Application Process

Application Checklist*

• Northeastern University School of Law LLM Application Form (available through the Law School Admission Council or via our website). The application is available via the "Apply Now" tab on our website.
• Résumé or Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Two-page Personal Statement
• **One letter of recommendation
• **Official transcripts. If applicable, transcripts should be translated into English.
• **Score reports for the Internet-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL iBT®) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS)  if English is not your first language.
• **The Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) is not required, but applicants who have taken it should submit a report of their score.

*Any document submitted to the School of Law as part of the application becomes university property and will not be returned to the student. 

**If you apply through the Law School Admission Council, your LSAC LLM Credential Assembly Service (LLM CAS) report will include your letter of recommendation, transcripts and test scores.

Once admitted to the LLM Program, you will be asked to submit a non-refundable tuition deposit of $500 to secure your place in the class. Admitted students who are not US citizens and who need an I-20 for a student visa application or for a change of immigration status will be required to provide documentation of financial resources sufficient to cover the cost of the LLM Program and all living expenses that will be incurred while pursuing the degree.

LLM Credential Assembly Service

The LLM Program at Northeastern University School of Law accepts applications directly or through the Law School Admission Council (LSAC). Students who apply through LSAC should register with the LLM Credential Assembly Service (LLM CAS) provided by LSAC. This service collects and authenticates your academic records and letters of recommendation, and (if applicable) your TOEFL iBT® or IELTS score report. Once complete, LSAC sends the CAS report, including all your documents and evaluations of any international transcripts, to Northeastern University School of Law. To use the Credential Assembly Service, register for an account at LSAC.org and follow the instructions to register for the service. Questions about the Credential Assembly Service can be directed to LSAC at +1.215.968.1315.

Transcripts

Transcripts for all previously attended colleges and universities, law schools and graduate schools must be sent directly by the schools to LSAC's LLM Credential Assembly Service (LLM CAS) or to the Northeastern University School of Law LLM Program.

NU Transcript Policy

NU’s transcript policy requires enrolling graduate and professional degree program students to submit to NU official transcripts including evidence of the completion of the bachelor’s degree and the date of degree conferral within 30 days from the start of their first academic term. Failure to complete this requirement will result in a registration hold being placed on the student’s account preventing future term course registration.

Official Transcript Requirements and Definition:
You are required to arrange for receipt by NUSL your transcripts (or marksheets) that evidences all university-level (post-secondary education) courses, credits and grades (or marks) from any and all colleges or universities that you have ever attended, whether or not you received a degree from said colleges or universities. If you hold a degree from any previous institution, and if the transcripts do not evidence the completion of a degree, you are also required to arrange for receipt by NUSL an official certificate of completion or diploma that evidences the degree that you hold, and the date of degree conferral. An official document/transcript is one that is generally printed on security sensitive paper, and includes a university seal, and the signature of the registrar’s office or similar authority. Official electronic transcripts also include a university seal and the signature of the registrar’s office. Generally, any document received directly from a student is not considered official, unless it is received in a sealed package or envelope. An official document is typically one that is sent from the originating institution or company directly to NUSL or LSAC for processing. Documents received by NU become the property of NU and cannot be returned.

Deadline:
You are encouraged to complete this requirement prior to matriculation. You are required to complete this requirement by/before deadline: 30 days after the first day of classes of your effective term of entry (e.g. if September 15 is the first day of the term for which you plan to course enroll/matriculate, you must complete this requirement by October 14). After the deadline, students will not be allowed to enroll for the subsequent term unless and until they fulfill this requirement.

Standardized Tests

Applicants to the LLM Program whose first language is not English should provide a TOEFL iBT® or IELTS score report.  Applicants whose first law degree was conducted in English are not required to provide a TOEFL iBT® or IELTS score report.

The TOEFL iBT® is offered by:
Educational Testing Service (ETS)
TOEFL Services
P.O. Box 6151
Princeton, NJ 08541-6151, USA
Phone: (609) 771-7100
Email: toefl@ets.org
Website: www.ets.org/toefl

Contact the ETS and request that your TOEFL score be sent directly to LSAC or directly to Northeastern. The TOEFL code for LSAC’s LLM Credential Assembly Service is 8395; the TOEFL code for Northeastern University School of Law is 4999. The ETS website can provide current information about test registration and scheduling. Northeastern University School of Law also accepts an official IELTS score report. Test scheduling and registration information for the IELTS exam can be found on the IELTS website.

On-Campus LLM applicants who achieve a score of 85 or better on the TOEFL iBT® or an IELTS overall band score of 6.5 or better will be considered for admission.  Applicants with a TOEFL score of 79-84 will be considered for admission and required to complete an oral interview via the internet or in person as part of the application process.

The LSAT is not required for entry into the LLM Program, but applicants who have taken it should submit their score.

Recommendations

Applicants must have one letter of recommendation submitted by their recommender, either directly to the Northeastern University School of Law LLM Program or through the LSAC Letter of Recommendation Service, which is part of the CAS registration. A maximum of two letters of recommendation may be submitted. We suggest that applicants select individuals who have first-hand knowledge of their academic work, intellectual and personal qualities, and other characteristics that make them a strong LLM candidate.

Résumé

All applicants must submit a résumé or curriculum vitae as part of the application. The résumé may include academic and professional honors received (e.g., prizes, scholarly awards, membership in honor societies, recognition/service awards); extracurricular and community activities; work experience; and references for any scholarly publications.

Personal Statement of Purpose

All applicants must provide a personal statement of purpose, written in their own words. The personal statement should be two pages, double-spaced. It should discuss the applicant’s reasons for applying to the Northeastern University School of Law’s LLM Program and explain how the degree relates to the applicant's professional and personal goals.