Build on Your Law Degree for the Future
The practice of law is changing more quickly than ever before. The NSU Law LL.M. program is specially designed to give practicing attorneys the skills and cutting-edge knowledge they need to make a difference for their clients and their careers. Students can complete the program in one-year of full-time or two years of part-time study to accelerate their careers and transform their practice.
The NSU LL.M. has different tracks to help you achieve your individual goals.
LL.M. for U.S. JD holders
If you have a JD from a U.S. accredited law school, you can either choose the courses that best fit your career interests or participate in one of the NSU Law Concentrations. The new program is the Goodwin Concentration in Law, Technology, & Effective Public Policy. Participants in the dynamic program will explore technology-focused courses on legal practice, e-discovery, and elective courses from NSU Law’s nationally recognized health law, intellectual property, environmental law, or cybersecurity and privacy programs, culminating in a capstone of advanced scholarship. Alternatively, LL.M. students may focus exclusively on any of those concentrations.
LL.M. for Foreign Lawyers
If you have a first law degree from outside the U.S. that provided you eligibility to practice law in that jurisdiction, you may wish to consider an LL.M. that enables you to practice law in the U.S. Students from throughout the hemisphere and the globe come to NSU to develop their knowledge of U.S. law and prepare them for practice both domestically and abroad.
Many candidates instead choose the 2-year Accelerated JD option (60 credits) that earns the graduate a J.D. degree and the opportunity for eligibility to sit for the bar in all U.S. jurisdictions. As with all programs, the LL.M. degree offers only limited opportunities to sit for bar exams and practice law in the U.S. The NSU Law program is structured to maximize this opportunity for our students, but the Accelerated JD program offers even more opportunities for student success. For students who want to expand their knowledge and skills, the one-year LL.M. is the perfect choice. For students who plan to practice law in the U.S., we recommend that you come to NSU as an Accelerated JD student.
Quick Facts
Curriculum
Earn a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree from NSU in one or two years after successfully completing 30 academic units.
Delivery Options
Students in the LL.M. for Foreign Lawyers earn all credits through in-person courses.
Students with a U.S. JD can enroll in both in-person and online courses.
Tuition
Start Dates
Start the program in either August (Fall) or January (Winter).
Students in the LL.M. for Foreign Lawyers have an application deadline of May 1st, with classes beginning in August.
Choose Your Area of Focus
LL.M. students may focus their coursework in one of these areas or by selecting their courses of study. Students are encouraged to meet with a faculty advisor and craft a program that provides the best possible experience for the student and meets the individual’s needs.
Goodwin Concentration in Law, Technology, & Effective Public Policy
Use Law to Reshape the World
The rapid transformation of new technology, environmental challenges, and public health management are among the most significant challenges in the world today. Effective solutions to these pressing challenges require thoughtful public policy proposals derived from strong academic research. As an LL.M. candidate, you will be at the forefront of this change. Through thought-provoking coursework and your own independent scholarship, you can make a difference in your area of interest, including public health and disparate access to health care; climate change and ecological stressors; new and evolving forms of technology, media, and communication; or connected fields.
The program builds upon the existing J.D. Concentrations in Health Law, Cybersecurity, Technology, and Intellectual Property Law, and the longstanding emphasis in Environmental Law and collaboration with the NSU Guy Harvey Oceanographic Center.
LL.M. for Foreign Lawyers
If you earned your first law degree outside the U.S. and wish to practice law in the U.S., NSU Law offers the traditional JD (90 credits), the Accelerated JD (60 credits), and an LL.M. for Foreign Lawyers (30 Credits). For most students, the Accelerated JD is the best balance between the desire to earn one’s degree and start practicing in the U.S. and the need to prepare for the bar exam and the practice of law. However, for some students, the LL.M. is their preferred choice. The program is designed to enable students to meet the requirements to sit for the bar exam in those states that recognize an LL.M. as sufficient to sit for the bar exam.
Students take core writing courses to prepare them for the practice of law, essential ethics courses to familiarize themselves with the obligations of the profession, and core subjects essential to a foundational knowledge of U.S. legal practice.
Since 2022, Florida allows attorneys with an LL.M. from a U.S. law school to take the Florida Bar Exam if those students meet additional requirements. Among those qualifications are that applicants (1) complete a qualifying LL.M. at an ABA-accredited law school in the U.S., (2) are admitted to practice in a U.S. jurisdiction other than Florida, (3) have practiced law for at least two years in a U.S. jurisdiction. Additional requirements also apply. States, including New York, California, Texas, Louisiana, Tennessee, and others, permit foreign-educated attorneys to take the bar exam following completion of LL.M. programs in the United States. This concentration tracks the course requirements for those states that allow students with LL.M. degrees to sit for the bar exam. Graduates, however, are solely responsible for ensuring they are qualified to sit for the bar exam in the state(s) where they seek licensure.
Choose Your Own Path
Immerse Yourself in an NSU Concentration or Design Your Own Schedule
NSU Law has a robust program of study with concentrations in Health Law, International Law, and Intellectual Property, Cybersecurity, and Technology Law, collaborations with other NSU colleges in Environmental Law, and courses in litigation, dispute resolution, business and entrepreneurship, and many other fields. LL.M. candidates often build their own course of study that meets their schedules and areas of interest.
The Health Law concentration is nationally recognized, providing a deep knowledge of health law, public health, personal autonomy, and the many legal challenges surrounding this critical sector of the economy.
The business and entrepreneurship program offers transactional and start-up experience for business lawyers. Whether you become part of a corporate team, a counselor to business clients, or an adviser to a nonprofit organization, focusing your studies on business and entrepreneurial counseling will prepare you to advance legal solutions to a wide range of business challenges.
The Intellectual Property, Cybersecurity, and Technology Law Concentration addresses some of the most cutting-edge issues impacting society today. The concentration offers advanced courses and opportunities to become involved nationally and globally in topics including artificial intelligence, privacy, trademarks, patents, copyrights, cyber, and many more.
The International Law concentration offers students the chance to study the world’s law and how they compare both domestically and internationally. International public law, global trade, armed conflict, and international human rights are now at the forefront of public policy and will shape the world for decades. Learn how to navigate these complex issues for clients in business, who are involved with immigration, who are concerned with nongovernmental organizations, or who are part of the public policy debates.
Through an NSU Law LL.M., lawyers can expand their knowledge and make an impact
Graduate Spotlight
I was looking for a tune-up for my legal engine. I found that each class has added something different to my toolbox.
JOANNE STANLEY, LL.M. '20
Earn the LL.M. Degree in One Year Full-Time or in Two Years Part-Time
after successfully completing 30 academic units. Choose the format that blends best with your personal and professional responsibilities.
Delivery Options
U.S. Practice Track for Foreign Lawyers
A Legal Community That Feels Like Family
The law is your path to becoming a leader in an interconnected global community. With a Master of Laws (LL.M.) from NSU, you will build the skills and confidence to advance the causes you care most about. At the same time, you will add an invaluable layer of expertise to your professional portfolio and gain the ability to solve legal challenges that crop up in the workplace every day. An LL.M. is a powerful tool for problem solving and change, and at NSU, we put it within your reach.
