Graduate Programs: Master of Laws

This program blends academic study, writing, and practical skills training with a broad range of environmental law courses. Students work closely with faculty and practicing attorneys to research, investigate, and prepare publishable papers on leading environmental issues.

Students may also gain practical experience by participating in placements at local environmental organizations and governmental agencies, as well as the Environmental Law & Justice Clinic. This award-winning Clinic allows students to work with full-time attorneys on important cases addressing environmental justice. 

 

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

The LLM in Environmental Law program provides opportunities to work with attorneys in the field. The Environmental Law and Justice Clinic allows students to work with full-time attorneys in an award-winning setting on important cases addressing environmental justice. The Externship in Environmental Law Program allows students to work in the field with supervising attorneys at governmental agencies, nonprofit organizations, and private law firms. Through the Externship Program, students have worked at the US Environmental Protection Agency, California Attorney General's Office, the California Public Utilities Commission, Earthjustice, and Communities for a Better Environment, among others.

 

ADMISSIONS

Rolling admissions for fall and spring. Applicants can expect a decision within 2-3 weeks of submitting a completed application. Students are encouraged to apply before the priority application deadlines:

• Fall (August) Term -- April 1
• Spring (January) Term -- October 1

 

SCHOLARSHIPS, & FINANCIAL AID

Scholarships and financial aid based on merit and need are available for qualified candidates. All applicants are considered for merit based scholarships on the basis of their application.

• Federal Financial Aid
• Tuition & Fees

 

CURRICULUM

To earn the LLM in Environmental Law degree, students must complete 24 units. Classes are offered both during the day as well as in the evening to accommodate working professionals. Students may attend full-time and complete the program in as few as two semesters. Alternatively, students may attend part-time. All students must finish the degree requirements within four years of matriculation. LLM students must maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.5 on a 4.0 scale each semester.

 

REQUIRED & RECOMMENDED COURSES

Required for foreign-educated law graduates:

• LLM 350 - Introduction to US Legal System (3 units)

Required for everyone -- students must take at least two of the four core courses listed below:

• LAW 834F - Federal Environmental Law (3 units)
• LAW 834H - California Environmental and Land Use Law (3 units)
• LAW 894D - Toxics and Brownfield Law (3 units)
• LAW 871W - Water Law

 

ELECTIVE COURSES

• LLM 811 - Administrative Law
• LLM 822A - Animal Law
• LLM 822B - Animal & Wildlife Law
• LLM 399 - Directed / Independent Study
• LAW 857A - Energy and Climate Change Law
• LAW 834C - Environmental Law & Justice Clinic
• LAW 834G - Environmental Law & Justice Seminar
• LAW 896 - Externship: Environmental Law
• LLM 366 - Public International Law

Golden Gate University School of Law is the only law school in the western United States that offers a LLM in Estate Planning, Trust, and Probate Law. The program has an unparalleled array of course offerings that reflect both the technical and people-oriented nature of this practice area as well the need for practical experiential learning. Students are taught by practicing attorneys and judges with many opportunities for clerkships and externships with Bay Area law firms and Superior Court Probate Departments. Graduates of this program will be fully capable of starting and running their own practices or sought after as highly trained associates for established firms.This program is designed to be compatible with the State Bar of California Legal Specialist Certification Program.

 

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

National & Regional Recognition

Taught by same faculty from Tax LLM program, which has been repeatedly ranked by TaxTalent, a national network of tax employers and tax professionals, among the top 10LLM Tax programs nationwide, and it is the highest ranking of any California Tax LLM program. Tax LLM program is consistently listed in The Recorder's "Best LLM Programs in California."

 

Professional Path

Demand for skilled attorneys in this practice area has grown substantially and is predicted to continue to do so for the foreseeable future. Develop professional contacts through substantive courses supplemented with workshops, field work, and externships in taxation, trusts, estates, and elder care. One-on-one career counseling, professional and student organizations, and events with GGU Law's robust alumni network offer additional networking opportunities.

 

Flexibility

Applicants may complete their LLM degree in only one semester. Applicants may transfer up to 12 qualifying units from ABA-accredited JD or other LLM programs toward their LLM Degree, allowing them to graduate in as little as one semester. JD students may apply during the final year of their JD Program for early (provisional) admission.

 

ADMISSIONS

Rolling admissions for fall, spring, and summer. Applicants can expect a decision within 2-3 weeks of submitting a completed application. Students are encouraged to apply before the priority application deadlines:

• Fall (August) Term -- April 1
• Spring (January) Term -- October 1
• Summer (May) Term -- April 1

 

SCHOLARSHIPS, & FINANCIAL AID

Scholarships and financial aid based on merit and need are available for qualified candidates. All applicants are considered for merit based scholarships on the basis of their application. Special merit-based scholarships for the Estate Planning LLM Program include:

• Women in Tax Equity Scholarship
• East Bay Trusts & Estates Merit Scholarship
• Bay Area Young Tax Lawyers Merit Scholarship
• Young Tax Lawyers Merit Scholarship
• Federal Financial Aid
• Tuition & Fees

 

CURRICULUM

To earn the LLM in Estate Planning degree, students must complete 24 units. Classes are offered both during the day as well as in the evening to accommodate working professionals. Students may attend full-time and complete the program in as few as two semesters. Alternatively, students may attend part-time. All students must finish the degree requirements within five years of matriculation. LLM students must maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.5 on a 4.0 scale each semester.

 

REQUIRED COURSES

• LLM - 317A Tax Research 1 unit(s)
• LLM - 318 Advanced Federal Income Taxation 3 unit(s)
• LLM - 325 Estate and Gift Taxation 3 unit(s)
• LLM - 330 Property Transactions 3 unit(s)
• LLM - 334 Estate Planning I 3 unit(s)
• LLM - 334A Estate Planning II 2 unit(s)
• LLM - 344 Federal Income Taxation of Trusts and Estates 3 unit(s)

 

ELECTIVE COURSES

6 units from any of the following courses:

Additional Estate Planning elective courses as identified in the course schedule.

 

Internship/Externship

LLM in Estate Planning students may enroll in the tax and estate planning internship/externship programs and are allowed to apply up to six units of this type of non-classroom experience to their degree program. Students seeking to exceed this amount must receive the express permission of the LLM in Taxation and Estate Planning Program Director.

 

EARN A DUAL LLM

Students may earn both an LLM in Taxation and an LLM in Estate Planning by completing only 36 units. To do so, the student must complete the required courses for each degree and the remaining units may be fulfilled from electives.

 

CERTIFICATE IN TAXATION

LLM students may earn both the LLM in Estate Planning, Trust, and Probate and the Taxation Certificate, or the student may choose the certificate only. The Taxation Certificate is awarded to those students who complete the following required 14 units:

• LLM - 322A Federal Income Taxation of Corporations and Shareholders I (3 units)
• LLM 319 - Federal Tax Procedure (3 units)
• LLM 300 - Professional Responsibility for Tax Practice (2 units)
• LLM - 330 Property Transactions (3 units)
• LLM 317A - Tax Research (1 unit)
• LLM - 338 Timing of Income & Expenditure(2 units)

To obtain both the LLM in Estate Planning, Trust, and Probate and the Taxation Certificate, LLM students must complete the 14 units listed above in addition to the required courses in the LLM in Estate Planning, Trust, and Probate.

The LLM in Intellectual Property program provides up-to-date instruction in such areas as biotechnology law, Internet, and software law. Students delve deeply into the areas of patent, trademark, and copyright law; draft agreements and litigation documents; and learn negotiating tips and strategies.

 

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

Students delve deeply into the areas of patent, trademark, and copyright law; draft agreements and litigation documents; and learn negotiating tips and strategies. The curriculum includes both domestic and international IP law courses, and offers an unprecedented level of instruction in legal issues relating to the creative arts with courses in entertainment, sports, and art law.

The Intellectual Property Law Center promotes excellence in teaching and scholarship through a variety of academic and extracurricular programs. It sponsors and develops various activities for students in the local legal community, one of the most robust and sophisticated legal markets for IP law in the world. The Center also sponsors the annual Intellectual Property Law & Policy Conference, which brings together leading thinkers and practitioners to address issues of interest and concern to the IP legal and business communities. Each conference features unique panels of scholars and practitioners in specialty areas of IP law.

 

ADMISSIONS

Rolling admissions for fall and spring. Applicants can expect a decision within 2-3 weeks of submitting a completed application. Students are encouraged to apply before the priority application deadlines:

• Fall (August) Term -- April 1
• Spring (January) Term -- October 1

 

SCHOLARSHIPS, & FINANCIAL AID

Scholarships and financial aid based on merit and need are available for qualified candidates. All applicants are considered for merit based scholarships on the basis of their application.

• Federal Financial Aid
• Tuition & Fees

 

CURRICULUM

To earn the LLM in Intellectual Property Law degree, students must complete 24 units. Classes are offered both during the day as well as in the evening to accommodate working professionals. Students may attend full-time and complete the program in as few as two semesters. Alternatively, students may attend part-time. All students must finish the degree requirements within three years of matriculation. LLM students must maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.5 on a 4.0 scale each semester.

 

REQUIRED & RECOMMENDED COURSES

Required for foreign-educated law graduates:

• LLM 350 - Introduction to US Legal Studies (3 units)

Required for everyone (9 units):

• Intellectual Property Law Survey (3 units)
• At least two of the following courses:
• LAW 823 - Copyright Law of the US (3 units)
• LAW 875 - Patent Law of the US (3 units)
• LAW 891 - Trademark Law of the US (3 units)
• LAW 743B - Privacy Law (3 units)

 

ELECTIVE COURSES

(please note that not all courses are offered every year)

• LLM 399 - Directed Study (in IP Law Topic)
• LAW 833D - Entertainment Contracts
• LAW 833 - Entertainment Law
• LAW 896A - Externship: Civil Field Placement (in IP-related placement)
• LAW 743C - Privacy Law and Technology
• LAW 875C - Patent Litigation
• LAW 823D - Intellectual Property Litigation
• LAW 823G - IP Practicum: Patent Law
• LAW 823P - IP Practicum: Trademark and Copyright
• LAW 743C - Privacy Law and Technology
• LAW 875C - Patent Litigation
• LAW 873 - Sports Law
• LLM 386 - Thesis
• LAW 823T - Trade Secret Law
• LAW 827B - Venture Capital Business Transactions

The LLM in International Law program offers in-depth coverage of specialized areas of international and comparative law. The program explores the interaction among the legal, cultural, sociological, and business activities of the various regions of the world.

 

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

Golden Gate University School of Law (GGU Law) offers a wide array of courses in public and private international law, comparative legal systems, international economic law, international investment law, international organizations, international human rights law, and dispute resolution.

The LLM in International Legal Studies program is both academic and practical. At its core, the LLM program provides students with knowledge of the fundamental principles of international law and the current rules that govern their application. The curriculum reaches beyond rules, however, to examine the effects of various cultural practices and national policies on international trade, human rights, and the environment. In addition, courses trace the development of international and regional organizations and treaties that govern multinational issues. Students are exposed to practical applications of negotiating skills and to different methods of international dispute settlement.

Every April, GGU Law hosts the Annual Fulbright Symposium on Current International Legal Issues concurrently with the Regional Meeting of the American Society of International Law.

 

ADMISSIONS

Rolling admissions for fall and spring. Applicants can expect a decision within 2-3 weeks of submitting a completed application. Students are encouraged to apply before the Priority application deadlines:

• Fall (August) Term -- April 1
• Spring (January) Term -- October 1

 

SCHOLARSHIPS & FINANCIAL AID

Scholarships and financial aid based on merit and need are available for qualified candidates. All applicants are considered for merit based scholarships on the basis of their application.

• Federal Financial Aid
• Tuition & Fees

 

CURRICULUM

To earn the LLM in International Legal Studies degree, students must complete 24 units. Classes are offered both during the day as well as in the evening to accommodate working professionals. Students may attend full-time and complete the program in as few as two semesters. Alternatively, students may attend part-time. All students must finish the degree requirements within four years of matriculation. LLM students must maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.5 on a 4.0 scale each semester.

 

REQUIRED & RECOMMENDED COURES

Required for foreign-educated law students:

• LLM 350 - Introduction to US Legal Studies (3 units)

Required for everyone:

• Directed Study (1-3 units)

Students must take courses from one or both of the two core areas listed below:

• Public International Law
  • LLM 366 - Public International Law (3 units)
  • LLM 364 - International Human Rights (3 units)
• Private International Law
  • LLM 352 - Comparative Legal Systems (3 units)

 

ELECTIVE COURES

(this is a sampling)

• LAW 727E - Advanced Legal Research
• LAW 842B - Business Immigration Law
• LLM 301A - Comparative International Tax
• LAW 899M - Competition: Jessup Int'l Law Moot Court
• LLM 395 - Curricular Practical Training
• LLM 378 - International Organizations
• LLM 364G - Gender, Children, and International Law
• LAW 824A - Immigration Law
• LLM 373 - International Criminal Law
• LLM 366D - Transnational Courts
• LLM 360 - International Business Transactions
• LLM 360A - International Investment Law
• LLM 322 - International Trade Regulation
• LAW 815 - Alternative Dispute Resolution
• LAW 842D - Immigration and Refugee Policy Seminar
• LLM 383A - Intra-State Conflict and Peace Building
• LLM 321N - International Taxation
• LLM 347C - Value Added Tax
• LLM 360B - International Commercial Arbitration

GGU Law's Taxation LLM has been ranked as The Best Tax LLM in California by TaxTalent for the past three years, and it is consistently recognized as among the top graduate tax programs nationally for training in taxation, estate planning, and elder care. Faculty members include tax practitioners from well-respected law firms, counsel from the IRS, and judges from the US Tax Court and the Alameda Superior Court.

 

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

Over three decades of enhancing the profession with successful tax and estate planning attorneys and network of more than one thousand graduates. Professors are recognized tax professionals in the private and public sectors, including federal and state taxing authorities, businesses, and law and accounting firms of all sizes. Faculty includes professionals from the Internal Revenue Service; Morgan, Lewis, & Bockius, LLP; Morgan Stanley, Schiff Hardin, LLP; and Winston & Strawn, LLP, among others.

 

National & Regional Recognition

Repeatedly ranked by Tax Talent, a national network of tax employers and tax professionals, among the top 10 LLM Tax programs nationwide, and it is the highest ranking of any California Tax LLM program. Consistently listed in The Recorder's "Best LLM Programs in California."

 

Professional Path

Develop professional contacts through substantive courses supplemented with workshops, field work, and externships in taxation, trusts, estates, and elder care. One-on-one career counseling, professional and student organizations, and events with GGU Law's robust alumni network offer additional networking opportunities.

 

Flexibility

Applicants May Complete Their LLM Degree In Only One Semester. Applicants may transfer up to 12 qualifying units from ABA-accredited JD or other LLM programs toward their LLM Degree, allowing them to graduate in as little as one semester. JD students may apply during the final year of their JD Program for early (provisional) admission.

 

ADMISSIONS

Rolling admissions for fall, spring, and summer. Applicants can expect a decision within 2-3 weeks of submitting a completed application. Students are encouraged to apply before the priority application deadlines:

• Fall (August) Term -- April 1
• Spring (January) Term -- October 1
• Summer (May) Term -- April 1

 

SCHOLARSHIPS, & FINANCIAL AID

Scholarships and financial aid based on merit and need are available for qualified candidates. All applicants are considered for merit based scholarships on the basis of their application. Special merit-based scholarships are for the Estate Planning LLM Program include:

• Women in Tax Equity Scholarship
• East Bay Trusts & Estates Merit Scholarship
• Bay Area Young Tax Lawyers Merit Scholarship
• Young Tax Lawyers Merit Scholarship
• Federal Financial Aid
• Tuition & Fees

 

CURRICULUM

To earn the LLM in taxation degree, students must complete 25 units. Classes are offered both during the day as well as in the evening to accommodate working professionals. Students may attend full-time or part-time. All students must finish the degree requirements within five years of matriculation. LLM students must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale each semester.

 

REQUIRED COURSES

• LLM 317A - Tax Research (1 unit)
• LLM - 318 Advanced Federal Income Taxation 3 unit(s) *
• LLM - 322A Federal Income Taxation of Corporations and Shareholders I (3 units)
• LLM - 328 Federal Income Taxation of Partners and Partnerships (3 units)
• LLM - 330 Property Transactions (3 units)

* May be waived by the program director if the student has successfully completed a J.D. level taxation course.

And one of the following:

• LLM - 338 Tax Timing 3 unit(s)

Or:

• LLM - 319 Federal Tax Procedure 3 unit(s)

 

ELECTIVE COURSES

9 units from any of the following courses:

 

EARN A DUAL LLM

Students may earn both an LLM in Taxation and an LLM in Estate Planning by completing only 36 units. To do so, the student must complete the required courses for each degree and the remaining units may be fulfilled from electives.

 

CERTIFICATE IN ESTATE PLANNING

LLM students may earn both the LLM in Estate Planning, Trust, and Probate and the Taxation Certificate, or the student may choose the certificate only. The Estate Planning Certificateis awarded to those students who complete the following required 14 units:

• LLM 330E - Income Taxation for Estate Planners (1 unit)
• LLM 325 - Estate & Gift Tax (3 units)
• LLM 334 - Estate Planning (3 units)
• LLM 344 - Income Tax of Trusts & Estates (2 units)
• LLM 334C - California Probate Procedure (3 units)
• LLM 300A - Professional Responsibility for Trust and Estate Practice (2 units)

To obtain both the LLM in Taxation and the Taxation Estate Planning , LLM students must complete the 14 units listed above in addition to the required courses in the LLM in Estate Planning, Trust, and Probate.

The LLM in US Legal Studies program provides core training in United States law and comprehensive preparation for foreign attorneys and law graduates to take the state bar examination. The program also allows students to concentrate on a particular area of U.S. law. It teaches foreign-educated lawyers about the basic foundations of American law and prepares them to understand, analyze, and write about issues in American law. Graduates of the program will understand the foundations of U.S. law, know the basics of several specific areas of U.S. law, gain strong legal analysis skills, perform effective legal research, apply legal authority to facts, and write documents in acceptable U.S. format with correct citations. They will be prepared to succeed in their electives using the approach and skills that they have learned, and at the end of their studies will be prepared to work in an American law office or similar setting as an intern/extern.

 

CONCENTRATIONS

Students in the LLM in US Legal Studies Program can study core US law, prepare for the bar, or focus on one of these specialties:

• Corporate & Commercial Law
• Immigration Law
• Labor & Employment Law
• Litigation and Lawyering Skills
• Property Development / Real Estate Law
• US Legal Practice

For each concentration, students must successfully complete the concentration course requirements. All concentration coursework must be completed before graduation. The diploma and transcript will list all concentrations that were successfully completed.

To apply for a concentration in the LLM in US Legal Studies Program, download the application from the Law Registrar. Please note, this is in addition to the Application for Admission to the LLM Program.

 

ADMISSIONS

Rolling admissions for fall and spring. Applicants can expect a decision within 2-3 weeks of submitting a completed application. Students are encouraged to apply before the Priority application deadlines:

• Fall (August) Term -- April 1
• Spring (January) Term -- October 1

 

SCHOLARSHIPS, & FINANCIAL AID

Scholarships and financial aid based on merit and need are available for qualified candidates. All applicants are considered for merit based scholarships on the basis of their application.

• Federal Financial Aid
• Tuition & Fees

 

CURRICULUM

To earn an LLM, Students must complete 24 units with a cumulative grade point average of 2.5. Classes are offered during the day as well as during the evening to accommodate working professionals. Students may attend full-time and complete the program in as few as two semesters. Alternatively, students may attend part-time. All students must finish the degree requirements within three years of matriculation.

See all US Legal Studies Courses

 

REQUIRED COURES

• Introduction to the United States Legal System (3 units)
• Directed Study, Curricular Practical Training, or Clinic (1 - 3 units)

 

ELECTIVE COURSES

Students in the LLM US Legal Studies may take all electives or may concentrate on an area of law: Corporate & Commercial Law, Immigration Law, Employment Law, Litigation and Lawyering Skills, Property Development/Real Estate Law, US Legal Practice.

(the following is a sampling of elective classes)

Litigation & Lawyering Skills

• Clinics
• LAW 811 - Administrative Law
• LAW 815 - Alternative Dispute Resolution
• LAW 700 - Civil Procedure
• LAW 855 - Professional Presentation
• LAW 898A - Criminal Litigation
• LAW 803E - Criminal Procedure
• LAW 804 - Evidence
• LAW 305A - Professional Responsibility
• LAW 899B - Trial Advocacy

Corporate & Commercial Law

• LAW 816A - Accounting for Lawyers
• LAW 815 - Alternative Dispute Resolution
• LAW 802A - Business Associations
• LAW 322A - Corporate Taxation
• LAW 838B - Federal Income Taxation
• LLM 321N - International Taxation
• LLM 360 - International Business Transactions
• LLM 322 - International Trade Regulation

Bar Preparation

• LAW 802A - Business Associations
• LAW 700 - Civil Procedure
• LAW 801 - Constitutional Law
• LAW 710 - Criminal Law and Procedure
• LAW 705 - Contracts
• LAW 804 - Evidence
• LAW 305A - Professional Responsibility
• LAW 715 - Property
• LAW 806 - Remedies
• LAW 720 - Torts
• LAW 807 - Wills and Trusts