LAW-LLM - Law (LLM)
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Program Overview
The School of Law, established in 1893, provides a legal education for students who are fit by their maturity and academic training to pursue professional study under university methods of instruction. The curriculum leading to the first professional degree in law, the Doctor of Jurisprudence (JD), constitutes an adequate preparation for law practice in any English-speaking jurisdiction. Graduate work leading to the degrees of Master of Laws (LLM), Master of the Science of Law (JSM), and Doctor of the Science of Law (JSD), and a non-professional degree, Master of Legal Studies (MLS), is also offered. For the entire curriculum, see the Course Schedule & Description on the Law School website. Stanford Law School offers joint or dual degree options with other Stanford graduate departments and universities nationwide; see Joint and Dual Degrees in Law below.
Stanford Law School offers four LLM (Master of Laws) degrees, an LLM in Corporate Governance and Practice, an LLM in Environmental Law and Policy, an LLM in International Economic Law, Business and Policy, and an LLM in Law, Science and Technology. The LLM degree is awarded only to individuals with a JD degree (or its equivalent). For complete information about the LLM programs, visit the SLS Student Handbook.
Minimum Units in the Program
Minimum University Units
Free Form Requirements
Refer to the SLS Student Handbook for details about the LLM graduation requirements.
Overview of Degree Requirements
The general requirements for the degree of Master of Laws are:
Successful completion of at least 35 approved quarter units, including specific course requirements
Three quarters of residency
Timely filing of an application for graduation
Each LLM program has further specific course requirements outlined below
Unit Requirement
To obtain an LLM degree, students must complete at least 35 but no more than 45 approved quarter units of coursework. At least 26 of these units must be in Law School courses; however, see the SLS Student Handbook for the policies and limitations on enrolling in courses from elsewhere in the university, and see the section on the California or New York bar exam for special unit requirements for students expecting to sit for the Bar Exam in California or New York.
LLM in Corporate Governance and Practice
Course Requirements
Units |
Required Courses 14 |
Complete the following: |
LAW 8021 Introduction to American Law 3 |
LAW 8022 Professional Responsibility 3 |
LAW 8001 Corporate Governance and Practice Seminar 2 |
LAW 8001 Corporate Governance and Practice Seminar 2 |
LAW 1013 Corporations 4 |
Electives 12-21 |
Complete at least 4 of the following: |
LAW 7802 Accounting |
LAW 7815 Advanced Legal Writing: Business Transactions |
(We would list all the courses.) |
Non-SLS Courses |
May take for Law School credit no more than nine (9) quarter units worth of courses elsewhere in the university and may not take any foreign or English language courses for Law School credit. 1 |
Total Units 35 |
1 SLS Approved Non-Law Courses
Residency Requirements
To graduate, an LLM candidate must be “in residence” as a law student for at least three quarters. For purposes of the LLM degree, the term “in residence” means that a student:
Takes at least nine quarter units of credit that can be counted toward the degree each quarter.
By the date all grades for the quarter are due, pass at least eight units each quarter.
Pays full tuition to the law school
Does not work more than 20 hours per week during the term. (See section entitled ‘Limitations on Working’ for more information.)
A student must be in residence during the quarter in which the final degree is conferred or in the quarter immediately preceding degree conferral.
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Candidates for the LLM in Corporate Governance and Practice must successfully complete each of the following courses in addition to the two LLM Core Courses mentioned above:
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For Corporate Governance and Practice students would need to take both Seminar I and Seminar II. Strongly encouraged, but optional (required for the New York Bar): Advanced Legal Writing
In addition, LLM Corporate Governance and Practice students must successfully complete at least four (4) of the following courses, depending on offerings and availability (not all courses are offered every year). The following classes represent the core of the Corporate Law curriculum at Stanford. Note that 1) You are especially encouraged to take courses on corporate finance and accounting. 2) Some of the courses below may have prerequisites or limited enrollment, requiring you to lottery for the class or to otherwise obtain the instructor’s consent. Please consult the course descriptions on the Law School course catalog at https://law.stanford.edu/courses/. 3) At the discretion of the CGP Teaching Fellow, law school classes not on this list that relate to business law may be counted towards fulfillment of these requirements. 4) You may not count blockchain or cryptocurrency courses toward these requirements. Courses that count as a single course: Deals I and II and Law and Economics Seminar I/II.
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You are welcome and encouraged to take classes offered by other schools and departments at Stanford University outside of Stanford Law School.
You may count a maximum of 9 units of non-law classes towards your L.L.M. degree. However, if you are planning to seek admission to the New York Bar, you should ensure that you have taken at least 32 units at the law school. If a non-law course is on this list, it has been pre-approved for law credit. If not, you will need to complete a petition for non-law credit. You can find physical copies of this petition in the Registrar’s office and digital copies on the Registrar’s website.
You can find descriptions and schedules for all Stanford classes at https://navigator.stanford.edu/classes and you may browse syllabi for many of those courses at http://syllabus.stanford.edu. Please refer to individual course descriptions for more information on prerequisites, suggested background prior to enrolling, and enrollment restrictions. Note that individual departments and schools set their own requirements for cross-registration.
In addition to the LLM Core Courses, candidates for the LLM in Environmental Law and Policy must successfully complete each of the following requirements. Both Environmental Law and Policy Colloquium I (fall) and Environmental Law and Policy Colloquium II (spring) are required. And at least one environmental course outside of the law school to be approved by the ELP Teaching Fellow.
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LLM ELP students must successfully complete at least four of the following environmental law focal courses. In addition to these courses, policy practicums that address environmental issues and have been approved by the program can count toward this requirement.
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Other courses both inside and outside the Law School are recommended for LLM ELP students. A list of these courses was provided to all LLM ELP students and is available from the Office of International Graduate Programs. While additional courses both inside and outside the Law School are recommended for LLM ELP students, they do not count toward the required four focal classes. A list of these courses was provided to all LLM ELP students and is available from the Office of International Graduate Programs.
In addition to the LLM Core Courses, candidates for the LLM in International Economic Law, Business & Policy must successfully complete each of the following IELBP LLM Colloquium course, 4 units (2 units each: Fall and Winter or Spring [tbd] quarter)
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The 6 units for Introduction to American Law and Professional Responsibility count towards your total unit minimum/maximum, but are not counted as part of the Fall Quarter unit distribution.
Strongly encouraged, but optional (required for taking the New York Bar**)
Advanced Legal Writing – 3 units (Fall, Winter, or Spring)
One advanced Legal Writing course (any SLS course with a “ALW”) is required for the New York Bar, but IELBP LLM students can opt out with the permission of the Teaching Fellow.
Each IELBP LL.M. student must successfully complete four (4) courses adding up to at least nine (9) units from the following choices, depending on offerings and availability. Please note the offerings are still subject to revision and some courses may be unavailable.
Each student will meet with the IELBP LL.M. Teaching Fellow to identify optimal course selections for each quarter. In preparation, please consult the course descriptions listed at https://law.stanford.edu/courses/.
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Some of the courses listed above in the Additional Required Course list may have prerequisites or are subject to limited enrollment, requiring you to lottery for the class or otherwise obtain the instructor’s consent. LL.M. students will receive further information about SLS lottery and consent information from the Admissions and/or the Registrar’s Office.
All IELBP LL.M. students will have the opportunity to take additional courses of interest offered by SLS. Those LL.M. students considering taking the California or New York State Bar should note specific requirements for applying to the bar in those jurisdictions.
**For those taking the Bar Exam, the Associate Dean of Students will confirm New York or California bar course requirements for the 2025-2026 academic year. The Associate Dean will send a communication to all LLM students before they leave their home countries about information that might be useful for them to know in advance.
The SLS Website provides Bar Exam information for foreign students who obtain an LLM in the United States, available through this link.
Classes Outside the Law School
You are welcome to take non-law classes, e.g., those offered by the Graduate School of Business (GSB) and other schools and departments (Economics, Political Science etc.). You may count a maximum of 9 quarter units of non-law classes towards your LL.M. degree. Note the SLS Student Handbook rules regarding “Cross Registration in Other Schools and Departments of the University.”
For those taking the Bar Exam, you must confirm with the Associate Dean of Students the maximum number of non-law classes allowed by the bar examiners.
To take non-law classes for law credit, you must have approval from the IELBP Teaching Fellow and the Registrar’s Office. You can find SLS Approved Non-Law Courses at https://law.stanford.edu/nl-course. If the course you are interested in is not listed as an approved non-law course, you must submit a petition to the Petitions Committee (via the Registrar’s Office) to take the course. You can find physical copies of this petition in the Registrar’s Office and digital copies on the Registrar’s website.
You can find descriptions and schedules for all Stanford classes at https://navigator.stanford.edu/classes and you may browse syllabi for many of those courses at http://syllabus.stanford.edu. Please refer to individual course descriptions for more information on prerequisites, suggested background prior to enrolling, and enrollment restrictions. Please note that individual departments and schools set their own requirements for cross-registration, but your Teaching Fellow can advise you on how to pursue these offerings.
Note these requirements are subject to revision. Confirmed guidance respecting course selection is distributed to students at the start of the academic year.
In addition to the LLM Core Courses, candidates for the LLM in Law, Science, and Technology must successfully complete each of the following. Both LST Colloquium I and II are required.
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LLM LST students who intend to take the New York Bar also must take an advanced legal writing course that has been pre-approved for the New York Bar, such as Advanced Legal Writing: Business Transactions or Advanced Legal Writing: American Practice. For a complete list of pre-approved advanced legal writing courses and other eligibility requirements, please refer to the New York Bar Exam section of this SLS Student Handbook. In addition to these required courses, a number of others are recommended for all LLM LST students. A list of these courses was provided to all LLM LST students prior to enrollment and is available from the Office of International Graduate Programs.