LL.M. Admissions Procedures
Thank you for your interest in the LL.M. Programs at Chicago-Kent College of Law, Illinois Institute of Technology. The second oldest law school in Illinois, Chicago-Kent College of Law has a history marked by diversity, innovation, and excellence. Chicago-Kent is accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools and the Order of the Coif. Chicago-Kent is the leading law school in the nation in applying computer technology to enhance the study of law and in addressing the global implications of new developments in science and technology.
LL.M. programs at Chicago-Kent:
***Applications for LL.M. in Taxation and Family Law should be submitted to the Office of the Graduate Admissions. If you would like more information about these programs, please contact the Office Of the Graduate Admissions(phone: 312-906-5360; fax: 312-906-5274; e-mail: admit@kentlaw.edu).
Application procedures
1. Application for Admission. The application should be completed, signed and submitted along with the $75 application fee to the Office of International Law and Policy. Students may submit an online application or request a hard copy from the Office of International Law and Policy at (312)906-5134 or by e-mail at intllm@kentlaw.edu. Download the Application Form in PDF format by clicking HERE.
Candidates are encouraged to submit their application and all supporting documents as soon as possible after October 1, and preferably before February 1. Students are admitted on a rolling-admissions basis so it is to students' advantage to apply early. Classes for the Fall semester begin in mid-August. Mid-year admission is only allowed for domestic students in the Financial Services program.
2. Personal Statement. Each applicant must submit a personal statement with their application that describes their past and present activities, as well as their plans upon completion of the LL.M. program. This statement should also contain information regarding any relevant factors that may not have been fully explained in the application form and that may assist the members of the Admissions Committee in their review of the application. Applicants should state why you are interested in that particular program and why you believe you are well qualified to undertake specialized study in Internatioanl and Comparative Law, International Intellectual Property Law, or Financial Services Law.
3. Letters of Recommendation. We require two letters of recommendation which should be sent directly to the Office of International Law and Policy by the recommendor. The most helpful letters are written by professors who have taught the applicant in substantive, upper-level college or post-graduate courses and who can provide candid and thoughtful evaluations of the applicant's academic ability and potential for the study of law.
4. Transcripts. Applicants should arrange to have transcripts of all prior legal study and pre-legal study submitted to the Office of International Law and Policy. All applicants who have done academic work at foreign institutions must provide original academic records and officially certified English translation of the original records. In addition, please submit official information on the grading system and the applicants' class ranking (if available).
5. TOEFL. The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required of all applicants who are not native speakers of English or who did not receive their legal education at an institution which uses English as the primary language of instruction. Applicants should arrange for the ETS to send an official TOEFL score report to the Office of International Law and Policy. Our TOEFL institution code is 1318 and our department code is 03. Information about the TOEFL is available from Test of English as a Foreign Language, P.O. Box 6151, Princeton, NJ 08541-6151. Successful applicants to the LL.M. program typically have a TOEFL score of approximately 600 on the paper based test, 250 on the computer based test, or 100 on the internet based test.
The TOEFL may be waived at the discretion of the Admissions Committee for applicants for whom English has been the primary language of instruction in prior study or who can otherwise substantiate their English proficiency. Applicants who wish to have the TOEFL requirement waived must submit a written request with their application for admission that includes an explanation of their familiarity with English and any appropriate supporting documentation. TOEFL waivers are not automatic and require the approval of the Admissions Committee.
The Law School Admission Test (LSAT) is not required of applicants applying for the LL.M. Programs.
Forward all completed material and test results to the Office of International Law and Policy, Chicago-Kent College of Law, 565 West Adams Street, Chicago, Illinois 60661, U.S.A. Please do not send your documents to the main admissions office of the law school.
An application is complete only when all of the documents described above have been received. All materials submitted with, or in support of, an application become the property of the College of Law and are not returnable. For further information about the admissions process or the LL.M. program, please contact Ms. Hilary Waldron, LL.M. Program Coordinator, by phone at (312) 906-5134, by fax at (312) 906-5355, or by e-mail at intllm@kentlaw.edu.
Tuition and fees
Tuition for the 2008-2009 academic year is $26,000. The university regrets that circumstances do not permit it to guarantee that published charges will not change.
In addition, all full-time Chicago-Kent students are required to have health insurance and will automatically be billed for the university's basic health plan unless proof of alternate coverage is approved by the university. Basic coverage for the 2008-2009 academic year is $890. Further information about the university's health plan and the yearly premiums will be provided upon acceptance into the College of Law.
Once accepted into the program, all students must submit a $100 non-refundable tuition deposit by the date indicated in their acceptance letter.This deposit will be applied to the tuition costs in the first semester of study.
Scholarships
There are a limited number of partial-tuition scholarships available to international students at the College of Law. However, these awards are highly competitive and should not be counted on as a means of funding your program of study in the United States. Federal student loan programs from the United States government are available only to U.S. citizens and permanent residents. No fellowships or assistantships are available through the College of Law.
For information about scholarships and grants that are specifically available to foreign students for study in this country, you should contact the United States Embassy or Consulate in your home country. You might also pursue outside funding through various educational organizations including the Fulbright Commission and the Rotary International Club. You may also want to contact the United States Information Agency, Washington, D.C. 20547, for more information. Students seeking financial assistance from outside agencies should plan to begin their search for funds as early as possible.
Housing
Housing in Chicago is plentiful and the law school is easily accessible by public transportation from most areas of Chicago and its suburbs. Most students rent or share apartments in one of the many neighborhoods for which Chicago is well-known, and monthly rents range from approximately $750 to $1500. Law students may also apply for dormitory and apartment housing on the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) Main Campus (approximately six miles south of the law school) by contacting the housing office. Transportation between the Main Campus and the Downtown Campus is provided by IIT's free shuttle bus, which runs hourly during the week and every few hours on the weekends.
IIT housing is in short supply and great demand, so students desiring accomodations are advised to enroll as soon as possible in order to be eligible for the dormitory rooms and apartments.
Location and Facilities
Chicago-Kent is located in downtown Chicago in the heart of the city's legal, financial and commercial center. In January 1992 the College of Law moved to a ten-story, state-of-the-art facility at 565 West Adams Street. The building features an extensive secured computer network where almost all classroom seats, many library carrels and numerous locations throughout the building are tied to the network. Chicago-Kent is the leading law school in the nation in applying computer technology to enhance the study of law and in addressing the global implications of critical discoveries in science and technology.The network communication ports located in the library, in selected classrooms and in areas throughout the law school, permit students to access the Chicago-Kent network with portable laptop and notebook computers.
The Downtown Campus Library, located on levels six through ten of the building, contains more than 500,000 volumes and encompasses three libraries--the Chicago-Kent Law Library, the Library of International Relations (LIR) and the Stuart Business Library. The Chicago-Kent Law Library is one of the largest law school libraries in the United States and its collection is accessible through an automated catalog which has been integrated into the school-wide computer network. The LIR contains international reference materials in history, economics and business as well as law, and important collections of the European Union Communities, the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund, the Organization of American States and the World Health Organization. The library receives current periodicals from more than one hundred countries, and its resources support for the law school's growing international law program. The downtown campus library was the first in the world to begin imaging its collection to provide easy access to the collection electronically throughout the building, as well as from anywhere in the world.
Visiting Chicago-Kent
We would welcome the opportunity to show you our spectacular facility. If you call the main admissions office several days before your visit, we can arrange for you to tour the building, sit in on a class (during the academic year), and meet with current students. Please call 312-906-5134 for more information.
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