You’ve been admitted to an LL.M. program; now what?

You’ve been admitted to a law school’s LL.M. program. Here are the next steps, from accepting the offer to registering for courses. 

Accepting an offer

The admission letter will generally ask you to provide your answer by a specified date or within some specific number of weeks after receiving your admission. Please pay attention to this deadline. If you need additional time before making a decision, ask. Some law schools will be quite permissive about this, aware that you may be waiting for offers of admission from other law schools or trying to arrange financing for your studies. Other schools may not grant extensions. In any event, you should inquire about the possibility of an extension well in advance of the deadline. Most schools require that you submit a deposit of $500 or even $1,000 to secure your place in the class. This deposit is non-refundable if you decide not to attend the program, but the deposit amount will be applied toward your first semester’s tuition at that school. It is expected that you will also inform law schools to which you have been admitted but decide not to attend of your decision. And if your plans should change and you choose not to attend a school whose offer you have accepted, you should advise that law school as soon as possible so that it can offer your space to another candidate. 

Beginning the visa process

At most US law schools, the payment of a deposit triggers the process that will allow you to get a visa to come to the US to study. A comprehensive discussion of the visa process is beyond the scope of this article, but I strongly suggest that you not delay undertaking the steps necessary to get your visa. You will have to collect information on financial resources and other data that may take some time. In addition, several actors are involved in this process, including the LL.M. program admissions office, your university’s international student services office, and the U.S. consulate or embassy that issues visas in your home country. In particular, consulates and embassies vary enormously in the processing time needed to secure a student visa, so you should begin this process as early as possible. 

Seeking advance determination of eligibility to sit for the New York state bar examination

Admission to an LL.M. program in the U.S. does not guarantee eligibility to sit for the bar of any U.S. state. Only a few U.S. states permit those with a U.S. LL.M. degree and a foreign law degree to sit for the bar examination—most prominently California and New York. Many international LL.M. graduates sit for the New York State Bar Examination. You first need to secure an advance determination of eligibility to sit for the exam from the New York State Board of Law Examiners (BOLE). The BOLE strongly encourages foreign applicants to submit the necessary documentation one year before the application period for the examination they wish to take. They must submit the documentation no later than six months before the first day of the application period. It is also important to note that the documents have to be sent directly from the issuing institution in your home country. Therefore, it is essential that you start this process while still at home. I urge you to submit your documentation as early in the process as possible to be sure that you can compile and submit your materials by the deadline. The requirements for eligibility to sit for the New York Bar Examination and the process for seeking advance eligibility are described in detail on the website of the Board of Law Examiners.

Course registration

Course registration at U.S. law schools generally takes place several months before classes begin. Your law school will send you comprehensive information about selecting courses consistent with LL.M. program requirements and the process for registration. It is essential that you register for courses on the first available date. U.S. law school classes have space restrictions and sometimes close due to over-enrollment. Pay careful attention to the information provided by your law school so that you register on time and maximize your chances of enrolling in the classes that you want.

Desiree Jaeger-Fine is a writer and author of Pursuing Happiness: One Lawyer’s Journey, A Short & Happy Guide to Networking and A Short & Happy Guide to Being Hired.