LLM & LLM/MBA Admissions

About the LLM Program

Richmond Law’s LLM is typically a one-year, full-time, master’s level law program for lawyers whose first degree in law is from outside the United States or have been admitted to practice law outside of the U.S. It offers an opportunity for lawyers to gain a firm grounding in U.S. law and the common law system while polishing their communication and legal English skills. The University of Richmond is known for its outstanding faculty and the personalized attention that professors give each student. Options are available for a general LLM or specialized LLM degrees in Intellectual Property and/or International Business. 

Different from many LLM programs, LLM students enrolled in the University of Richmond School of Law are integrated into the JD program. LLM students are required to complete 24 credits of academic coursework. Though two of these courses—Introduction to the U.S. Legal System and U.S. Legal Research and Writing—are for LLM students only, all other courses LLM students elect to take are with JD students. LLM students may elect to enroll in first-year JD courses, upper-level JD courses, and seminars.

To be eligible, a student must have a first degree from a non-U.S. law school or have been admitted to practice law outside of the U.S. 

You may apply for Fall or Spring admission.

Three Semester LLM

Richmond Law offers international students the opportunity to complete a three-semester LLM in American Law! With the possibility of extending the one-year full-time LLM program to three semesters, students can obtain a deeper understanding and knowledge of the U.S. and the Common Law system while continuing to hone their communication and legal English skills.

Students in the three-semester LLM have the option to:

• Complete (for credit) legal and linguistic courses that provide them with the tools they need to best learn in their other law classes.
• Complete a program and choose classes that will best prepare them to sit for a U.S. Bar Exam
• Specialize in their studies by focusing on a particular area of law or completing Certificates in Intellectual Property and/or International Business. 

All LLM students are able to receive assistance and support from our Applied Linguistics Specialist through taking courses, participating in workshops, and receiving one-on-one tutorial sessions. 

LLM/MBA candidates enjoy the best of both worlds: access to an advanced legal degree combined with a sophisticated business education. One of only a few programs of its kind in the world, the LLM/MBA dual degree prepares students to deal effectively with global business and legal transactions. This full-time, 24-month program is designed for lawyers educated outside the United States who want to enhance their knowledge of both the U.S. legal system and the business world. Students who complete the program will receive both a master’s degree in law (the LLM) and a master’s degree in business administration (the MBA), both through the University of Richmond. 

Different from many LLM programs, LLM students enrolled in the University of Richmond School of Law are integrated into the JD program. LLM students are required to complete 24 credits of academic coursework. Though two of these courses—Introduction to the U.S. Legal System and U.S. Legal Research and Writing—are for LLM students only, all other courses LLM students elect to take are with JD students. LLM students may elect to enroll in first-year JD courses, upper-level JD courses, and seminars.

All applicants to the program must hold a qualifying first degree in law from a foreign institution outside the U.S. or have been admitted to practice in another country and submit a qualifying TOEFL or IELTS score or an English score waiver.  Applicants to the joint LLM/MBA program must also submit GMAT or GRE scores.

Application- The application must be completed in full, with all required and relevant optional questions answered. 

Personal Statement - The personal statement should be approximately two pages long and provide insight into your career goals and experiences. We encourage you to provide information about yourself otherwise not found in your application.  We do not recommend explaining any legal or educational issues associated with your application here. If needed, please address these issues in an addendum.

Addendum - An addendum must be submitted to address any legal, character and fitness, or educational issues associated with your application. If there are multiple issues, each should be addressed in its own addendum. There is no required format.

Résumé or Curriculum Vitae - The résumé or curriculum vitae may be of any length and should provide chronological information about your academic background, work experiences, extracurricular or charitable activities, and accomplishments.

Letters of Recommendation - Applicants are encouraged to use the Letter of Recommendation Service offered through the Credential Assembly Service. Applicants may arrange for Letters of Recommendation to be sent directly to the LLM Admissions office from the email account of the person writing the letter. They may also be mailed directly to the school from the recommender in a sealed envelope and signed across the seal.  The mailing address is Law Admissions Office, 203 Richmond Way, Richmond, VA 23173. 

Applicants are required to submit two Letters of Recommendation, and up to four will be accepted. Letters of Recommendation should come from former law professors or employers and address the applicant’s ability to pursue a graduate legal education. Recommendation letters must be in English or accompanied by an English translation. Note: All letters of recommendation are held in confidence and are used for law admissions purposes only.

Transcripts Evaluation - Applicants are encouraged to use either LSAC’s Credential Assembly Service (CAS) or World Evaluation Services (WES) Credential Evaluation Services. Official transcripts from all institutions of higher education attended must be included.

Applicants may apply for conditional admission using unverified/unofficial transcripts initially. Unverified/unofficial transcripts must be sent directly from the school to the LLM Admissions Office. Transcripts must be in both the native language of the institution and in English and include an explanation of the university’s grading system. If conditionally admitted, transcripts must be submitted to an approved third-party evaluator, such as LSAC’s CAS or WES, for verification immediately.  The visa process will not begin until verified transcripts are received.  

English Language Proficiency - All international applicants are expected to demonstrate fluency in the English language. Candidates whose native language is not English are required to take either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam. Scores must be submitted either through LSAC or directly from the testing institution. Paper copies of scores are not accepted. 

Candidates who do not demonstrate sufficient English-language proficiency may be granted conditional admission pending successful completion of a recommended English language program.

International applicants who believe they are fluent in English or have completed their undergraduate (or other advanced degrees) at an institution where the primary language of instruction is English may request a waiver of the English language testing requirement. Applicants must submit a written statement indicating their level of proficiency and how they achieved it, i.e., either through school instruction or work experience in an English-speaking professional position.

English Proficiency

In addition to either a first degree in law from outside the U.S. or being admitted to practice law outside the U.S., applicants to the LLM program should demonstrate excellent English language abilities (as evidenced by an English proficiency exam or waiver request) and a strong record of academic or professional accomplishments. 

The preferred scores are listed below. However, Richmond Law will accept students with lower scores where there are other indicia of language fluency.

TOEFL: 100 (internet-based total); 250 (computer-based total); or 600 (paper-based total)

IELTS: 7

Candidates who do not demonstrate sufficient English-language proficiency may obtain conditional admission.  More information can be found here.

English Language Conditional Admission

All international applicants are expected to demonstrate fluency in the English language. Candidates whose native language is not English are required to take either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam. Scores must be submitted either through LSAC or directly from the testing institution. Paper copies of scores are not accepted. 

Candidates who do not demonstrate sufficient English-language proficiency may be granted conditional admission, pending successful completion of a recommended English language program.  More information can be found here.

Official Transcript Conditional Admission

Applicants are encouraged to use either LSAC’s Credential Assembly Service (CAS) or World Evaluation Services (WES) Credential Evaluation Services.  Official transcripts from all institutions of higher education must be submitted for final acceptance into the LLM program. Unofficial transcripts, however, may be included initially.

Applicants may apply for conditional admission using unverified/unofficial transcripts initially. Unverified/unofficial transcripts must be sent directly from the school to the LLM Admissions Office. Transcripts must be in both the native language of the institution and in English and include an explanation of the university’s grading system. If conditionally admitted, transcripts must be submitted to an approved third-party evaluator, such as LSAC’s CAS or WES, for verification immediately.  The visa process will not begin until verified transcripts are received.  

State Bar Character and Fitness - An applicant’s character and fitness to practice law must be established as a prerequisite for licensure. When you apply to sit for the bar exam, you are required to provide relevant, detailed background information that will be carefully evaluated by the bar examiners in the state in which you apply. Any information discovered during this background investigation that negatively reflects on your character and fitness to practice law may be treated as just cause for further analysis.

As part of the process, all applicants must disclose any information regarding events both before and during law school. The State Bar’s Character and Fitness Committee will compare your answers to its questions with those provided in your law school application. Any discrepancies can result in adverse consequences, so the information you provide on your law school application must be accurate and complete.  Should the committee find that your responses on the law school application are inconsistent with those provided on the bar exam application, the Board of Bar Examiners will likely initiate a more intensive review of your file. Should this review occur, you may be subject to sanctions, including revocation of law school admission and/or a delay in certification of fitness.

Merit Scholarships
The University of Richmond School of Law offers scholarship assistance. All applicants for admission are considered for these scholarships; no separate application form is required. 

Educational Loans
Permanent Residents and U.S. Citizens applying for federal loans must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA is available for submission online starting October 1, 2022, and we would encourage you to submit the required documents no later than February 25 or as soon as possible therafter.  You can submit your FAFSA at www.fafsa.ed.gov; the University of Richmond School of Law FAFSA code is 003744.    

The University of Richmond prohibits discrimination and harassment against applicants, students, faculty, or staff on the basis of race, religion, national or ethnic origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, status as a veteran, or any classification protected by local, state, or federal law.

As a recipient of federal funds, the University complies with federal laws prohibiting discrimination, including Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX). Title IX provides that: “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”

Admissions applications will be reviewed in a holistic approach and decisions will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, national origin, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, or disability, or military status. 

You are assured both by school policy and by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act that the information will be confidential and accessible only to school officials, government agencies, and others with a legitimate educational interest in this information. 

Richmond Law seeks to admit highly qualified applicants who have demonstrated the potential to complete not only a rigorous course of legal study but also possess the promise of contributions to the law school, the legal profession, and the broader community. Using a holistic review process, the Admissions Committee seeks to admit a student body of wide-ranging backgrounds, education, and experience.  In so doing, the Committee seeks to bring a variety of skills and perspectives to the classroom and campus community.

In determining an applicant’s suitability for the program, the Admissions Committee reviews academic factors such as the candidate’s GPA, transcripts, undergraduate institution, and the quality of the applicant’s prior academic experience. Emphasis is also placed on the applicant’s capacity for law school study, as reflected through appropriate evaluative mechanisms, including but not limited to standardized tests and writing samples.  In addition, the Committee recognizes that other factors such as location, ethnicity, leadership qualities, challenges overcome, and work experience can contribute to an applicant’s likelihood for success in law school.  The Committee further acknowledges that such factors can affect the applicant’s ability to constructively impact the legal profession as well as the society at large.

Character and Fitness

Applicants to Richmond Law are required to complete all questions in the Character and Fitness section.  Applicants have a continuing obligation to update their responses to these questions if the answers change, even after their application is complete. 

Admission Decisions

Once an application has been marked complete, candidates can expect a timely decision, usually within six to eight weeks. On occasion, some applications may be held for future review.

Offers of Admission & Deferral

Offers of Admission are good for the year in which the offer is made. An applicant who chooses not to enroll for the year in which the admission offer is made may reapply the following year by completing an updated application. Admission in one year does not, however, guarantee admission in subsequent years, and applicants are considered holistically each year.

Applicants may request a deferral of enrollment by emailing the Associate Dean of Admissions. Deferrals are evaluated on a case-by-case basis, and applicants must provide a statement explaining their reasons for requesting a deferral. Deferments may be granted for up to two years for military service, or other recognized paid service work such as Teach for America, Peace Corps, etc.

Applicants who are not granted deferral may reapply for admission in subsequent year(s) and will be considered with the applicant pool for that year.

The University of Richmond School of Law programs for professions that require licensure or certification are intended to prepare the student for Virginia licensure and certification requirements. Admission into any programs for professions that require licensure and certification does not guarantee that students will obtain a license or certificate. Licensure and certification requirements are set by agencies, not controlled by or affiliated with the University of Richmond School of Law, and licensure and certification requirements can change at any time.

The University of Richmond School of Law has not determined whether its programs meet other states’ educational or professional licensure and certification requirements. Students planning to pursue licensure or certification in other states are responsible for determining whether the completion of the University of Richmond School of Law programs will meet their state’s requirements for licensure or certification. This disclosure is made pursuant 34 CFR §668.43(a)(5)(v).