The U.S. Law for Foreign Lawyers concentration is designed to prepare foreign lawyers for global practice. In this program, students are fully integrated into Texas Law’s J.D.’s classes, where they sit side-by-side with American students being trained in the tradition of U.S. legal education. The U.S. for Foreign Lawyers concentration is a flexible program that provides students with a foreign law degree the opportunity to focus on a particular area of study or gain a broad foundation in U.S. law by taking courses in a variety of areas. Students take both basic and advanced courses and learn how U.S. lawyers are trained to analyze legal questions and advocate on their client’s behalf. They also develop skills to make them more effective global practitioners.
The U.S. Law for Foreign Lawyers concentration is well-suited for students from a non-common law background who intend to take the Texas and/or New York bar exam. The program provides students the needed curricular flexibility to take courses required by each bar and courses that complement their academic and professional interests.
Internal Scholarships
- Good Neighbor Scholarship (separate application required and March deadline)
- Tuition Assistance for Mexican Students (separate application required and April deadline)
Visit Scholarship Opportunities for more information.
General Requirements
- A total of 24 credit hours that must be completed in one academic year (fall and spring terms).
- A three-credit writing seminar or a two-credit directed research paper (30-40 double-spaced pages).
- U.S. Constitutional Law for Foreign Lawyers (This is a requirement for students with a foreign law degree. Students with a background in common law may request a waiver from this requirement.)
- Contracts for Foreign Lawyers course has been designed specifically to meet the needs of our foreign LL.M. students and is the required foundational course. (This is a requirement for students with a foreign law degree. Students with a background in common law may request a waiver from this requirement.)
- Non-U.S. J.D. students planning to take a U.S. state bar exam must also complete certain bar-required courses as part of their LL.M. degree program to be eligible to take the bar examination.
Sample Courses
Note: Past, current, and future courses can be accessed on the Law School’s Course Schedule. The courses listed on the course schedule are sample course offerings only and are not necessarily offered every term.