Joint LL.M./J.D. Program

The joint LL.M./J.D. program allows a foreign student to earn both a LL.M. and J.D. in as little as three years, saving up to one year's tuition, room, board and fees.

At other schools, students must generally enroll in the school's LL.M. program before they can apply for and learn whether they have been admitted into the J.D. program. Further, such programs take four years (one for the LL.M. degree and three for the J.D. degree).

Even if a student is not admitted into the joint degree program, he or she will still be able to apply with all other applicants for the J.D. program after completing the LL.M. degree

REQUIREMENTS:

• In order to be admitted to the joint degree program, non-U.S. students must have completed all requirements for their undergraduate law degree and must attain:
  1. a LSAT score of at least 155 prior to the start of their LL.M. year,
  2. a TOEFL score of at least 95 (or comparable score) prior to the start of their LL.M. year,
  3. graduation with Honors at the completion of their LL.M. year at CWRU, and
  4. an average GPA of 3.0 or higher in the J.D. courses taken during their LL.M. year.
  If the student does not attain such LSAT score by the start of their LL.M. year, they can retake the LSAT in February following their first LL.M. semester in an attempt to score at least 155.
  
  If the student fails to meet one or more of the minimum requirements, they are still eligible to complete the joint LL.M./J.D. degree in three years if they have an average GPA of 3.0 or higher at the end of their 1L year.
  
  If the student does not have a GPA of 3.0 or higher at the end of their 1L year (first year), they are still eligible to complete the joint degree in three and a half, rather than four, years if they complete all J.D. graduation requirements within that time.
• If a student takes 1L (first year) courses as an LL.M. and takes the same exams and meets the same grade and other requirements as J.D. students, he or she will receive credit for 1L (first year) courses taken while he or she is a LL.M. candidate.