General Law LL.M. Curriculum
Program Design
The General Law LL.M. program requires completion of 40 quarter credits during a minimum of three quarters (nine months) of full-time study and residence in Seattle. Students may elect to study for longer than three quarters. Though the program is designed for full-time study, in some situations part-time study may be possible.
The General Law LL.M. curriculum features:
- A minimum of core courses including a foundational theory and method seminar; a legal studies writing seminar; and an introduction to the American legal system and research methods course (non-U.S. trained students only)
- A maximum of elective courses designed to meet each student's personal interests and career goals
- A major writing project in the form of a supervised academic research paper or a practice oriented substantial written work-product
Core Courses
A Foundational Theory and Method Seminar approved by the General LL.M. program director and selected from a wide range of seminars and courses focusing on theoretical and interdisciplinary perspectives on law to meet each student's individual interests and goals.
A course or field placement approved by the General LL.M. program director and culminating in the submission of a major writing project, such as:
- A Writing Seminar
- A seminar approved by the General LL.M. program director combined with faculty supervised independent research credits
American Legal System and Method. Students holding a foreign law degree are also required to complete the Law B550A American Legal System and Method course. It provides a systematic and structured examination of the U.S. legal system and is designed to introduce students to the methods and materials for legal analysis, research and writing on U.S. law.
Elective Courses
UW School of Law offers a broad choice of courses across a wide range of fields. Students may pursue cross-cutting and interdisciplinary studies or focus their studies in a particular substantive area, such as:
- American Legal System
- Constitutional and administrative law
- Criminal justice system
- Dispute resolution
- Estates and Family Relations
- Labor and employment law
- Legal Theory
- Public Service Law
Students are free to choose their own courses, depending on their areas of interest, with the approval of the Program Director. Most second and third year J.D. program courses and courses offered as part of other LL.M. programs are open to General Law LL.M. students.
The selection of courses varies from year to year depending on course availability. For detailed course descriptions please see the Course Catalog.
Research and Practical Skills Pathways
LL.M. candidates in the General Law LLM program complete their program in the Research Pathway or the Practical Skills Pathway.
Research Pathway
LL.M. candidates in the research pathway must successfully complete a substantial academic research paper that demonstrates a high degree of skill in legal scholarship and writing. The paper can be written in connection with a class or through independent research and writing.
Practical Skills Pathway
LL.M. candidates in this pathway register for and successfully complete an approved experiential course or an externship for credit. Students who are electing the Practical Skills Pathway must designate this pathway no later than the beginning of the third quarter of their first academic year of study, upon approval of their program advisor.
As UW’s LL.M. programs can typically be completed within one nine-month academic year of full-time enrollment, students who are F1 student visa holders and who do an off-campus externship for course credit (typically registered as a B552 Comparative Law Tutorial or dedicated externship credits), can be eligible for Curricular Practical Training during their first academic year of study, but must first apply for and receive a Form I-20 indicating that curricular practical training has been approved.