Master of Laws Penn State Dickinson Law

Dickinson Law offers one of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious Master of Laws programs.

Throughout its rich 40-year history, the Master of Laws (LL.M.) program at Dickinson Law has welcomed students from around the world who have come to advance their legal careers through direct access to world-class litigators and legal scholars, extensive opportunities for hands-on learning, and varied opportunities for academic concentration and scholarship. Studying alongside J.D. students, LL.M. students enroll in a wide variety of courses that allow concentration in certain types of law or law-related topics.

The LL.M. program at Penn State Dickinson Law is highly selective with a limited number of qualified students admitted each year. To be considered for admission, applicants must have completed, or be in the process of completing, a first professional degree in law. This is generally a J.D. from an ABA-approved, U.S. law school or the equivalent to the J.D. from an international law school. Successful applicants are often licensed to practice law and have significant professional experience in legal practice.

Dickinson Law maintains a holistic approach to admission. Successful applicants will have provided a clear and compelling rationale for pursuing an LL.M. degree and specifically at Penn State Dickinson Law. It is important that applicants have well-defined career plans and demonstrate the importance of earning an LL.M. degree in realization of those plans.

For admission to the LL.M. program, applicants must submit an application via the Law School Admission Council (LSAC). Dickinson Law does not assess any application fees.

While most students seek to enroll in the fall semester (August), LL.M. students also have the option of beginning the LL.M. program in the spring semester (January).

Dickinson Law offers a flexible LL.M. degree program designed to give students a high-level understanding of the U.S. legal system. Students must earn a minimum of 24 credits and complete the following courses:

• LL.M. Legal Research
• LL.M. Legal Writing

Introduction to the U.S. Legal System Additionally, LL.M. students must enroll in one course from the following list:

• Civil Procedure
• Constitutional Law
• Contracts
• Criminal Law
• Property
• Torts
• Criminal Procedure

The Dickinson Law curriculum provides all coursework necessary to sit for the New York bar examination. LL.M. students may enroll in a rich array of courses offered in the law school curriculum, including specialized coursework in areas such as:

• Arbitration, Mediation, and Negotiation
• Business Law
• Criminal Law and Procedure
• Cyber Law, Data Privacy, and Information Security
• Elder Law
• Government Law & Policy
• Health Law and Policy
• Intellectual Property and Innovation
• International Trial Advocacy
• Security Law
• Tax Law

Career Services

To help students navigate today’s job market, Dickinson Law offers a professional development series, including workshops on resume writing, cover letters, networking, and job search resources. Our Career Services Office offers individualized counseling and career strategy planning sessions as well as assistance with the preparation of job applications and practice interviews. Dickinson Law also sponsors the annual International Student Interview Program (ISIP) which facilitates the hiring of highly qualified foreign-trained lawyers enrolled in U.S. LL.M. programs.

Penn State Dickinson Law

Considered among the nation’s best law schools, Penn State Dickinson Law is the oldest ABA-accredited law school in Pennsylvania and one of the oldest in the United States. For over 185 years, Dickinson Law has produced some of the world’s finest attorneys, judges, government and corporate leaders, and legal scholars. Dickinson Law’s historic campus offers a state-of-the-art facility featuring classrooms and seminar rooms, a moot courtroom with a 200-seat observatory, and a legislative hearing room. The H. Laddie Montague Jr. Law Library is a modern research facility offering law-related resources and a wide range of services that support the Law School’s curriculum and the advancement of legal scholarship.

Location

Located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, the Dickinson Law campus is strategically located close to Harrisburg—the capital of the Commonwealth—and its judicial, legislative, and executive offices. Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Baltimore, and New York City are all easily accessible by car or train. Carlisle continuously ranks as one of the country’s most livable small towns in the U.S. due in part to the diversity of the people and institutions, amenities, and array of community activities. The cost of living consistently rates below the U.S. average, making it an affordable, cost-efficient option for attending law school.

Campus Life

At Dickinson Law, we make it easy to become involved in the campus community. Students collaborate with faculty on research projects and participate in a variety of student organizations that offer opportunities to explore interests, discover new passions, and make friends. Dickinson Law has recently launched an International Law Society to offer students the opportunity to advance the study, research, and exploration of international law.