Navigating the LL.M. Application: Your Complete Guide to the Core Components
You're applying for a master of laws (LL.M.) program - congrats!
That's a huge life decision. However, applying for an LL.M. is a complex, multi-step process. You'll need to prepare a package of documents for the admission to the program, figure out your funding strategy, and plan your application timeline in a way that works with your existing commitments.
In this Guide, I distill the key components of a successful master of laws application, among them:
- application form
- university diplomas and transcripts
- CV or résumé
- letters of recommendation
- personal statement, statement of purpose, motivation letter
- language test
- an essay on a legal topic
This Guide addresses the what of an LL.M. application, i.e. the contents of a successful application. For when to do what, please, see my Step-by-Step Guide to the LL.M. Application Timeline.
BONUS:
I've also included in this Guide a checklist of the application components that you can use to track your progress.
Enjoy!;)
If you are new to my work, I myself am a Harvard grad.
When applying for a master of laws, I got into Harvard Law School, New York School of Law, Master's of International Dispute Settlement in Geneva, and the University of Cambridge. From those schools, I was offered over USD 130,000 in grants and scholarships in total.
The year I spent at Harvard was one of the best years in my entire life. I want it to be accessible to as many people as possible.
After doing my master of laws, I freelanced on Fiverr and was a mentor on a platform called DYAD helping others apply to the world's best universities.
I've been helping other people with writing their personal statements and motivation letters for the past 5 years.
I've also been on the side of the admissions committee, evaluating LLM and PhD applications at the European University Institute where I completed my doctoral studies.
You can follow my work on my Harvard State of Mind website or on LinkedIn.