BU Law offers five post-graduate degrees in a variety of legal fields that can be pursued on-campus and online in both full-time and part-time formats.
The LL.M. American Law Program (for Non-U.S. Lawyers)
The LL.M. in American Law Program is specifically designed to prepare foreign lawyers for the challenge of global practice.
In this program, students are fully-integrated into BU Law's J.D. classes, where they sit side-by-side with American students being trained in the tradition of U.S. legal education. This means you will not only learn the substance of U.S. doctrine in virtually any area of interest -- intellectual property, international business transactions, mergers and acquisitions, alternative dispute resolution, to name only a few -- but you will learn something equally as important: how U.S. lawyers are trained to analyze legal questions and advocate on their clients' behalf. By the end of the year, we expect you will have developed skills to make you a more effective global practitioner.
You will have gained unique insight into the "mind set" of U.S. lawyers and others trained in the common law. You will have the necessary perspective to work across borders, and transact with lawyers from diverse traditions and backgrounds.
In that sense, our American Law Program is anything but American. It's truly global.
Graduate Program in Banking and Financial Law
The Graduate Program in Banking and Financial Law is the oldest LL.M. program of its kind in the United States. Since
graduating its first class in 1985, the banking program has trained more than
2,000 lawyers for leadership positions in both domestic and foreign banking and
financial services industries. Our graduates hold influential positions in
government, law firms, corporations, financial institutions, and multilateral and
non-governmental organizations throughout the world.
The Graduate Program in Banking and Financial Law is challenging and is designed specifically for students who wish to obtain a graduate-level legal education in the field of financial services law. Ideal candidates are financial services lawyers who bring their expertise to the classroom and who want to improve their skills in today's rapidly changing world of financial services law. The program, which may be completed on a full- or part-time basis, is also appropriate for attorneys seeking to begin a new career after spending the first part of their professional lives in another legal field. Students receive a practical education in financial services law, enabling them to contribute effectively in a professional setting.
Domestic and international students are welcome and may attend the Graduate Program on a full- or part-time basis (most international students will be required to enroll on a full-time basis). Students may apply for admission to either the fall (September) or spring (January) semester. International lawyers may qualify for a US bar examination through the Graduate Program. All students benefit from the rich menu of activities that are taking place at the Graduate Program. Students are encouraged to apply to become part of the staff of the Review of Banking & Financial Law, a student-run journal celebrating its 30th year of continuous publication.
LL.M. in Intellectual Property Law Program
As an Intellectual Property Law LL.M. student, you will pursue a range of IP and IP-related classes offered through the School's J.D. curriculum. That means you will have access to some
of the most preeminent law scholars in the nation. Included among our intellectual property faculty are a number of prominent practitioners engaged in cutting-edge work at Boston's top intellectual property boutiques and biotechnology companies.
The program's limited size ensures that each Intellectual Property Law LL.M. student receives the dedicated support of a faculty advisor and full-time associate
director for professional development, in addition to the undivided attention of the program director, who is available to counsel on all academic planning and adjustment issues.
BU Law has been ranked one of the top intellectual property law schools, ranking 10th among American law schools for intellectual property law studies, according to U.S. News and World Report (2015 edition).
The Graduate Tax Program (LL.M. in Taxation)
BU
Law’s Graduate Tax Program (GTP), established in 1959 as one of the nation’s
first graduate tax programs, stands as one of the best. It currently ranks second in the nation,
according to the National Law Journal. We are #5 in tax studies among US law
schools, according to U.S. News &
World Report. And for three
consecutive years, we’ve been ranked among the country’s top five LL.M. in
Taxation programs in the annual TaxTalent survey of corporate tax department
heads. Employers value the BU Law LL.M.
credential because it signals rigorous training and superior preparation. Simply put, we equip students with the practical
skills required for immediate success in the field of taxation, whether they
earn the degree through residential studies in Boston, online from home, or
through a combination of both formats.
Our graduates—over 3,000 strong—consistently tell us that their BU LL.M.
degree has been an essential ingredient to their professional success.
Our classes are scheduled only during the late afternoon and evening hours in order to facilitate participation by working lawyers. The Program's student body is comprised of recent law school graduates as well as seasoned attorneys from both the public and private sectors, many of them from the nation's leading law and tax consulting firms. Our graduates are engaged in private practice at law and accounting firms, but several work for government agencies and corporate law departments.
Online Option
The LL.M. in Taxation is now offered through a 24-credit online program option, which provides the same course of study as the traditional Graduate Tax Program. This online option, which leads to the BU Law LL.M. in Taxation, is ideal for domestic and internationally trained tax lawyers whose jobs preclude them from attending our traditional on-site program option in Boston.
Executive LL.M. in International Business Law
Our
Executive LL.M. in International Business Law Program brings together a global
network of accomplished professionals from a broad range of legal practices,
industries and businesses. The program’s
unique blended learning format combines two-week residency sessions in Boston
and/or Budapest with online instruction, offering a level of flexibility that’s
ideal for busy practitioners who seek advanced expertise but cannot attend a
traditional nine-month residential program.
You’ll learn the key doctrines of international business practice from
the US perspective—taught by members of BU Law’s regular teaching faculty—whiel
you expand your international connections. Moreover, the Executive LL.M. program in International Business Law offers three optional, entirely-online concentrations: the Enterprise Risk Management and Compliance Concentration (ERMC); the International Taxation Concentration; and the International Environmental and Energy Law Concentration (IEEL). These concentrations offer the opportunity for Executive LL.M. students to specialize in these three important subject matter fields. BU Law’s Executive LL.M. Program offers an uncompromising executive
experience: world-class training for
cross-border work, delivered conveniently and flexibly by one of the top-ranked
teaching faculties in America.
Highlights of our program include:
Flexibility and customization
Complete the program in less than one year or take up to four years to graduate.
Fulfill your Boston or Budapest residencies in as little as one summer, or distribute your 2-week on-campus residencies over one year or several years; or complete one-third of the program entirely online.
Continue working while studying, thereby minimizing professional, personal, and financial disruption to you and your employer.
A true executive experience
Earn an internationally recognized international business law degree from one of America's top law schools.
Learn from experts in the field, including members of BU Law's regular teaching faculty, consistently ranked among the very best in the U.S..
Build upon your residential classroom experience with pre-session and post-session online learning created specifically for this program.
Connect to the worldwide alumni network of practicing BU Law graduates.
