Admission Requirements
1. To qualify for this program, students must demonstrate that they:
- have a first professional degree in law from a foreign country; or
- are qualified to practice law in a foreign country.
The requirements for a first professional degree in law vary by country, but commonly include an LL.B. (Bachelor of Laws), LL.M. (Master of Laws), or J.M. (Juris Masters). The Law School Admissions Council (LSAC) provides a list of country-specific minimum degree requirements to be eligible for admission to the bar, which may be helpful in determining your eligibility for admission into the LL.M. program at William & Mary Law School. LSAC is a not-for-profit organization that provides products and services to support candidates throughout the law school admission process.
2. The LL.M. program requires oral participation, and the ability to write examinations and academic papers in English. To ensure that students gain the most out of their experience and achieve the level of mastery expected of graduate LL.M. students, we require a certification of English language competency. Applicants who have not graduated from a U.S. institution of higher education are required to submit official test scores from one of the following:
- Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), achieving a minimum of 90 (Internet-based total);
- International English Language Testing System (IELTS), achieving a minimum of 6; or
- Duolingo English Test, achieving a minimum of 105.
William & Mary will not accept scores older than two years at the time of application.
Exceptionally, international applicants who meet the following conditions may be considered for admission without submitting English language test scores:
- English is the applicant’s country’s official language; or
- The applicant’s Bachelor’s degree (or higher) was earned from a country where English is both the official language, and the institution’s language of instruction; or
- The applicant’s Bachelor’s degree (or higher) was earned from an institution accredited by a U.S. regional accrediting agency.