When it comes to giving students the opportunity to learn by doing, there’s simply nowhere like Northeastern University School of Law.
We believe the best way to learn the law is by practicing it. With decades of experience in integrating theory and practice, Northeastern is the unparalleled leader in providing students with experience-based legal training. In addition to providing a rich academic experience, Northeastern offers LLM students the opportunity to practice full-time in a professional legal setting through our signature Cooperative Legal Education Program (co-op).
On-Campus LL.M. Overview
Northeastern Law is located in Boston, Massachusetts, one of the most sophisticated legal markets in the United States. A center for technological innovation, financial services, education and health care, Boston is home to some of the most venerable and prestigious law firms in the country. Massachusetts has a long history of producing distinguished jurists, and its courts are respected across the US and around the world.
For your introduction to the cutting edge of US legal practice, you couldn’t be better positioned than at Northeastern.
Northeastern Law offers a suite of LL.M. programs that are global, flexible, and dynamic. On-campus LLM students can choose from a 9-month LL.M. program with no co-op or a 12-month Experiential LL.M. with co-op. Students in either track are able to customize the academic curriculum to meet their particular needs, whether that is unlocking the mysteries of the US legal system, honing their expertise in a particular area of law, or qualifying for a US bar examination.
Northeastern's General LL.M. provides students with the flexibility to take the courses they need to qualify to sit for the bar exam in Massachusetts, New York, California, and other states who accept candidates who received their first law degree outside the U.S. Northeastern also offers bar preparation classes, workshops, and counseling sessions led by our assistant dean of bar admission programs.
LLM students looking for a competitive advantage in a specific field of interest can choose from a variety of concentrations:
Health Policy and Law
Human Rights and Economic Development
International Business
Intellectual Property and Innovation
Whether students opt for the General LL.M. or one of our concentrations, all students in the 12-month Experiential LL.M. will have the opportunity to take what they’ve learned in the classroom and apply it in a real-life setting.
What is Co-op?
Our signature co-op program gives students the opportunity to practice in a real-world legal setting — virtually anywhere in the United States or abroad. With 1,000 established co-op opportunities (plus the option to develop your own co-op), students have the chance to gain invaluable hands-on experience while exploring their interests and building their professional networks.
Students enrolled in the 12-month Experiential LLM Program spend 12 weeks in the spring semester working full-time alongside attorneys on substantive legal work in a variety of real-world settings throughout the United States and abroad. Co-op employers include:
Law firms
In-house counsel for private corporations
Judges’ chambers
Public agencies
Private advocacy groups
NGOs
Community organizations
Our LL.M. graduates consistently report that the co-op program is what attracted them to Northeastern and say that it successfully prepared them to further their legal careers.
A 2018 LL.M. graduate says: “I chose to attend the LLM program because of its Cooperative Legal Education Program. The program gave me the unique opportunity to work in a US law firm and prepared me for my current work as a Legal Attorney at American Legalnet (ALN).”
LL.M. Professional Development Program
Northeastern's comprehensive LLM Professional Development Program prepares students for co-op and post-graduate employment with specialized coursework, hands-on workshops, and individual counseling from our LL.M. Professional Development Advisor.
Beginning with orientation, students work with their advisor to lay out a personalized path for gaining the relevant knowledge, skills and experience needed to get the most out of the program.
We make it our mission to provide all the support our students need, while also allowing students the flexibility to explore their own career paths.
Since the inception of the LL.M. Professional Development Program, 100 percent of eligible LL.M. students have obtained co-op employment.
BEFORE CO-OP:
Learn to draft US-style résumés, cover letters and writing samples
Develop an individualized career plan in one-on-one meetings with your advisor
Focus on co-op strategies, interview skills and the mechanics of the co-op application process
Apply for co-op positions and interview with prospective employers
Prepare to succeed on co-op by developing client-centered skills
DURING CO-OP:
Learn from practitioners in your field of interest and build mentoring relationships
AFTER CO-OP:
Enhance your post-graduate job search and networking skills in workshops and individual career counseling sessions
Enhance Your Résumé – And More.
The benefits of co-op extend far beyond graduating with an enhanced résumé. Students carry the lessons learned on co-op back into the classroom, where they can speak with newfound confidence about comparative legal practice. What students take away from co-op can also serve to advance their careers as a global lawyers. Students benefit from the mentorship of professionals and forge invaluable connections with legal colleagues around the globe. Most importantly, students will have the credentials and the experience to pursue their career goals with newly gained confidence.
How to Apply
The Northeastern LLM program admits students who already hold a first professional degree in law. For international applicants, that requirement may be fulfilled by a bachelor of laws or equivalent degree from an accredited or comparably recognized law school outside the United States. For domestic applicants, a JD from an ABA-accredited law school is required. For further information on how to apply, visit our website.
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