree): the United States. The Army Legal Centre and School of the Judge Advocate General offer an Officer Graduate Course, an honours program beyond the first law degree, leading to an LL.M. in Military Law with concentrations in Administrative and Civil Law, Government and Tax Contract Law, Criminal Law, and Operational and International Law. [50] [51] In the United Kingdom, a Master of Laws programme is open to individuals with a recognised legal qualification, usually a Bachelor of Laws or a CPE.
You do not need to be a lawyer or intend to be a member of the legal profession. An LL.M. is not required, and is not a sufficient qualification in itself, to practise the profession of solicitor or barrister, as this requires completion of the Legal Practice Course, the Bar Professional Training Course or, if in Scotland, the Diploma of Legal Practice, but is an opportunity to acquire specialist knowledge in a particular area of law or an understanding of the legal systems of other nations. As with other degrees, an LL.M. can be studied part-time at many universities and possibly through distance learning. Some providers of the Bar Professional Education Course and the Legal Practice Course also allow the student to obtain an LL.M. qualification in addition to these professional courses by writing a thesis. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Law offers an LL.M. in space, cyberspace and telecommunications law, the only program that offers targeted study in these three areas. The program was launched thanks to a grant from NASA and a partnership with the U.S.
Air Force Strategic Command. The University of Cambridge has taught a postgraduate law course which has already awarded successful applicants an LL.B. (law students at Cambridge received a B.A.). In 1982, the LL.B. for doctoral students was replaced by a more conventional LL.M. to avoid confusion with bachelor`s degrees from other universities. [37] In addition, in 2012, the University of Cambridge introduced the M.C.L. (Master of Corporate Law), which is aimed at doctoral students interested in corporate law. [37] Notre Dame Law School at the University of Notre Dame offers an LL.M in international human rights law to JD graduates from American schools accredited by the ABA or LL.B or the equivalent of accredited non-American schools. [45] An article in U.S.
News & World Report notes that the main difference between the JD and the LLM is that the JD is generally used to prepare the person to practice law, and the programming of an LLM is designed to build on the experience of the latter. The LLM is also known for supporting the development of a legal career in advisory or policy-oriented initiatives. Another U.S. News & World Report article describes the main differences between degrees as follows: The requirements of the Pepperdine School of Law have been expanded to include additional opportunities to showcase candidates` success and skills. The requirements are as follows: The LL.M. is available at the Chinese University of Political Science and Law, and the entry requirements are: a native English speaker or a quasi-native speaker with a bachelor`s degree. The course is flexible and allows students to learn Mandarin and helps organize work experiences in Beijing and other cities in China. This usually takes two years, but can be completed in a year and a half if students complete the required credits on time. [22] In addition, some programs are offered in more than one language, which gives students the opportunity to attend classes in different languages. Duke University School of Law and Cornell Law School offer JD students the opportunity to pursue an LL.M.
in international and comparative law at the same time. Since 2008, there has been an LL.M. Degree in International Law offered by the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, the oldest school of international affairs in the United States.