LL.M. in U.S. Legal Studies Details

The LL.M. program in U.S. Legal Studies may be pursued on a full-time basis over two consecutive semesters, generally beginning in the fall term which starts in late August. The program can be completed in two or three semesters.  LL.M. candidates are required to complete courses in U.S. Law and Legal Institutions and Legal Writing, and at least 20 additional credit hours, for a minimum of 24 credits. As described below, 2-3 of these credits should satisfy the mandatory writing requirement. LL.M. candidates are required to maintain a C+ average, and obtain a minimum grade of C+ on the writing requirement. In consultation with the faculty, LL.M. students design a course of study in their areas of interest. A major purpose of the U.S. Legal Studies program is enabling students to explore a range of subject areas as well as concentrating in a particular field of law. This flexibility encourages students to study new legal areas for the first time, as well as to further their specialization in particular subjects.  To encourage students to take advantage of a diverse faculty with different backgrounds and teaching styles, LL.M. students may not take more than one course a semester from the same professor without approval of the LL.M. Director or their designee.

Certificates of Specialization

Students may obtain a certificate of specialization as part of their LL.M. degree. The School of Law offers certifications in four areas:

Students should announce their intention to seek a certification at the beginning of their academic year. Students must take a minimum of 9 credits in their area of specialization and in addition fulfill their writing requirement in that area. The required courses in U.S. Law and Legal Institutions and Legal Research and Writing do not count towards the 9-credit requirement. Students must achieve a minimum of a B average in their certification courses and writing requirement in order to be awarded the certificate. Students may be required to take the entry-level course in their certification area, depending upon their prior preparation and experience. This course would count towards the 9-credit minimum. Note that students do not need to choose an area of specialization; this is only an option to allow students who wish to specialize to draw upon particular strengths within the School of Law.

Writing Requirement

LL.M. students must satisfy a 2-3 credit writing requirement as part of their degree program. The paper must be on a topic approved by the director of international programs, and written on a graded basis. There are several ways the writing requirement can be fulfilled:

  1. Writing a thesis, as described below,
  2. In conjunction with a class that requires a substantial paper (minimum 20 page length),
  3. With the permission of the instructor at the beginning of the course, substituting a substantial paper for an examination,
  4. As a special research project of not less than two credits supervised by a full-time or adjunct faculty member,
  5. Writing a piece certified to be published or nearly publishable by the faculty advisor of the Connecticut Law Review, the Connecticut Journal of International Law, the Connecticut Public Interest Law Journal, or the Connecticut Insurance Law Journal

Thesis

LL.M. students may, at their option, write a thesis for 3 credits that satisfies the writing requirement. A thesis is a substantial paper that is of publishable or near publishable quality, and involves supervised drafts. LL.M. students must write a thesis if they wish to be considered for honors. A thesis can be written in two ways:

  1. As part of a 3 credit course with permission of the instructor, who acts as the thesis advisor,
  2. As a special 3 credit research project supervised by a full-time faculty member

Honors Designation

LL.M. students are eligible to graduate with honors under the following conditions:

  1. Obtain a minimum 3.3 grade point average,
  2. Write a thesis and obtain a grade of A or A- as determined by the faculty advisor, and
  3. The thesis must also be submitted to a 3-member faculty panel composed of the thesis advisor, the director of the Program and a faculty member chosen jointly by the student and the advisor. The panel would not alter the faculty advisor's grade, but would make the final determination whether the thesis was of honors quality. The panel serves as a screening process to help ensure a level of uniformity in determining what constitutes an honors thesis