Master of Laws (LL.M.)

LL.M. Application Process

The LL.M. program is limited to students who have:

• obtained an LL.B. from a foreign country; or
• completed in a foreign country the university-based legal education required to take the equivalent of the bar examination in that foreign country; or
• qualified to practice law in a foreign country; or
• the equivalent thereof as determined by the LL.M. Admissions Committee.

In admitting students, the LL.M. Admissions Committee will consider, among other things, outstanding academic performance, professional experience, and quality of the degree-granting institution.

Applications for admission to the LL.M. program may be submitted anytime between September 15 and March 15 for planned enrollment the following August. We recommend that you start your application to the Moritz LL.M. Program early. Part of the application process necessitates that you work with third parties, whether they be your recommenders, or institutions that will need to provide documents or scores to complete your application. Moreover, it may often take up to three months to obtain a U.S. student visa, if needed, once you have been officially accepted to the program.

Please read instructions for each section carefully. All required materials must be received before you will be considered for admission to the Moritz LL.M. Program. If you have any questions about the application process, please contact the Moritz LL.M. Office at (614) 292-1241 or moritzllm@osu.edu.

Application Fee

There is a $50 application fee for international students and a fee of $40 for U.S. citizens permanent residents; both are nonrefundable. You must pay this application fee by credit or debit card in U.S. dollars at the time of online application submission.

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Application

The Moritz LL.M. Program uses an online application process. You may pay the required application fee using a credit or debit card, and submit your application and other credentials (see below) via the electronic application process.

If you cannot use the electronic application process, a paper application is available on request from the Moritz LL.M. Office.

Please use your correct legal name at the time you apply to the university. If your name or address changes prior to enrollment in the university, please contact the Moritz LL.M. Office at (614) 292-1241 or moritzllm@osu.edu after the change occurs.

The Social Security Number is collected by the university's Office of Graduate and Professional Admissions as an additional way to identify application materials that you submit in support of your application. In addition, the Office of Student Financial Aid uses the Social Security Number to verify your attendance if you are a loan, scholarship or grant recipient. If you anticipate receiving a loan, scholarship or grant you are strongly encouraged to provide your Social Security Number if you have one; otherwise it is not required for admission and is not used as a main identifier.

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Deadline

Applications will be considered as they are received, so prospective students will increase their chances of admission by applying early. The admissions cycle begins September 15. The final deadline for applications is March 15, and prospective students who apply after this date will be considered only if the class has not been filled or if vacancies occur.

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Academic Record

Official transcripts (and English translations) from all previously attended academic institutions should be sent directly from the awarding institution by the March 15 deadline. When applying online, you may choose to use the credentialing service offered by LSAC (there is a fee for this service). Alternatively, you may choose to send transcripts directly to the Moritz LL.M. Office (address below).

Upon completion of any subsequent courses, or completion of the final semester for new graduates, you must send an updated official transcript to either LSAC (if using the credentialing service) or the Moritz LL.M. Office (address below). Applicants who have attended The Ohio State University are not required to furnish OSU transcripts, but they must provide transcripts for any courses taken elsewhere.

PLEASE ALLOW ADEQUATE TIME FOR US TO RECEIVE FOREIGN TRANSCRIPTS.

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Test Scores: TOEFL or IELTS

Because the Moritz LL.M. program requires large amounts of analytical reading and writing, as well as being able to participate in very interactive classes, we require that you have sufficient knowledge of the English language to succeed in your program of study. Candidates whose native language is not English are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).

Applicants who are citizens of or who have completed a degree in one of the following countries are exempt from the TOEFL/IELTS requirement: Australia, Belize, the British Caribbean and British West Indies, Canada (except Quebec), England, Guyana, Ireland, Liberia, New Zealand, Scotland, the United States and Wales.

Minimum Acceptable Total Scores

• TOEFL: 80 internet-based; 550 paper-based; 213 computer-based
• IELTS: 7.0

You must have taken the test within the past two years. Please arrange to have your TOEFL or IELTS scores sent directly from the testing center to LSAC (if using the credentialing service) or The Ohio State University. The institution code for sending TOEFL scores to Ohio State is 1592. Information and registration materials for the tests can be obtained by contacting TOEFL or IELTS.

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Letters of Recommendation

You are required to submit three letters of recommendation in support of your application for admission. At least one person recommending you needs to be a professor familiar with your legal coursework.

The LL.M. Admissions Committee is especially interested in two aspects of your letters of recommendation: how well your recommenders know you, and what those people tell us about you. We hope to discover concrete examples and descriptions that will enable us to further understand your personality, as well as your potential to succeed after obtaining your LL.M. degree. Recommenders should address topics such as:

• performance in independent study or in research groups
• intellectual independence
• research interests
• capacity for analytical thinking
• ability to work with others
• ability to organize and express ideas clearly
• drive and motivation

Letters must be printed on official academic or business letterhead stationery and signed by the recommender. The applicant’s name should be on each page of the letter. Letters of recommendation will not be accepted if they are unsigned, are not on letterhead, do not include a contact phone number for verification, or if the envelopes have been opened.

Letters must be sent by the recommender, or by the applicant in their original, sealed envelopes, to LSAC (if using credentialing service) or to the Moritz LL.M. Office (address below.)

Please keep in mind it is your responsibility to ensure that your recommenders have submitted their recommendations by the March 15 deadline.

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Resume

All applicants must submit a resume that contains the following:

• all post-secondary educational information;
• all relevant past and present work experience;
• volunteer, service and/or extracurricular activities with which you have been involved in the past three years; and
• a list of any honors and/or awards you have received.

You may submit it as an attachment to the LSAC online application, or mail it to the Moritz LL.M. Office (address below), or scan and email it to moritzllm@osu.edu. Remember, this is an opportunity to give us additional insight into what you will contribute to both the LL.M. class and the Moritz community.

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Personal Statement

Your personal statement is especially valuable to the LL.M. Admissions Committee. It should provide a thoughtful reflection on your reasons for seeking an LL.M. in the United States and on your longer-term career and personal goals.

Please address the following questions in your personal statement:

• What have been your most significant achievements in your legal education and/or professional legal career?
• What are your reasons for seeking to earn an LL.M. degree in the United States, and how will an LL.M. degree further your professional and/or personal goals?
• Is there anything else, not already presented in your application, that you would like the Admissions Committee to know about you in reviewing your application for admission to the Moritz LL.M. Program?

You may submit the personal statement as an attachment to the LSAC online application, or mail it to the Moritz LL.M. Office (address below), or scan and email it to moritzllm@osu.edu.

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Scholarship Essay

To learn more about the scholarships available and the essay required for applying, visit our Scholarships page. You may submit the essay as an attachment to the online LSAC application, mail it to the Moritz LL.M. Office (address below), or scan and email it to moritzllm@osu.edu.

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Decision

Once the Moritz LL.M. Office has received all of the documents required for admission, the LL.M. Admissions Committee will make a decision within six to eight weeks.

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What Happens After You Submit Your Complete Application

A. Provisional Admission (for students seeking F-1 or J-1 visa)
Once an applicant has properly submitted all of the documents required for admission, a provisional admittance decision will be made. If it is favorable, a "recommended for admission" email will be sent to the prospective student from The Ohio State University Graduate and Professional Admissions Office. Attached to this email will be an Affidavit of Financial Support form. This form must be completed and submitted with appropriate documentation to the Graduate and Professional Admissions Office.

B. Official Notice of Admission (for students seeking F-1 or J-1 visa)
Once a student's financial status has been ascertained, the Graduate and Professional Admissions Office sends a letter of Official Notice of Admission, along with an I-20 or DS-2019 if applicable, to the student. The Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services requires that international students requesting an I-20 for an F-1 visa or a DS-2019 for a J-1 visa provide an address outside the United States (see application form). The student will use the I-20 or DS-2019 to obtain a visa.

C. Acceptance Statement and Fees (for all students)
Accompanying the Official Notice of Admission is an Acceptance Statement notifying the newly admitted student that he or she must pay a nonrefundable $25 acceptance fee and a nonrefundable $200 tuition deposit. The tuition deposit will be credited to the LL.M. student's tuition charges for the fall semester. Receipt of the fee/deposit guarantees a seat in the August entering class.

D. Final Transcript (for all students)
New law school graduates must submit a final transcript to LSAC (if using credentialing service) or to the Moritz LL.M. Office (address below) before matriculating.

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Retention of Documents, Reapplication and Deferral Requests

The application and supporting documents become the property of The Ohio State University and may not be returned to the applicant nor forwarded to another institution. All application materials are retained for one year.

An applicant who wishes to reapply for admission for the following year may do so by submitting a new online application and application fee. Transcripts and letters of recommendation may be carried over to the new year, but the applicant will be required to provide the LL.M. Admissions Committee with an updated resume and personal statement.

Admitted applicants who wish to delay enrollment into the LL.M. Program may request a deferral of admission. Such requests must be in writing (email is acceptable) and should outline the reason(s) for the request. Deferral requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the LL.M. Admissions Committee. An applicant who is granted a deferral must pay the $200 tuition deposit in order to hold his/her seat for the coming year and will be asked to provide updated information prior to February 1 of the following year.

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Valuing Diversity

The Ohio State University is committed to building a diverse faculty and staff for employment and promotion to ensure the highest quality workforce, to reflect human diversity, and to improve opportunities for minorities and women. The university embraces human diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunities, affirmative action, and eliminating discrimination. This commitment is both a moral imperative consistent with an intellectual community that celebrates individual differences and diversity, as well as a matter of law.

Discrimination against any individual based upon protected status, which is defined as age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status, is prohibited. Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits sex discrimination. Title I and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 provide equal employment opportunities and reasonable accommodation, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in education programs and activities. Equal access to employment opportunities, admission, educational programs, and all other university activities is extended to all persons.

For further information, contact the Office of Human Resources at 124 Archer House, 2130 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210-1174, (614) 292-4164 or visit http://hr.osu.edu/policy/policyhome.htm. You can access the Cleary Act Annual Crime Report for The Ohio State University.

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Office for Disability Services

Applicants with any documented disability who may require special assistance are urged to contact the Office for Disability Services (ODS). This office coordinates academic support services and accommodations for individuals who have special needs as a result of a permanent or temporary disability. Individuals eligible for services include, but are not limited to, those with attention deficit disorder, mobility, hearing, visual, speech, psychiatric, or learning disabilities. Academic accommodations, auxiliary aids, and support services are individualized and based on disability documentation, functional limitations, and a collaborative assessment of needs. As ODS is the designated campus office to determine appropriate accommodations and auxiliary aids for students with disabilities, documentation of the disability for eligibility determination should be submitted to ODS as early as possible in the admissions process.

For more information about these support services and accommodations:

Office for Disability Services
150 Pomerene Hall 1760 Neil Avenue
Columbus, Ohio 43210-1297 U.S.A.
001-614-292-3307 (V/T)
001-614-429-1334 (VRS)
ods@studentlife.osu.edu
001-614-292-4190 (FAX)
http://www.ods.ohio-state.edu

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Application Checklist & Reminders

Use this checklist to be sure you have completed all necessary steps to apply for admission to the Moritz College of Law LL.M. Program at The Ohio State University.

If using LSAC for BOTH application and credentialing services...

Submit the following items to LSAC:

• Completed electronic application
• Nonrefundable application fee ($50 for international students and $40 for U.S. citizens or permanent residents)
• Official transcripts (and English translations) in sealed envelopes from all previously attended academic institutions
• TOEFL/IELTS scores sent from the testing center
• Resume (as an attachment)
• Personal statement (as an attachment)
• Scholarship essay, if applicable (as an attachment)

If using LSAC for application services only...

Submit the following items to LSAC:

• Completed electronic application
• Nonrefundable application fee ($50 for international students and $40 for U.S. citizens or permanent residents)

Submit the following items to the Moritz LL.M. Office (address below):

• Official transcripts (and English translations) in sealed envelopes from all previously attended academic institutions
• TOEFL/IELTS scores sent from the testing center
• Resume (can be emailed or sent via post)
• Personal statement (can be emailed or sent via post)
• Scholarship essay, if applicable (can be emailed or sent via post)

If you are NOT using LSAC, and wish to submit a paper application...

Submit the following items to the Moritz LL.M. Office (address below):

• Completed application (email us to request a paper form)
• Nonrefundable application fee ($50 for international students and $40 for U.S. citizens or permanent residents), paid by money order, or by check (drawn from a bank that has a branch office in the United States, and which has that branch office name and complete U.S. address printed on the check), made payable to "The Ohio State University"
• Official transcripts (and English translations) in sealed envelopes from all previously attended academic institutions
• TOEFL/IELTS scores sent from the testing center to The Ohio State University
• Resume (can be emailed or sent via post)
• Personal statement (can be emailed or sent via post)
• Scholarship essay, if applicable (can be emailed or sent via post)

ALL items must be received by March 15.

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For More Information

You may contact the LL.M. Office by phone or email as listed below. The office is staffed Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., EST.

The Ohio State University
Moritz College of Law
LL.M. Program Office
55 West 12th Avenue
Columbus, Ohio 43210-1391
001-614-292-1241
moritzllm@osu.edu
http://moritzlaw.osu.edu/programs/llm