LL.M. in Entertainment & Media Law

Southwestern offers the most comprehensive post-J.D. program of study leading to the Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree in Entertainment and Media Law in the country. Under the auspices of the law school’s Donald E. Biederman Entertainment and Media Law Institute, Southwestern prepares current attorneys and new law graduates for practice in creative industries such as film, television, music, theater, advertising, sports and the news media. This LL.M.

Program features:

• eight full-time professors with extensive industry experience and a roster of adjunct faculty that reads like a “Who’s Who” of the entertainment and media law bar
• a rich and varied curriculum including over 45 courses, ranging from foundational subjects to a vast array of more specialized topics
• a comprehensive externship program featuring placements in over 50 settings such as studios, guilds, agencies, law firms, etc.
• the Entertainment and the Arts Legal Clinic, where students provide business and legal services to independent filmmakers and other creative artists
• an Entertainment Law Firm Practicum
• a prestigious executive board and network of alumni
• an international entertainment law summer program in London, England
• the Journal of International Media and Entertainment Law
• an award-winning entertainment law blog

Program Requirements

The LL.M. in Entertainment and Media Law has a limited enrollment and requires 24 credit hours beyond the J.D. degree. The program may be completed in one academic year of full-time study, or over one-and-a-half to four years of part-time study, beginning in the fall, spring, or summer. Each student has the ability to select from a variety of media, entertainment, and intellectual property courses to create a personalized curriculum.

Degree Requirements

To qualify for the LL.M. degree in Entertainment and Media Law, students must have earned a Juris Doctor (J.D.) or equivalent degree and complete a minimum of 24 additional credit hours; 18 credit hours must be in courses within the entertainment and media law curriculum*, including classes in our London and Los Angeles summer programs, and 18 credit hours must be earned at Southwestern. Graduate students are free to elect up to 6 credits from any other courses offered by Southwestern. Courses taken for credit toward a J.D. degree will not be counted toward the LL.M.degree. Students may attend on either a full-time (usually completed in one year) or part-time (usually completed in two years) basis. Students enrolled in the LL.M. program must attain a cumulative grade point average of 2.33 to earn the LL.M. degree.** A graduate student who earns 24 credits with a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or greater, but less than 2.33, will be awarded a Certificate of Completion and may be eligible to take certain state bar examinations, and, if successful, be admitted to practice.

*Copyright Law must have been completed within three years prior to entering the program or during the first semester of the program.

**An LL.M. student who has a J.D. degree from a U.S. law school and does not attain a 2.33 GPA in a semester will be placed on academic probation and will be academically disqualified after two consecutive semesters of full-time work below 2.33.

Admissions Criteria

This LL.M. program is a rigorous course of study designed to immerse graduate students in entertainment, media and intellectual property law. Admission is based on the applicant’s potential for distinguished performance in (and contribution to) the program, academic record, the institutions awarding the baccalaureate and law degrees, professional experience and accomplishments, recommendations, areas of interest, diversity and geographic factors.