FAQ for Prospective Students

If you earned your law degree in Japan, you are eligible to apply for the General LL.M. Program (a.k.a. LL.M. for International Lawyers) or either the Certificate of International Law or the Certificate of American Legal Studies. In limited circumstances, you may be eligible to apply for the LL.M. in Transnational Law Program. In addition, you are eligible to take classes on an audit basis, and to take up to two classes for a grade (which may be transferred) before applying to an LL.M. or certificate program.

If you earned your law degree from a law school outside of Japan that is recognized or accredited by the host country's relevant government or organizational body, you are eligible to apply to the LL.M. in Transnational Law or General LL.M. Program (a.k.a. LL.M. for International Lawyers). Additionally, you may apply for either of the Certificate programs. You may also audit courses, or participate in our Pre-LL.M. Program where you can take up to two courses for a grade (which may be transferred) as a non-matriculated student before enrolling in an LL.M. or Certificate program. You should note that the admissions requirements for the LL.M. in Transnational Law are extremely rigorous, and the courses you may take are limited to international, comparative, or transnational subjects.

Most importantly, they are aimed at individuals with different educational backgrounds and goals. In the General LL.M. Program (a.k.a. LL.M. for International Lawyers), which is typically for individuals without common law training, the courses are a combination of U.S. law courses and comparative/international courses. In the LL.M. in Transnational Law, the courses are all international or comparative law courses. The LL.M. in Transnational Law has a prerequisite course, International Law. Both require the successful completion of at least 24 credits.

To get a Certificate of American Legal Studies, a student must take at least 75% (9 credits) of the required 12 credits in U.S. law courses. To get a Certificate of International Law, a student must take at least 75% (9 credits) of the required 12 credits in international and comparative law courses.

A law degree from a university that is recognized or accredited by relevant government or organizational body is required for admission to any LL.M. program. A student who has not earned a law degree can apply for the Certificate programs, but admission of non-law graduates is strictly limited and a graduate degree or work experience in a related field is required.

If you are not a native English speaker, you must have a TOEFL score of at least 570 PBT (over 230 CBT, over 88 IBT) for admission into an LL.M. program. For the Certificate programs, or if you are auditing courses, you must have a TOEFL score of at least 570 PBT (over 230 CBT, over 88 IBT) or show other evidence of English proficiency. The importance of strong English skills to the successful study of law cannot be stressed enough. Words are the principal tools of a lawyer.

The General LL.M. Program (a.k.a. LL.M. for International Lawyers) has one required course: Legal Research and Writing. In addition, students must complete a thesis project, which may be done as an independent study or in the context of a writing seminar. Legal Research and Writing is offered at least once a year in Japan and must be successfully completed before enrolling in a thesis project.

The survey course in International Law (3 credits) is a pre-requisite for the degree. If a student has not already taken this course, it should be taken early in the LL.M. program. In addition, students must take 24 credits of international or comparative law electives, including a thesis project which may be done as a guided research or in the context of a writing seminar. At least some course work must be completed outside the country where the LL.M. student earned his or her first degree in law.

Yes, both LL.M. programs require that you write a scholarly paper in English. This is usually done in a guided research project supervised by a faculty member. (see comments in previous two answers)

Students in either of the LL.M. programs may take courses in Japan or Philadelphia, as well as participate in summer law program in Rome. Students in the Transnational LL.M. Program may complete their entire degree in Japan if they obtained a first degree in law outside of Japan. Students in the General LL.M. Program (a.k.a. LL.M. for International Lawyers) MUST take at least 6 credits at our main campus in Philadelphia or in Rome to complete their degree. The six credit requirement may be completed in the summer semester which is 7 weeks in Philadelphia or 5 weeks in Rome. Naturally, LL.M. students may complete up to 24 credits at our main campus. Certificate students may take courses in Tokyo only.

No. The language in which the courses are taught is English. There is one exception, Current Issues in Japanese Law, which is only open to non-native Japanese speakers with an acceptable proficiency level in Japanese. This course is taught each Spring semester.

If you are enrolled in the General LL.M. Program (a.k.a. LL.M. for International Lawyers), it is suggested that you take Legal Research and Writing the first time it is available after you have been accepted in a program.

If you are enrolled in the LL.M. in Transnational Law and you have not already taken International Law, you will be required to take this course early in your studies.

No. Only someone who passes a state bar examination will be considered a lawyer in the U.S.

Having earned an LL.M. from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA), you may be able to take a bar exam in the U.S. Each state independently establishes testing and attorney licensing requirements for bar exams administered during February and July each year. To determine whether you might be eligible to take the bar exam of any American jurisdiction, you must contact the bar association in that jurisdiction. Additional information is located at http://www.ncbex.org.

The pass rate for the bar examinations differs from state to state. For example, in 2010, the overall pass rate for first time takers was 76% for New York, 65% for California, 79% for Tennessee, and 60% for Washington D.C. For those who acquired a legal education outside the U.S., the passing rates in 2010 was 34% for N.Y. 13% for California, 28% for Tennessee, and 18% for D.C. To pass a bar examination in any state takes a great amount of effort and study; additional challenges confront non-native English speakers because of language issues.

Here in Japan, we have seen an increasing need for bilingual individuals trained in U.S., international, and Japanese law. Employers and executive search firms contact us seeking to hire our students and graduates. Another beneficial aspects of the Law Program is that you will have an opportunity to study with lawyers and law students from the U.S. and around the world, providing you with a ready-made source of contacts. A student who graduates from either of the LL.M. programs or the Certificate programs should have many options available to them. Of course, specific employers may have their own requirements. In America, generally law firms and corporations require that persons hired as lawyers pass a bar exam in the U.S. Many large corporations have operations and contacts in more than one country, so there is an increasing need for lawyers who are familiar with laws beyond those of their home country.

Please contact the Law Program office in Tokyo.