LL.M. in U.S. Law

How the program works

The LL.M. in U.S. Law at UF Levin College of Law is designed for graduates of non-U.S. law schools. Students typically earn the degree within one year upon successful completion of 26 semester hours of coursework. Our broad curriculum allows students to generalize or focus on specific areas of law.

Students admitted to the LL.M. in U.S. Law are required to take the following courses: (1) Introduction to the Legal System of the United States: Part I (two credits); and (2) Legal Writing and Research for LL.M. in Comparative Law (two credits). Students choose the remainder of courses from the LL.M. eligible courses in the J.D. curricula. View the full course list.

UF Law has a large and distinguished faculty and a rich curriculum. With over 100 members, our faculty includes lawyers from around the globe, including Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the Americas. Many of our dedicated teachers are also renowned legal scholars or practitioners. They provide a diverse range of curricular offerings, including comprehensive offerings in Business Law, Artificial Intelligence and Technology, Health Law, Taxation, Environmental Law, Public Interest Law, among many other specialty areas. LL.M. in U.S. Law students take most courses alongside U.S. students in the J.D. curriculum.

Requirements for Fall 2025 Application

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Applicants who will require an I-20 to obtain or transfer a visa for UF attendance – your LSAC online LLM application and all required documents below should be received by UF Law through LSAC as early as possible and no later than by April 1, 2025, to meet university I-20 request deadlines.
All Transcripts (Original Language & English Translation)
Degree certificate (Original Language & English Translation)
Personal Statement
Resume or C.V.
2 Letters of Recommendation
Applicants required to submit English proficiency exam results generally possess at least a 100 TOEFL or 7.0 IELTS score.

You may view the application and admissions process via the LL.M. and S.J.D. Admissions page. To learn more, please reach out to admissions@law.ufl.edu.

UF Law is a leading public law school on the 2,000-acre campus of one of the United States’ most highly regarded universities. The University of Florida currently ranks as the #1 public university by the Wall Street Journal for student outcomes. U.S. News & World Report ranks UF Law 22nd among law schools nationwide and 8th among public law schools.

Cost and scholarships

A non-refundable seat deposit of $200 is required when accepting an offer of admission. There is also a $195 Pathways to U.S. Law programming fee.

Tuition

Block tuition (charged per semester): $9,663.03 (resident, per semester); $16,858.40 (non-resident, per semester)

Fulbright Fellowship Program

The Fulbright Fellowship Program, involves the participation of a large set of collaborating partners in supporting Fulbright fellows at the University of Florida. For general questions about the Fulbright fellowship program and the logistics of admitting a Fulbright fellow, please contact gradschool@aa.ufl.edu.

Linkage Institute Programs

The State of Florida has established Linkage Institute programs for several countries and regions. A limited number of well-qualified students who are citizens of “linkage” countries are permitted to pay resident rather than non-resident tuition for a specified number of credit hours. Linkage programs currently exist for the following countries and regions: Brazil, Canada, the Caribbean, Costa Rica, Eastern Europe, France, Israel, Japan, Mexico and West Africa. For more information, please reach out to linkage@ufic.ufl.edu.

Generous Scholarships for Latin American and Caribbean Students.
The Levin College of Law has a scholarship fund available for Latin American and Caribbean students that enables them to qualify for in-state tuition. Tuition Cost with LAC Scholarship is $19,326.06 vs. Out of State Tuition- $33,716.80. For more information on this scholarship, view the LAC Scholarship page.

Loans

A variety of loans, including Guaranteed Student Loans, may be available. Early application is encouraged to allow adequate processing time before the start of a term.

The LL.M. program is designed to enhance an existing law degree and enable graduates to reach career goals, whether they plan to practice outside or within the United States. Successful completion of an LL.M. instills the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in U.S. law practice.

The Florida Constitutional Law Endowment in memory of Justice Ben F. Overton was created by Judge Karen Miller in 2013. This fund supports lectures and presentations by Justices of the Florida Supreme Court at the Fredric G. Levin College of Law.

HISTORY

Justice Overton, who earned his B.S. in 1951 and his Juris Doctor in 1952 from the University of Florida, was the first merit appointment to the Florida Supreme Court. Throughout his career he was active in legal education and served as an Adjunct Professor at the Levin College of Law through December 2012, the month of his death. Although he resided at Oak Hammock at the University of Florida, a continuing care retirement community developed in cooperation with UF, he also considered the Florida Supreme Court “home.” Among the high points of his later years was hosting Justices of the Florida Supreme Court in Gainesville and taking his class to Tallahassee to hear oral arguments at the Florida Supreme Court.
Judge Miller, who earned her B.S. cum laude from New York University in 1974 and her Juris Doctor from New York Law School in 1977, served as Chief Administrative Law Judge of the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs, New York City’s business regulatory agency, before she retired to Oak Hammock at the University of Florida. Having accompanied Justice Overton on his excursions to Tallahassee and joined him in welcoming guests to Oak Hammock at the University of Florida, she created the endowment in memory of Justice Overton to ensure that the Levin College of Law continues to have the funding necessary to continue and enhance the interaction between its students and the Florida Supreme Court.

Judge Miller remembered the event that motivated the endowment.

Prior to a dinner at the home of Dean Robert Jerry and Lisa Jerry shortly after Justice Overton’s death, Justice Barbara Pariente and I were discussing a suitable memorial. Justice Pariente, who had been Justice Overton’s colleague on the Florida Supreme Court and who understood the importance to him of the interaction between his students and the Court, suggested the outline of what has become the Overton lectures. Dean Jerry, who has since retired, as has Dean Emeritus Jon Mills, who assumed responsibility for implementing the Overton lectures, were very supportive from the beginning. Since Dean Mills’ retirement, Professor Timothy McClendon, who assisted both Justice Overton and Dean Mills teaching Florida Constitutional Law and who co-authored the recent Florida Constitutional Law casebook, has continued the Overton lectures with the support of Interim Dean Merritt McAlister and CGR director, Professor Danaya Wright.

Justice Overton was a devoted jurist, educator, and ethical leader of the Florida legal profession. The Overton Lecture Series brings Florida Supreme Court Justices to the University of Florida, Levin College of Law, and serves to introduce students to the inner workings of the Court. CGR and the students of the College of Law extend our deepest gratitude to Judge Karen Miller for making the Overton Lectures possible in perpetuity.

You can watch an interview for the Florida Historical Society by Mary Adkins, professor emeritus of the UF Levin College of Law, with Justice Overton here.

Justice Overton was also interviewed for the Samuel Proctor Oral History Project and a transcript of his interview is available at the Smathers Library, and here.
Justice Overton sat on the Constitution Revision Commission of 1977-78 that proposed a right to privacy in the Florida Constitution. Although it failed as part of the Constitution Revision Commission recommendations, it passed in 1980 when proposed by the legislature. The bill was co-sponsored by our very own Jon Mills. The privacy provision prevailed by greater than 60%. Justice Overton then wrote a concurrence in a critical reproductive rights case in 1989 affirming that the privacy provision of the Florida Constitution included the right to obtain an abortion. That decision was overruled in Planned Parenthood of SW and Central Florida v. Florida. You can read about the role of Justice Overton, Jon Mills – director emeritus of CGR, and the history of the 1989 case here.