LLM PROGRAM
The LLM program is a full-time one-year program or a part-time three-year program providing advanced training in environmental and natural resources law. The program has enrolled students from various parts of the United States and diverse foreign countries such as Nepal, Peru, India, Croatia, Italy, and Ghana. Besides possessing excellent legal educational credentials, the students bring various professional experiences and backgrounds to their studies. Past LLM classes have included university professors, government officials, JAG (military) attorneys, entrepreneurs, practicing attorneys, and recent JD graduates.
LLM students receive professional training from experienced faculty in a broad spectrum of courses. The LLM program exposes students to the diverse laws relating to climate change, energy, environmental protection, land management, mining, oil & gas, water, wildlife, and other areas at the nexus between the law, economy, and ecology. Students enrolling in the program with a foreign law degree must demonstrate a basic comprehension of U.S. law. The College of Law also offers an integrated clinical program that provides students the opportunity to assume an attorney role in the practice of environmental law. Moreover, the College’s renowned Wallace Stegner Center exposes LLM students to world-class thought leaders and legal practitioners in the environmental and natural resources field.
Admissions Requirements
Persons requesting enrollment in the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law LLM program must submit the following items by January 31 of the year the individual seeks admission:
- Completed application and fee
- Three letters of evaluation (at least one from an academic source)
- Statement of experience and interest
- Official undergraduate and graduate (including JD) transcripts
- For students whose native language is not English, an official TOEFL report from the Educational Testing Service (copies of the TOEFL report are not acceptable)
Applications must be submitted through the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) website.
Factors considered in the selection of LLM candidates include high academic performance, practice experience, work in related fields, and demonstrated potential for graduate level work. A prior law degree (JD or equivalent) is a requirement.
Important Dates and Deadlines
| September 1 | Application Opens |
| January 31 | LLM Application Deadline |
LLM Application Requirements
The Admission Committee will consider your file incomplete until the following items have been received and processed:
Applicants must register for the LLM Credential Assembly Service. An official transcript from each undergraduate, graduate and professional school attended must be sent by the institution to the LLM Credential Assembly Service. Applicants who are reapplying must submit a new Credential Assembly Service report. Once your Credential Assembly Service file is complete, please allow four to six weeks for the College of Law to receive and process your Credential Assembly Service report. For additional information about the LLM Credential Assembly Service, visit the LSAC website, www.LSAC.org.
If the applicant earned a JD from a law school in the US, they only need to purchase the Document Assembly Service. LSAC will include copies of their transcripts and letters of recommendation in their law school report—no analysis is necessary. If the applicant earned their first degree in law from an institution outside of the US, you they must purchase the Document Assembly Service to have their letters of recommendation, English proficiency score(s), and electronic applications forwarded to participating law schools.
In addition to the Document Assembly Service, applicants must purchase the International Transcript Authentication and Evaluation Service, which is offered in cooperation with the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO). This includes the evaluation and authentication of transcripts/mark sheets, copies of degrees/diplomas, degree and graduation certificates, and rank statements so that US law schools better understand your academic credentials.
Checklist:
- Copies of all undergraduate, graduate, and law/professional school transcripts, and as required by each school;
- An International Credential Evaluation report (for international applicants only)
- Copies of English proficiency exam scores, if applicable. The law school transcript, or a separate statement from the law school, should indicate class rank (if available) and should list significant law school honors.
Required:
- Submission of all post-secondary transcripts for all post-secondary schools ever attended and reflecting degree conferral(s); and
- Official law school transcripts with all first-year grades posted.
You may apply before you receive your undergraduate degree. However, before you matriculate, you must provide official transcripts showing that you have been awarded a baccalaureate degree from a college or university whose accreditation is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education or be the foreign equivalent of a U.S. baccalaureate degree.
Recommendation Form sent to the law school
Letters of recommendation from three (3) professional references, who are familiar with the applicant, must be submitted directly to the S.J. Quinney College of Law. They must be accompanied by a completed S.J. Quinney College of Law Letter of Recommendation Form and mailed to S.J. Quinney College of Law Admissions, 383 South University Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84112. At least one reference should be an academic reference.
Applicants must include a statement of no more than two (2) pages detailing their education, experience, and interest in the natural resources, environment, international environment, public lands, or energy area.
Applicants who wish to complete an LLM thesis in lieu of coursework must submit a separate statement describing an area of primary interest so that a determination can be made on the feasibility of thesis supervision.
Applicants should be aware that approval of the thesis option presumes a match between:
(1) the applicant's interests and background, and
(2) the research and training interests of at least one member of the faculty who can serve as the student's advisor and thesis supervisor.
PLEASE NOTE: Applicants are not required to submit English proficiency exam or TOEFL scores if they have received a baccalaureate or graduate degree from an institution whose primary language of instruction is English.
Admissions Criteria
Factors considered in the selection of LLM candidates include:
- High academic performance
- Practice experience
- Work in related fields
- Demonstrated potential for graduate level work