Download App | FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA
 Upload Your Resume   Employers / Post Jobs 
  1. Home
United States
We Believe in You. Let's Find Your Next Job.

Advanced Search

Browse Legal Jobs | By State | By City | Government | Law Firm | In-House | Public Interest
Employers & Reviews | Upload Resume | Search Articles

Santa Clara University School of Law

MAILING ADDRESS
500 El Camino Real
Santa Clara, CA 95053
MAIN PHONE
408-554-4361
WEBSITE
http://law.scu.edu/
ADMISSIONS EMAIL:
ncannon@scu.edu
REGISTRAR'S PHONE/FAX/EMAIL:
408-554-4331/408-554-6926/
registrar@scu.edu
CAREER SERVICE PHONE/FAX/EMAIL:
408-554-4421/408-554-4902/
erossetti@scu.edu

An Overview


Santa Clara University School of Law is educating lawyers who lead with a commitment toexcellence, ethics, and social justice. Founded in 1911, Santa Clara University School of Lawboasts an academically rigorous program located in one of the most vibrant business centers in theworld: Silicon Valley. Santa Clara Law is approved by the American Bar Association.

Santa Clara Law will provide the young students with the skills and experience to succeed in anyfield of law, from high tech to international law to public interest.

This university also offers graduate degrees in international law and intellectual property law;combined J.D. /MBA degree; combined J.D./MSIS degree; and certificates in intellectual propertylaw, international law, and public interest and social justice law.

Degrees Offered
  • LL.M. in Intellectual Property
  • LL.M. in International and Comparative Law
  • LL.M. in U.S. Law

Admission Information


Requirements Details
Eligibility for All LL.M. Degree Programs
  • A law degree from a law school approved by the American Bar Association, or
  • A law degree from a law school, not approved by the American Bar Association, but accredited by the State of California and:
  • Graduated in the upper one half of their class, and
  • Admitted to practice law in any United States jurisdiction.
  • A degree in law from a non-U.S. educational institution that is accredited by the appropriate authority in that country
  • Graduated in the upper one half of their law-school class, or
  • Demonstrated above average or superior academic performance, or, alternatively, work experience, post graduate education, or standardized test, which demonstrate the ability to undertake advanced legal studies.
Transcripts Official Transcripts from all colleges, graduate schools, and professional schools attended. The transcript must be in English. If any transcript is not in English, then one must have the transcript translated to English. The university strongly recommends registering for the LSAC, LL.M. Credential Assembly Service. Please be aware that transcripts that are handled outside of a sealed envelope or photocopies of transcripts are not deemed "official" and will not meet this requirement if submitted.
Letters of Recommendation Letters of Recommendation (strongly recommended, not required): Support letters received in a timely fashion will be considered by the admissions committee. No more than two support letter should be submitted. Letters should be mailed by the person making the recommendation directly to the address provided. Support letters may be attached to the application for admission if they are in sealed envelopes and have not been handled by the applicant outside of the envelope. Emailed recommendations will be accepted.
Personal Statement Personal Statement, should discuss personal background, experience, education, as well as all educational and professional goals. This statement should explain why an applicant desires to pursue this LL.M. program and how this program will help them in their future professional and/or academic pursuits.
Proof of Competency in English TOEFL score (reported by ETS). If student is not a U.S. citizen or U.S. permanent resident, then they must take the test of the National Council on the Testing of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). This test must have been taken within two years of the date of the application. All certified score must be submitted to Santa Clara Law. The Santa Clara Law TOEFL code is 4851. If English is the native language or they use English for the majority of professional and/or academic life, please attach a short statement to the application titled "Request for Waiver of the TOEFL Requirement" noting the experience with the English language. The curriculum at Santa Clara Law is conducted entirely in English and an applicant must reflect their proficiency in English.
Application Fee A non-refundable application processing fee of $75 must accompany the application. The fee may be paid by check or money order. Please make checks payable to Santa Clara University.
Law School Admission Test N/A
Curriculum Vitae Resume or Curriculum Vitae. An outline which summarizes all professional/academic history.

Other Information


Criteria Details
Nature and Tenure of Courses Offered One academic year
Application Procedure/Time to apply/Application deadline APPLICATION DEADLINE: MAY 1, 2013
LL.M. Degree Requirements All participants seeking the LL.M. degree must:
  • Complete 24 semester hours of class credit.
  • Complete the 2 credit hour summer + fall course in 'Introduction to United States Law' that is designed to give participants an intensive overview of the basic elements of the United States substantive and structural law.
  • Complete a written research paper either in conjunction with a class approved by the Director of Graduate Legal Programs or as Independent Research under the supervision of a faculty member.
  • Be in residence for a minimum of two regular semesters (not including summer sessions)
  • Complete the degree requirements within a maximum of two academic years from the date of matriculation.
  • Complete a year-long course in Legal Analysis, Research, and Writing - Students will be expected to enroll in a 1 credit hour course in the fall semester and a 1 credit hour course in the spring semester. The purpose of this course is to enhance the students' skills in the area of legal research and writing.
  • Complete a 2 or 3 unit course in the area of international or comparative law - If such a course has been taken previously, this requirement may be waived and the participant may enroll in another course from his/her selected curriculum with the approval of the Director of Graduate Legal Programs.
To earn an LL.M. degree in the Specialized Programs, students are required to get:

Course Requirement
LL.M. International and Comparative Law Participants seeking the LL.M. degree must complete 24 semester hours of credit. These units must include:
  1. Successful completion of the academic portion of at least one Santa Clara University School of Law summer study abroad program; OR enroll as a full-time law student for one semester at a law school with which the School of Law has a cooperative agreement. These classes will satisfy part of the 24 units required for the degree, and satisfy one or more of the area of study requirements outlined in II below.

  2. To achieve a well balanced background in international and comparative law, students should take at least one course from each of the following categories of classes: To achieve a well balanced background in international and comparative law, students should take at least one course from each of the following categories of classes: (i) public international law; (ii) private international law; and (iii) comparative law. The specific list of approved courses may be found on the International Law Certificate website under the heading "Current List of Approved International Law Certificate Courses." The student's overall course of study must be approved by the Director of Graduate Legal Studies. Courses outside this list, unless taken on one of the study abroad programs, must also be approved in advance by the Director of Graduate Legal Studies.

  3. Students must complete a written research paper either in conjunction with a class approved by the Director of Graduate Legal Programs or as Independent Research (course # 298) under the supervision of a faculty member.

  4. Elective Courses: Most upper-division courses are open to enrollment by LL.M. candidates. The program assumes as a minimum one academic year plus one summer in residence. The requirements for the degree must be completed within two academic years from matriculation.
LL.M. Intellectual Property Total Units Required

The 24 required semester units may be completed full or part time over a two year period.

Core Courses (required)

IP Survey

International IP Law

NOTE: One or more of these courses may be waived for candidates who have previously taken the course and received at least a B minus grade. A course waiver DOES NOT decrease the number of units one must complete within this program.

Writing Requirement
Students must complete a written research paper either in conjunction with a class approved by the Director of Graduate Legal Studies or as Independent Research (Course # 298) under the supervision of a faculty member.

Electives - 18 units (minimum)

15 of the 18 units must be taken from any of the approved IP electives in the intellectual property or high tech law curriculum. Examples of LL.M. approved electives may be found here. Courses not found on the list may count towards the LL.M. only if approved in advance by the Director of Graduate Legal Studies.

Courses are taught during the day and evening. Some courses are available on Saturdays as well. The program assumes as a minimum one academic year in residence. The requirements for the degree must be completed within two academic years from matriculation unless additional time is approved by the Office of Graduate Legal Programs.

Courses taught in the summer abroad programs can be applied to the graduation unit requirement.

Additional or "Overload" Courses

While 24 semester units are required for the degree, candidates are free to take additional classes in any area of the law by paying "per unit" tuition for the year in which the course is registered for.

Grades and Grade Requirements

Candidates must receive a grade of C or better in the course to receive credit toward the degree requirement. To be awarded the LL.M. degree, candidates must have a cumulative grade point average of B- or above.

Course examinations are graded anonymously and are non-curved. A letter grade is awarded to each student.
LL.M. in U.S. Law Completion of the LL.M. in United States Law requires to the student to enroll in the following:
All participants seeking the LL.M. degree must do the following:

Complete 24 semester hours of class credit

Complete the 3 credit hour summer course in Introduction to United States Law. This course is designed to give participants an intensive overview of the basic elements of the United States substantive and structural law. Participants will also be given instruction in legal research and writing. These dates for this course will be announced shortly. The first day of class is expected to be August 1, 2013.

Complete a 2 or 3 unit course in the area of international or comparative law. If such a course has been taken previously, this requirement may be waived and the participant may enroll in another course from his/her selected curriculum with the approval of the Director of Graduate Legal Programs.

Writing Requirement. Students must complete a written research paper either in conjunction with a class approved by the Director of Graduate Legal Programs or as Independent Research (Course # 298) under the supervision of a faculty member.

Be in residence for a minimum of two regular semesters (not including summer sessions)

Complete the degree requirements within a maximum of two academic years from the date of matriculation.

Details of Courses Offered


  • Reputation: Santa Clara University School of Law is among the top ten programs in the United States. Santa Clara Law's program in intellectual property law has been regularly ranked for the past ten years among the top ten in the United States by U.S. News and World Report. Santa Clara's Journal of Computer and High Technology Law is one of the first and most widely cited journals in the field. An LL.M. in intellectual property from Santa Clara will be recognized in the profession.
  • Quality: Santa Clara's outstanding, nationally prominent full-time faculty, coupled with an adjunct faculty of judges and the nation's leading practitioners of intellectual property law, provides exceedingly rich and diverse course offerings. Santa Clara is the oldest university in the State of California, and is fully accredited by the American Bar Association; it is a member of the American Association of Law Schools, and has been awarded a chapter in the prestigious Order of the Coif. Candidates will receive an excellent academic experience.
  • Location: Santa Clara is located in the heart of California's Silicon Valley. This enables the university to find practically experienced teaching faculty; rich, cutting-edge conferences, programs, and speakers; also, networking and career opportunities with some of the world's most prominent companies and firms, such as Yahoo!, Google, eBay, Sun, and more.
  • Foreign Study Opportunity: Santa Clara offers fourteen distinct summer abroad programs (more than any other U.S. law school), and a number of cooperative graduate programs with foreign universities. LL.M. candidates have the option to undertake some of their degree requirements in a foreign setting.
  • Career Services: Candidates may utilize Santa Clara Law's Career Services. Extensive contacts with leading California law firms and high tech companies assist candidates in finding a career path.

    • Santa Clara University School of Law, located in Santa Clara, California, offers an LL.M. degree in International and Comparative Law. They offer lawyers, judges and law professors an opportunity to experience the evolving legal culture of the world from the vantage point of their overseas programs' dynamic centers of commerce and learning throughout the world.

    The program offers not only courses at the Law School, but social and professional contact with other leading legal authorities, judges, and captains of industry.

    Santa Clara University School of Law offers programs for lawyers who received their legal education outside of the United States to secure a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree. Candidates may select from four programs:

  • United States Law - General Studies
  • United States Intellectual Property Law
    One can specialize in the area of intellectual property/high technology law, including Patent
    Law, Copyright, Trade Marks and Trade Secrets.

  • United States Human Rights Law
    One can focus their studies on U.S. human rights, with an extensive range of human rights and
    social justice courses to choose from.
  • International and Comparative Law
    Santa Clara's extensive study abroad programs and rich curriculum allows students to study the law of the United States, international law (public or private) and the law of other nations.

Financial Aid


A limited number of scholarships are available for LL.M. students. A separate scholarship application is required for consideration. Students are encouraged to submit the scholarship application with their application for admission. Admitted students are encouraged to apply for scholarships by June 1 (for students entering during the fall semester) and December 1 (for students entering during the spring semester).

Individuals seeking financial aid in the form of federal and private loans should complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at www.fafsa.ed.gov.

Students applying for federal student aid for the fall 2013, spring 2014, and summer 2014 session must complete a 2013-2014 FAFSA application (application is available now and one can complete it before they have an admission decision on a LL.M. application)

Cost of Attendance

Tuition and Fees

Tuition and fees $1,634 per unit
  • Tuition usually increases on an annual basis approximately 3-7%. Tuition for the 2013-14 academic years will be announced in April 2013.
  • Admitted Students: After being admitted and prior to the start of classes, admitted students will be required to submit a $1,000 tuition deposit (non-refundable). This deposit will be applied to the student's account upon matriculation. The deposit deadline will be indicated on the applicant's admissions letter.

Career Development/Services Offered


The Law Career Services team partners with students, alumni, and employers to provide timely career information and resources. They seek to motivate their students and alumni towards a rewarding, self-directed job search in an increasingly global, dynamic, and complex marketplace. By creating a comfortable environment and utilizing technology, Santa Clara University of law provides programs and services to meet the collective and individual needs of a diverse population.