The Master of Laws (LLM) program provides a concentrated post-graduate legal study program for practicing lawyers or graduates of foreign or domestic law schools. Candidates for this program include: 1) foreign lawyers and law graduates seeking training in U.S. legal doctrine and skills, including those who may wish to sit for the Texas Bar Examination; and 2) U.S. lawyers and law graduates wishing to pursue an advanced study in chosen areas of focus.
Students have the option to pursue a thesis or non-thesis Master of Laws degree, and may be enrolled on either a full-time or part-time basis.
Master of Laws students may complete 24 credit hours in one of the following areas of curricular specialization. LLM students also have the option to complete a 24-credit personalized course of study. As further described below, the LLM program is also approved for delivery via asynchronous or synchronous distance education technology.
Areas of Curricular Specialization
- Preparation for the Texas Bar Examination
- International Tax Law and Policy*
- Risk Management and Compliance*
- Wealth Management*
* Certificate programs available; please see certificate program requirements for more information.
Specializations
Students who do not have a Juris Doctor from an A.B.A.-approved law school must take Introduction to the U.S. Legal System. This course will familiarize students with the structure of the U.S. legal system and fundamentals of legal reasoning and analysis. Additional curriculum requirements vary based on the student's chosen area of curricular specialization.
- LLM students in the International Tax Law and Policy; Risk Management and Compliance; and Wealth Management curricula may be required to take Ethical Decision Making. For the remaining coursework, students select from various course offerings in the student’s chosen area of curricular specialization. All courses in these curricula are offered asynchronously or synchronously via distance technology.
- Foreign LLM students intending to take coursework to be eligible to take the Texas Bar Examination will also be required to take Legal Writing for LLM Students, Professional Responsibility, and other courses which satisfy the eligibility requirements to sit for the Texas Bar Examination. Students will work with their academic advisor to select the appropriate courses. All courses are offered via in-person instruction at the School of Law in Fort Worth. Due to restrictions on distance education courses satisfying the eligibility requirements to sit for the Texas Bar Examination, foreign LLM students should consult with their academic advisor before enrolling in any distance education course.
- LLM students completing a personalized course of study select from various courses offered by the School of Law in the students' chosen area of focus. Courses are offered asynchronously or synchronously via distance technology and via in-person instruction at the School of Law in Fort Worth. The mode of delivery of a particular student's coursework will depend on the student's personalized course of study.
For more information, please go to law.tamu.edu.
This program is approved for delivery via asynchronous or synchronous distance education technology.