The Two-Year (Extended) LL.M. with a Certificate in Legal English provides international lawyers the opportunity to obtain an LL.M. degree while improving and enhancing their English. It is a program of 4 semesters of full-time study at Georgetown Law, offered for foreign law graduates, leading to both a Master of Laws degree (“LL.M.”) and a Certificate in Legal English.

The Two-Year (Extended) LL.M. with a Certificate in Legal English is an intensive curriculum that allows highly qualified applicants to develop their general and legal English language skills in a legal context. Students work closely with faculty members who have expertise in both law and linguistics, receiving feedback and individual attention that allows each student to work toward his or her individual goals. Students study both law and English to become better prepared to practice law in a global context.

Brochure (pdf format)

Curriculum. In the first year of the program, students take a set of required courses taught by law faculty that focus on legal analysis, legal writing, and U.S. legal methods. These required courses include: U.S. Legal Discourse; U.S. Legal Methods; Law, Society and Culture; Transnational Legal Workshop; and U.S. Legal Culture. Additionally, all students take English for International Lawyers. This course, taught by a Ph.D. linguist and an American J.D., combines studying English with law-related reading, writing, and discussion. In the spring semester of the first year, in addition to this specialized curriculum, students will select a course in the regular LL.M. program to take for credit or as an audit.

Course description for first year courses

After the first year of the program, students choose their LL.M. degree specialty (International Legal Studies, International Business and Economic Law, Securities and Financial Regulation, Taxation, or the General LL.M), and during the second year, take a minimum of 8 credits per semester to complete the requirements for their chosen LL.M. degree.

According to Abdullah Alhoqail (Class of 2010), “What I like about the curriculum is that it is focused on essential skills that any law student needs. The curriculum gives individual attention to work on specific needed skills . . . with a focus on seeing the big picture of the legal system in the United States.”

Admissions Process.  The application for the LL.M. with a Certificate in Legal English is available online (at www.law.georgetown.edu/admissions/). Specific admission requirements are the same as all LL.M. programs; however, applicants may have a TOEFL score that is lower. Admission criteria include the following:

• a strong record of academic achievement in law studies;
• A TOEFL iBT (Internet-based) score of 85-100 points;
• Professional legal experience.

For more information about the admissions process, please contact our Graduate Admissions Office at llmadmis@law.georgetown.edu or by phone at (202) 662-9020. For more information about the Two-Year (Extended) LL.M. with a Certificate in Legal English, please contact Professor Craig Hoffman at hoffmanc@law.georgetown.edu or Professor Kirsten Schaetzel at kas256@law.georgetown.edu.

Revised October 26, 2011 (mbj)