The J. Reuben Clark Law School created the Master of Law (LLM) program in 1988 to provide an opportunity for lawyers trained in jurisdictions outside the United States to study the U.S. legal system. The program provides maximum exposure to the U.S. legal system and interaction between master of law students and students seeking the juris doctorate degree. Students obtain a solid foundation in the basic principles of U.S. law while being allowed the flexibility to pursue personal academic interests. To ensure a superior educational experience for students in the program, admission is generally limited to six to eight students per year.

The master of law (LLM) degree is conferred upon successful completion of a minimum 24 credit hours earned during at least two semesters in residence following completion of a JD degree or its equivalent outside the United States.

Requirements for Degree.

• Credit hours (24): credits toward the LLM degree must be earned during at least two regular BYU Law School semesters.
• Required courses: each student will be required to complete Introduction to American Law as well as Legal Research and Writing during the fall semester. Additionally, each student is required to complete one of the regular first-year courses in the JD program. The course chosen to fulfill this requirement is determined by the student in consultation with his or her faculty-appointed advisor.
• Written thesis: a student may earn up to 6 credit hours for a written thesis project supervised by an appointed thesis advisor and defended before that advisor and two additional readers. Although the written thesis is encouraged, it is not required for completion of the LLM degree.
• The student chooses the remainder of his or her curriculum from the regular juris doctor course offerings.