LL.M. Curriculum
LL.M. Curriculum
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one program, three tracks
LL.M. students enrolled in any of the three Curriculum Tracks may choose from all courses offered during their year of study at Vanderbilt Law School - all tracks also satisfy the course requirements for New York Bar eligibility. In addition, during the fall semester, all LL.M. students are required to take Introduction to Legal Research, Writing and Analysis in the United States. This course, which is specifically tailored to meet the needs of foreign attorneys and scholars, provides a distinct academic forum in which LL.M. students learn:
- How to conduct legal research in the United States;
- The fundamental, generally accepted conventions of written legal analysis and citation in the United States; and
- The basic vocabulary of legal analysis and advocacy in the United States.
All LL.M. students must also take the course entitled Life of the Law.
LL.M. students may enroll in an additional non-credit course, Legal English, which addresses the legal vocabulary. This valuable course acquaints students with the legal terms and idioms they will encounter in the classroom and in legal texts.
Law & Business Track
The Law & Business curriculum and is widely known for producing lawyers who understand not only the legal and regulatory environment in which businesses operate, but also understand corporate governance, the principles of finance and accounting, and the economic frameworks of transactions. Upon completion of the track, students receive a certificate in Law & Business.
The Law & Business Track includes a foundational core curriculum on which students build expertise in areas of interest by choosing from an extensive range of elective courses.
The core curriculum is comprised of five required courses:
- Corporations
- Introduction to Accounting
- Introduction to Corporate Finance for Lawyers
- Securities Regulation
- Introduction to Legal Research, Writing and Analysis in the United States
Students complete an additional 9 credit hours beyond the core curriculum by choosing from a remarkably rich array of elective courses including corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, corporate restructuring, bankruptcy, law and economics, antitrust law, corporate taxation, corporate voting, and secured and global transactions.
Law & Business Track students may enter only in the fall semester each year and must complete degree requirements during one academic year (sequential fall and spring semesters). Students are required to take a minimum of 27 credits and may earn a maximum of 30 academic credits.
Students may choose from a wide range of courses to fulfill an elective requirement of nine credit hours.
Course Track
Students in the Course Track choose their courses from the law school's broad curriculum. Your faculty advisor or a law school administrator will help you tailor your studies to your career goals and intellectual interests. Students are required to earn 24 to 28 credits over two semesters of course work.
Thesis Track
Students in the Thesis Track conduct extensive research that culminates in a lengthy scholarly paper. In addition to elective hours, total credit hours must include a substantial scholarly research and writing project, for which students may earn up to 7 course credits. Students are required to earn 24 to 28 credits over two semesters of course work.
Have Questions?
If you have any questions about the application process, please contact the Admissions Office at (+1) 615-322-6452 or the email below.