LL.M. Admissions

Vanderbilt’s electronic application is available on LSAC’s website. 
Apply online using the LSAC electronic application form.

Applicants must submit their official transcripts through the LSAC Credential Assembly Service (CAS). This service is an easy and convenient means of submitting transcripts to a number of different institutions. LSAC, in cooperation with AACRAO (the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers), provides law schools with verification, authentication, and evaluation of transcripts and allows us to efficiently process your application.  
 
Official transcripts from all colleges, universities, or graduate schools attended must be submitted. Your transcripts should show that you have earned, or expect to earn, a university degree in law (the equivalent of a J.D. or LL.B. degree) from an accredited institution outside the United States. Transcripts must show all courses and subjects taken and all grades (marks) received along with a description of the school's grading system. 

Proficiency in English is a prerequisite for the LL.M. program. If your native language is not English, you must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the TOEFL iBT® Special Home Edition, the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or the Duolingo English Test. 
 
Applicants whose native language is not English who have earned an undergraduate law degree from an institution in which English is the language of instruction for all courses may request a waiver of this requirement. Requests may be submitted via email to llm.program@law.vanderbilt.edu.  
 
Applicants should submit official TOEFL scores through LSAC's L.L.M. Credential Assembly Service (CAS). Please use LSAC's designated institution code 8395, and your TOEFL score will be reported to us through LSAC with your other credentials. Vanderbilt’s TOEFL institution code is 1871, and its department code is 03.  
 
IELTS (International English Language Testing System) score reports must be sent electronically to LSAC using the IELTS system. LSAC only accepts scores submitted for electronic download. An institutional code is not required. 
 
Application forms and further information for the TOEFL and IELTS tests may be obtained online at  www.toefl.org. and www.ielts.org. 
 
Note: Vanderbilt Law does not have a minimum score requirement. In general, we look for a TOEFL score of at least 100 or IELTS score of 7.5. We also look at the breakdown for listening, speaking, writing, and reading to ensure that all indicate a high level of English proficiency. However, a lower score in one area or overall does not automatically preclude an applicant from consideration for Vanderbilt's LLM program. Applicants whose test score(s) falls below the aforementioned targets should feel free to highlight any specific issues in the personal statement portion of their application they feel might strengthen their application in this regard, such as time spent in English language environments, work done in English, English language publications, etc. 

The Duolingo English Test is an online English proficiency test that can be taken online, on-demand, in under an hour. The test is taken via a computer with a camera and includes a proficiency score, video interview, and writing sample, all of which are shared with Vanderbilt when you send your results. Certified results are available within 48 hours of the test session. 

Two letters of recommendation must be submitted through the LSAC Letter of Recommendation Service. Letters should be from people who have worked closely with you and who know you well. Letters from faculty members who have served as your advisors, research supervisors, or have taught you and are familiar with your work tend to provide information most relevant to you as a prospective law student and most helpful to readers of your application. Recommendations from those familiar with your professional performance are also acceptable.

Personal statements must be submitted with your Vanderbilt Electronic Application. Your personal statement should include your personal, academic, and professional background and your reasons for seeking the LL.M. degree. 

Resumes must be submitted with your Vanderbilt Electronic Application. Please list your educational institutions and professional experience, in addition to any scholarships, awards, or honors you have received.

You must provide a writing sample in English of no fewer than 300 words. Your writing sample may be a legal opinion, a scholarly article, or an essay on a legal topic of your choosing. 

In addition to a bar examination, there are character, fitness, and other qualifications for admission to the bar in every U.S. jurisdiction. Applicants are encouraged to determine the requirements for any jurisdiction in which they intend to seek admission by contacting the jurisdiction. Addresses for all relevant agencies are available through the National Conference of Bar Examiners.

With an eye toward these professional standards, the Vanderbilt application for admission asks specific questions concerning disciplinary actions in an academic setting, charges or convictions of crimes, and charges or findings of offenses (whether or not defined as crimes). Bar examiners may review your answers to these questions on your law school application when you apply for admission to the bar and your background records are checked.

Payment of the $50.00 nonrefundable application fee should be made in U.S. dollars in the form of a certified check or money order payable to Vanderbilt University Law School. If you apply online, you may pay by credit card.