Georgetown University Law Center offers a Certificate of Study in the increasingly important field of Employee Benefits Law. Including both tax and labor-oriented courses, the Certificate program provides students a broad knowledge of all aspects of benefits practice. Adjunct faculty from government agencies such as the Internal Revenue Service, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, and the U.S. Department of Labor, as well as from private practice, bring to their teaching extensive experience in the field. Members of the full-time faculty with expertise in employee benefits advise on the development of the curriculum.

The Employee Benefits Law Certificate is available to students enrolled in a Georgetown LL.M. degree program and to students who are not so enrolled but who were admitted separately to the Certificate program.

Employee Benefits flyer

All candidates for the Certificate must have completed a basic course in federal income taxation, as it is a prerequisite for the tax courses in the program.

The following are requirements for the Employee Benefits Law Certificate:

  • Candidates must successfully complete a minimum of 10 academic credits of courses listed under Employee Benefits Law Certificate in the course schedule.
  • Six of the 10 required credits must be satisfied by successfully completing the following three required courses: Retirement Plan Qualification Requirements; Retirement Plans -- Design and Taxation; and ERISA: The Fiduciary Provisions.
  • A cumulative minimum grade point average of “B-” must be attained in the courses that are counted toward the Certificate’s specialization requirements.

For purposes of earning the LL.M. in Taxation, Employee Benefits Law Certificate courses will be counted toward the required academic credits in taxation. Students who wish to apply for the Employee Benefits Law Certificate must do so by the end of the add/drop period of their last semester before graduation.

Note: Students admitted for the Employee Benefits Law Certificate only (i.e., students who are not enrolled in an LL.M. degree program) are not eligible for financial aid ( however, there are other loan sources to which they can apply) nor are they eligible for graduation with distinction or the Dean's List.

  LL.M Offerings

Contact Information

To learn more about the Certificate of Study in Employee Benefits Law, please contact:

Albert G. Lauber
Director of Tax and Securities Programs
Office of Graduate Programs
600 New Jersey Avenue, N.W.
Suite 6000, Hotung Building
Washington, D.C.  20001-2022
(202) 662-9124
agl26@law.georgetown.edu