United States Law
Earn a Master of Laws (LLM) Degree in Spectacular Southern California
g r a d u at e l a w. p e p p e r d i n e . e d u
LLM in UNITED STATES LAW
The LLM in United States Law is designed for international legal professionals looking to study U.S. law under internationally recognized scholars. In particular, Pepperdine University School of Law offers an unparalleled student experience. Situated overlooking the Pacific Ocean in beautiful Malibu on the edge of vibrant Los Angeles, California, the spectacular location is surpassed only by the law school’s student-centered teaching philosophy. The School of Law is well-known for the warmth and accessibility of its faculty and staff and for its family atmosphere and diversity at the student body level. The LLM in U.S. Law offers a “Fundamentals Track” for students interested in sitting for a U.S. bar exam and a “Flexible Track” for those interested in maximizing the flexibility to design their own program. Generous scholarships are available.
STUDY IN SPECTACULAR SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA Enjoy the excitement of a fast-paced city along with the peaceful environment of Malibu. Located just 35 miles northwest of Los Angeles—a thriving hub for legal practice and international culture—our 830-acre campus offers breathtaking views and a 40,000 square-foot library facility.
influential person in legal education by The National Jurist in 2015 and one of the 100 most influential people in tax and accounting every year since 2006 by Accounting Today. Thanks to our low student-faculty ratio, our students get to know their professors and get handson guidance from nationally recognized scholars and educators.
DESIGN YOUR OWN PROGRAM QUALIFY FOR A U.S. BAR EXAM Students who choose the LLM in U.S. Law’s Fundamentals Track choose courses that prepare them to sit for the bar exam in California, New York, or another state. Pepperdine JD students have historically posted a strong pass rate on the California Bar Exam.
LEARN FROM FACULTY EXPERTS Our professors are legal experts, international authors, and awardwinning mentors. Professor Ed Larson has received a Pulitzer Prize for his writings in legal history and has lectured on all seven continents; Professor Jack Coe is an associate reporter for the Restatement on the U.S. Law of International Commercial Arbitration, and he has chaired (1) the Disputes Division of the ABA International Law Section and (2) the Academic Council of the Institute for Transnational Arbitration; and Professor Paul Caron was named the third most
Students who choose the LLM in U.S. Law’s Flexible Track get a greater say in the courses in their LLM program to individualize the experience to their professional interests and goals. After taking a set of core courses to introduce students to the key areas of U.S. law, students can choose from over 155 courses to complete their LLM program. The program director will help advise and mentor students through the process of designing their individual LLM program.
EXPERIENCE A SUPPORTIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT The Princeton Review recently ranked our faculty the sixth-best in the country with the highest possible score for accessibility. Competition is inherent in legal education, but Pepperdine works hard to ensure that we have a learning environment that promotes productive competition, not destructive
competition. Students actually enjoy their time in law school. We encourage you to visit the law school, if possible, during the application process.
LEARN FROM EXPERTS IN THE FIELD Peter Wendel is faculty director of the LLM in U.S. Law and director of the Pepperdine-Augsburg exchange program at Pepperdine. He has spoken on legal methodology at over 50 law schools and a dozen conferences and retreats internationally. He has received annual teaching awards from Pepperdine University three times, the Pepperdine Student Bar Association twice, and the Santa Clara Law School Student Bar Association twice. He has served as visiting faculty to the University of Augsburg in Germany, the University of Lyon in France, and City University of London in England.
COMPLETE THE PROGRAM AT YOUR OWN PACE Full-time LLM students can complete the program in one year. Part-time students can spread the course work out up to three years. International candidates requiring a student visa will need to maintain an 8-unit load per semester to be considered full-time.
FUNDAMENTALS TRACK: 26 UNITS
FLEXIBLE TRACK: 26 UNITS
Required Courses - 4 Units
Required Courses - 4 Units
»» Introduction to U.S. Law (2)
»» Introduction to U.S. Law (2)
»» U.S. Legal Research, Writing, and Analysis (2)*
»» U.S. Legal Research, Writing, and Analysis (2)
12 Units of the Following Course Work
12 Units of the Following Course Work
»» Corporations (3)
»» Antitrust (2-3)
»» Civil Procedure (5)
»» Corporations (3)
»» Contracts (5)
»» Civil Procedure (5)
»» Community Property (2-3)
»» Contracts (5)
»» Constitutional Structure (2)
»» Community Property (2-3)
»» Criminal Law (3)
»» Constitutional Structure (2)
»» Criminal Procedure (3)
»» Criminal Law (3)
»» Evidence (3-4)
»» Criminal Procedure (3)
»» Introduction to Ethical Lawyering (2)**
»» Evidence (3-4)
»» Property (5)
»» Employment Discrimination Law (2-3)
»» Remedies (3)
»» Family Law (2-3)
»» Torts (5)
»» Federal Income Taxation (3-4)
»» Wills and Trusts (3-4)
»» International Business Transactions (2)
10 Units of Elective Credit
»» Introduction to Ethical Lawyering (2)
* Minimum of 2 units in these classes are mandatory to qualify for the New York Bar **Mandatory to qualify for the California Bar and the New York Bar
»» Property (5) »» Remedies (3) »» Torts (5) »» Wills and Trusts (3-4) 10 Units of Elective Credit
APPLICATION DEADLINES Rolling admissions for start in the fall (mid-August), spring (January), and summer (late May) terms. Apply early when possible, but applications are always accepted.
Apply at graduatelaw.pepperdine.edu
JOIN OUR COMMUNITY “From the very first day, I realized that studying at Pepperdine Law is more than just attending law school. It is being part of a community -- a community that provides outstanding legal education and award winning excellence in teaching. The faculty mentors every student and always pays attention to individual concerns. “All that offered at one of the world’s most beautiful campuses while also being close to top legal hubs of the inspiring and magnificent “entertainment capital of the world” made studying at Pepperdine a one-of-a-kind experience.” Michael Biesinger, stud. iur. Student assistant at the University of Augsburg, School of Law, Chair for Civil Law, Economic Law, European Law, Private International Law, and Comparative Law and at the Augsburg Center for Global Economic Law and Regulation (ACELR)
310.506.4655 graduatelaw@pepperdine.edu graduatelaw.pepperdine.edu LS1610044
Pepperdine Law Graduate Programs Pepperdine University School of Law 24255 Pacific Coast Hwy Malibu, CA 90263