UCLA Anderson Schoolの締め切り日が発表されました。
MBA Program | UCLA Anderson School of Management
Round 1の締め切り日は10月5日のため、9月に別の学校へ出願することも状況に応じて考えられますね。
UCLA LL.M.プログラムの出願締め切り日が発表されました。
The application for admission to the 2023-2024 LL.M. Program will be available online in September. The deadline to apply is February 1.
https://law.ucla.edu/admissions/llm-admissions
同プログラムへの志望度が高く、出願準備が整うのであれば、出願時期をギリギリまで引き延ばす必要はありません。各校によって異なりますが、LL.M.受験の場合、各校の締め切り日が設定されていたとしても、提出された書類から優先的に審査を行うスクールもありません。ここ数年における、各校の審査情報に関する動向も把握しておきたいところですね。
そして、同校への出願に際しては（多くのスクールと同様に）Law School Admissions Council (通称 LSAC)の願書システムを使用します。このシステムの使用法に関しても、情報を収集していきましょう、まずは、LSACシステム登録作業（名前、メールアドレス、パスワード）を済ませ、システム使用サイトへアクセスできます。実際に手を動かし、自身の眼で確認しておくことをお勧めします。
■ LSACの願書システムに関するサイトです。
Welcome to LLM & Other Law Programs | Law School Admission Council (lsac.org)
Harvard Law School (HLS)が2023年入学希望者向けに出願締め切り日を発表しました。
https://hls.harvard.edu/dept/graduate-program/llm-application-deadlines-and-materials/
The application deadline for the LL.M. class beginning in August 2023 is December 1, 2022, at 11:59 p.m., U.S. Eastern time.
LL.M.受験生間におきましてはIELTSスコアを申請するケースも見られますが、HLSへの出願に際して必要なテストはTOEFLですのでご注意ください。
同校の2023年入学用Application Form (願書）は今年8月頃より作業用入力ができるようになりますが、上記Formのサンプル版が下記サイトよりご確認いただけます。テスト対策が終了し、本格的な出願書類の作成準備に取り掛かりたいと考えている方々は、早めに目を通しておくことをお勧めいたします。
https://hls.harvard.edu/content/uploads/2021/09/Sample-2022-LLM-Application.pdf
〇 Application Materials:
例年多くのLL.M.プログラムの出願締め切り日は、12月1日から20日にかけて集中する傾向が見られます。まずは、出願に必要な時間数の把握、そして実現可能な出願プランを策定するところから考えていきましょう。
先月29日にUSNews Ranking : 2023 Best Law Schools版が以下の通り発表されました。
https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-law-schools/law-rankings
こちらはJ.D. Programに関するランキングではありますが、LL.M.アプリカントの方々にとっても、”T-14″の順位は気になるところではないでしょうか。
1. Yale University
2. Stanford University
3. University of Chicago
4. Columbia University
4. Harvard University
6. University of Pennsylvania
7. New York University
8. University of Virginia
9. University of California, Berkeley
10. University of Michigan
11. Duke University
12. Cornell University
13. Northwestern University
14. Georgetown University
LL.M.出願に際しては、原則としてTOEFL/IELTSスコア (IELTSスコアを受け付けないプログラムも有りますのでご注意ください）に加え、レジュメ、パーソナルステートメント、推薦状、成績表の組み合わせです（一部のLL.M.プログラムではパーソナルステートメント以外の書類を求めるケースがあります）。特に米国LL.M.プログラムへ出願する場合、TOEFLを受験するケースが多く伺えます。TOEFLは英語力を判定するテストのため、大学、法科大学院、司法研修所の成績を補完する材料とはならないものの、スコアはLL..M.受験プロセスにおいて重要な役割を担うといっても過言ではありません。数多く受験する戦略も一つの方法ですが、入念な対策準備のもと、受験時期を定めて集中的に受験するパターンで準備を進めるケースも見られます。
Duke University, LL.M. Programの出願締め切り日が発表されました。
Applicants to Duke Law’s LLM program may begin submitting applications for the 2021-2022 academic year on September 1, 2020. The application deadline for the LLM program is January 20, 2021.
https://law.duke.edu/internat/llm/appinformation/
Our preferred method for submitting application materials for the LLM or SJD program is electronically via LSAC (Law School Admission Council). Please visit the LSAC website for account access or to create a new account. Complete application instructions are available on the electronic application for the Duke Law LLM program.
You may also submit your application materials in hard copy form directly to the International Admissions office (address below). Please note that you must omit the box number from our mailing address if you plan to send application materials via courier (DHL, FedEx, etc.). Please note that we do not accept application materials subimitted electronically via e-mail.
Please submit a resume with your application. If you apply via LSAC, use the electronic attachment.
You are required to submit a 2-5 page personal statement. If you apply via LSAC, use the electronic attachment. The personal statement should include your professional and educational experience, special areas of interest, previous overseas experience, and any other information that supports your application. Please let us know if there is a special reason for applying to Duke Law School such as family members who are alumni or who are living in North Carolina, or a spouse or significant other with admission to a nearby school or who is also applying to the LLM program.
A minimum of two letters of recommendation should be submitted on behalf of the LLM applicant. Such letters should not be from relatives or close family friends. The letters should explain the relationship of the writer to the applicant. At least one letter should be from a faculty member well acquainted with the applicant’s academic ability.
If applying electronically, LSAC offers an LOR service for letters of recommendations. Please follow the instructions on the LSAC site.
If application materials are being submitted in hard copy format directly to the International Studies office, recommendation letter forms must be included and are available for download at our site. Your signature on the recommendation form indicates you have waived your right to the material contained in the recommendation letter and should be included with all letters submitted on your behalf. Referees may also submit recommendation letters directly to the International Studies office. We prefer recommendation letters in hard copy format but will accept electronic letters if a referee is unable to submit the letters prior to the application deadline.
■ 同校への出願に際しては、i) LSAC, ii) Duke LL.M.のオリジナル出願フォームのいずれかを選択することが可能です。アプリカントの方にとって対応しやすい方法をご選択ください（LSACのシステムを通じた出願書類の提出が義務付けられてはおりません）。
Transcripts for all previously attended academic institutions must be submitted. Applicants can either utilize the Credential Assembly Service (CAS) with LSAC or have them sent to the International Admissions office directly from the academic institution. Purchase of the Transcript Authentication and Evaluation Service offered by LSAC is optional. Transcripts may also be submitted directly by the applicant with their application materials. Please note that if you are not utilizing the Credential Assembly Service all transcripts must include an English translation, containing the seal or signature of a professional translator, and an explanation of the grading system.
■先述のRecommendation Formの箇所でも記しましたが、同校への出願には LSAC経由もしくはDuke University, Law Schoolへ出願書類を提出することが可能です。
Register for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) at least two months before the examination is given. Because it may take more than one month for score results to reach Duke, it is advisable to take the test as soon as possible. TOEFL scores must be less than two years old to be considered valid. Candidates who are native English speakers or who have received degrees of at least three years in length from a university where English was the medium of instruction and where English is an official language of the country, may be exempt from this requirement. All other applicants must submit test scores in order to complete the admissions process. Duke’s TOEFL institution code is 5156 and its department code is 03. TOEFL score results for students utilizing the LSAC Credential Assembly Service will automatically be included in the report. Students admitted to graduate study normally have scores of at least 100 on the Internet-based test (iBT).
■IELTSスコアの提出は認められておりませんのでご注意ください。
Admission to Duke’s graduate law programs is highly competitive and depends to a great extent on the demonstration of outstanding performance in previous law studies. Also of special significance are the applicant’s professional experience, areas of special interest and expertise, professional and personal goals, strong letters of recommendation, and English proficiency. The Law School benefits from a student body that represents a broad range of experiences and interests. It is often helpful to indicate reasons for interest in an LLM degree in general and Duke Law School in particular, especially as they relate to an applicant’s specific experience. The application review process generally begins in December, and decisions are made throughout the following months.
New York University, LL.M. Application Deadlineが発表されました。
https://www.law.nyu.edu/graduateadmissions/whentoapply
Prospective students who received their legal education outside of the United States must apply by the above deadlines. The application for Fall 2021 entry will become available by August 2020.
In order to be considered for admission, the Committee requires that applicants who take the TOEFL iBT achieve a minimum total score of at least 100, a minimum score of 26 on the reading and listening subsections, and a minimum score of 22 on the writing and speaking subsections. For applicants who take the IELTS, the Committee requires a minimum overall band score of at least a 7, a minimum score of 7.5 on the reading and listening subsections, and a minimum score of 7 on the writing and speaking subsections. For both exams, JSD applicants must present scores substantially higher than the minimum.
★今シーズンより、入学審査でIELTS Scoreを用いられることになりました。TOEFLスコアが90点半ばで伸び悩んでいる受験生の方々は、一度これまでのテスト対策プロセスと現状スコアを精査し、必要に応じてIELTS受験を検討されてはいかがでしょうか。
Applicants should request that the Educational Testing Service issue an official score report of their results from the TOEFL iBT directly to LSAC (institution code: 8395). For IELTS, applicants must contact the test center directly and request that their test scores be sent to LSAC electronically (an institution code is not required).
Under no circumstances may an applicant submit a score report directly to LSAC or to NYU Law; only official reports issued by the testing agencies are acceptable. Photocopies or examinee copies are not permitted, and will not expedite the review of an application.
〇 Personal Statement / Resume
All applicants must electronically attach to the online application a brief personal statement of no more than 500 words. Applicants may describe their professional interests and goals, or they may use the statement to describe aspects of themselves and/or their work that are not apparent from their other application materials. Applicants should include their reasons and qualifications for applying to a particular program or specialization.
★字数は1wordでも超過してはいけませんので、コンテンツは500 wordsで纏めます。多くの伝えたいことを限られた字数でまとめるライティング力も審査の対象となります。
All applicants must also electronically attach a résumé or curriculum vitae to their application. This document may be one to two pages in length, and should account for all education and work experience, as well as any period of more than three months not spent in school or employed. Publications, presentations, or other career-related information may also be included.
Given the large number of applications that we receive each year, the Committee on Graduate Admissions is unable to read or consider writing samples, articles, or research papers that are not required by the program. Instead, publications, academic presentations and the like may be noted on an applicant’s résumé or curriculum vitae for consideration by the Committee.
★原則としてResumeはEDUCATION, PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE, ADDITIONAL INFORMATIONの3項目に分類して構成いたします。その一方で出版や講義実績を豊富にお持ちの場合、別途項目を追加することで自らの資質や能力を多角的にアピールいたします
Any additional information an applicant would like to share with the Committee on Graduate Admissions that is not already present in the other application materials may be electronically attached as an addendum to the online application.
★上述の”the online application”はLSACの画面からNew York Universityの辿り着くことができるため、まだ対応されていない方はLSACのアカウントを取得してください。
前回（4/21)の投稿に続き、Columbia Law Schoolの出願サイトを確認していきたいと思います。https://www.law.columbia.edu/admissions/llm/apply-llm-program
Holistic review. No one factor on your application is more important than another; we approach each application individually and holistically, and carefully review each component.
We do not have quotas by country or area of practice. Our process seeks candidates with the strongest credentials representing diverse backgrounds, areas of the world, and legal practice.
Academic strength is essential. Columbia is first and foremost an academic institution. We look for factors in your application that indicate that you will be able to keep up with the academic discourse at Columbia, including your prior academic transcripts and letters of recommendation. (This does not mean you should worry about a mistake you made during your first law degree; in fact, what you have learned from your mistakes is helpful to our process.)
Work experience matters. Most LL.M. students have several years of work experience when they enroll, and we strongly encourage applicants to obtain at least one year of full-time, post-law school work experience prior to applying. Experience gives you a better sense of what you want from your LL.M. experience and enhances your ability to participate in classroom and extracurricular activities.
Candidates in the final year of their first law degree will only be accepted under exceptional circumstances. If you are in this category, your personal statement must demonstrate that admission to the program would enable you to realize an immediate and specific career objective you otherwise could not obtain if you waited at least one additional year.
上述箇所のimmediate and specific career objectiveを考える際には、Columbia卒業後に就く仕事、職位、役割、責務、そしてその仕事を通じて達成したいことも併せて考えましょう。
English language skills are essential. As lawyers, you are advocates first and foremost. Columbia Law School has the highest Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) minimum for a reason: We want you to engage and perform at a level commensurate with your native English speaking peers both in and out of the classroom.
総合スコアも大切ですが、特にListeningとSpeakingセクションのスコアバランスにも注意を払ってください。
先日当ブログにて紹介しましたHarvard LL.M. Programに続き、Columbia Law Schoolでも2020-21年シーズンの出願締め切り日が発表されました。
https://www.law.columbia.edu/admissions/llm/apply-llm-program
〇 Early Review Program（早期出願用締め切り日）
Applicants for admission to our 2021-2022 LL.M. Program, except those who are in the final year of their first law degree and reapplicants who were not originally granted admission, have the option of applying through the Early Review Program. The advantage of applying early is that you will have a decision by late December. We encourage early applications from those who feel they have compiled their strongest possible application by November 1, 2020. To be considered under the Early Review Program, you must:
ここでは締め切り日を遵守することに加え、TOEFLスコアの提出も11月1日に間に合うよう時間的に余裕を持って対応するよう指示が出されています。そうしますと、10月20日前後には出願に必要なスコアを揃えておく必要が出てきます。
If you do not meet the above criteria, we will automatically defer your application for consideration as part of the regular admission cycle. If you have not taken the TOEFL by November 1, 2020, you will automatically be considered in the regular admission cycle; no exceptions will be made.
たとえ、11月1日の早期締め切り日に間に合わなかったとしても慌てる必要はありません。出願書類を提出することが大切ではなく、合格するにふさわしいクオリティーに満ちた出願書類とスコアを準備することを優先して考えていきましょう。
We will provide a decision for early applicants by the end of December. Applicants will be admitted, rejected, or deferred to the regular admission cycle. If you are admitted through the Early Review Program, you will not be required to withdraw your applications to other LL.M. programs. Admitted candidates will be given a deadline upon admission to confirm their intention to matriculate.
The Columbia online application, available through LSAC, must be submitted by December 18, 2020. All application materials for the CAS report, including supporting documents, transcripts, and letters of recommendation, must be postmarked to LSAC by December 18, 2020. Applicants who are required to submit a TOEFL score (see our Application Components page for more information) must take the test no later than December 18, 2020 in order to be considered for admission for the 2021-2022 LL.M. Program.
must take the test no later than December 18と書かれていることから、締め切り日以降にテストを受験してスコアを差し替える戦略は適用することはできません。
Admission decisions are made on a rolling basis, in most cases no later than late April. Rolling admissions means that we evaluate applications randomly; the date you submitted your application often has no bearing on when you will receive a decision. Some candidates will have a decision in early January, others in late April. (If you submit your application well before the December 18 deadline, for example, you will not necessarily have an earlier decision.) If you have not yet received a decision, it most likely means that the Committee simply has not yet reviewed your application (so you should not worry!). We strive to give every candidate a decision by the end of April.
今年はコロナウィルスの状況でテストの受験が制限される機会が増えております。テスト対策を継続することも大切ですが、しっかりとした受験計画を立て、レジュメ、エッセイ、推薦状といった出願書類を早い時期から準備していくことをお勧めいたします。
下記の記事ではアメリカのLL.M.教育の中で起業家思考の醸成に対する必要性が専門家の意見と共に紹介されています。
https://llm-guide.com/articles/why-every-llm-student-needs-entrepreneurial-thinking
Duke University Law SchoolのLaw & Entrepreneurship Programのディレクターを務めるエリカ・ビュエル教授は次のように述べています。
多くのスタートアップ企業では弁護士を信頼できるビジネスのアドバイザーとして捉える動きが見られます。これも起業が盛んなアメリカならではの特徴の一つと言えます。こうした状況背景をもとに、弁護士は時としてビジネスアドバイザー、経営者の相談を受けるカウンセラーそして事業の問題を解決する立場といった様々な立場を担うことが求められているとも述べています。
Duke University Law Schoolでは、弁護士はスタートアップ・ベンチャーズ・クリニック（プログラム）で起業家の代理を務めるといった実地経験を積むことができ、起業家は自らのアイデアを商業化する方法について無料で法的アドバイスを受けることができます。
さらにLaw Schoolの学生は、同じ大学の一部であるFuqua School of Businessで、ベンチャーキャピタルの資金調達に関するコースやイノベーションのコースを受講できます。このように他学部（大学院）からオファーされているコースを履修し卒業単位としてカウントする制度をCross-Registration Systemと言います。LL.M. Programのカリキュラムを確認することはもちろん重要ですが、ビジネススクールを始め、環境学大学院や公共政策大学院など、LL.M.取得後のキャリアパスと照らし合わせて独自の履修計画を作り上げてはいかがでしょうか？
Harvard Law Schoolが2021年入学用の出願情報を発表しました。https://hls.harvard.edu/dept/graduate-program/llm-application-deadlines-and-materials/
The application for the LL.M. class beginning in August 2021 will open in September 2020. The application deadline for the LL.M. class beginning in August 2021 is December 1, 2020, at 11:59 p.m., U.S. Eastern time.
In addition to submitting the online LL.M. application by the deadline, applicants must make sure that any other required documents (e.g., transcripts, TOEFL results) are sent out in time for delivery to our office on or before the deadline. Please note that the application deadline will be strictly observed. It is your responsibility to make certain that all required materials reach the Graduate Program office by the deadline.
〇 Application Materials
注）：MyBestスコアの取り扱いは各ロースクールによって異なります。出願要綱に関するサイトで確認できない場合は、Admissions Officeにお問い合わせください。
The LL.M. Class of 2019-20のProfileは以下のリンクよりご確認いただけます。
https://hls.harvard.edu/dept/graduate-program/llm-profiles/
〇English Proficiency Examination
https://hls.harvard.edu/dept/graduate-program/llm-admissions-faq/#faq-3-3
MyBestスコアに加え、IELTS Scoreを受け付けるLL.M.プログラムはMinimum Scoreが関連サイトに掲載されますのでその都度ご確認ください。
〇 Personal Statement
The Personal Statement is an essential component of your application. It provides an opportunity for you to present your ideas and demonstrate your writing ability to the Committee on Graduate Studies. Please limit your statement to no more than 1,500 words —anything exceeding this limit will be disregarded. Please note that footnotes do not count towards the overall word limit as long as they are limited to providing sources and citations
https://hls.harvard.edu/content/uploads/2019/11/UPDATED-Sample-LLM-Application-2020.pdf
Your Personal Statement should address both of the following questions specifically, with Part (A) constituting at least half of the total length:
(A) Briefly describe either an important issue in your field of interest or a current legal problem facing a particular country, region, or the world, and then propose a theoretical framework or a legal analysis or strategy to address this issue.
(B) Please tell us something about yourself — in particular, why you wish to pursue an LL.M. degree at Harvard and how doing so connects with what you have done in the past and what you plan to do in the future.Please follow the instructions on the Personal Statement page of the online application to upload your Personal Statement. Note that your Personal Statement must be uploaded and submitted with the rest of your application. We will not accept any Personal Statement sent to us separately from the online application.