American Law Practice LLM
The Master of Laws (LLM) in American Law Practice is available to foreign-trained attorneys to supplement, update, or focus their legal training. It can also serve as a pathway for eligibility to sit for the Colorado Bar exam for students who meet the Colorado Supreme Court’s criteria (see note below).
The LLM in American Law Practice is designed to ensure success for foreign-trained attorneys, both while at the Sturm College of Law and beyond. Students will have access to ESL support alongside introductory classes designed to build on their prior legal experience with focused training in American legal practice. In addition, American Law Practice students are fully integrated into Denver Law’s JD classes in order to receive the benefit from a complete immersion into a US law school environment.
Beginning Fall 2024, students enrolled in the LLM in American Legal Practice who are eligible for and seeking to sit for a bar exam in the United States after graduation — and who have not previously been licensed to practice law in any U.S. jurisdiction — will be provided with Themis Bar Review’s complete post-graduation bar review course designed specifically for foreign-trained LLM students at no cost, completely funded by the University of Denver Sturm College of Law.
Please note that although the LLM in American Legal Practice provides a potential pathway for eligibility to sit for the Colorado bar exam, such eligibility is determined by the Colorado Supreme Court and not the University of Denver Sturm College of Law. Students are asked to review the relevant paragraphs of the Rules Governing Admission to the Practice of Law in Colorado found on the Colorado Supreme Court website, here. Among other things, graduates of the degree seeking Admission to the Practice of Law in Colorado with a law degree from a civil law jurisdiction have different requirements from students with a law degree from a common law jurisdiction.
American Law Practice LLM Requirements
Students are required to complete 24 semester credit hours. Full-time students may earn the degree in one academic year (over two consecutive semesters). Part-time students (below 12 semester credit hours a semester) may earn the degree within 24 months of matriculation. Please refer to specific F-1/J-1 status requirements. Students must maintain an overall GPA of 2.7 to remain in good standing.
All American Law Practice students must successfully complete the following 10 credits:
- Introduction to the American Legal System (L4064) (2 credits)
- Legal Research and Writing for Graduate Students (L4034) (2 credits)
- Legal Profession (L4425) (3 credits)
- Legal Analysis Strategies (L4032) (3 credits)
All American Law Practice students must successfully complete 8 elective credits (2 courses) from the following list of courses:
- Contracts (L4175) (4 credits)
- Criminal Law (L4195) (4 credits)
- Civil Procedure (L4120) (4 credits)
- Evidence (L4235) (4 credits)
- Torts (L4610) (4 credits)
- Constitutional Law (L4164) (4 credits)
- Property (L4490) (4 credits)
- Corporations (L4190) (4 credits)
The remaining required 6 credits may be earned by completing any courses offered in the JD curriculum that are offered and completed in an in-person modality.
A full list of course descriptions and courses offered in the JD curriculum may be found in the DU Bulletin, here.
American Law Practice students may also pursue a directed research project if they find a suitable faculty advisor.
Additional Requirements and Considerations for students seeking Admission to the Practice of Law in Colorado
American Law Practice students may not complete more than 4 semester credits in any summer term while in the program.
Pursuing the American Law Practice LLM enables me to sit for the bar exam and provides the foundational skills and knowledge to transition into corporate law here in the United States.
— Ana Maria Gutierrez M.,
American Law Practice LLM Student
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