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APPLICATION PRE-REQUISITES

Applicants may seek admission for degree or non-degree (i.e. audit) status for the following programs:

  • The LL.M. or J.S.M. degree (24 credits for the equivalent of 8 courses)
    * non-degree students will receive a Certificate of Completion of Masters Level Education
  • Certification of Expertise (15 credits for the equivalent of 5 courses)
  • Continuing Professional Education (course-by-course, receive a Certificate of Completion)
  • J.S.D. (Ph.D. level Doctor of the Science of Law) program (3 – 4 years research based dissertation)

Non-degree (audit) applicants will neither receive a course grade nor course credit, but will in all other academic aspects be considered a regular student in the program, receiving feedback and grades for assignments/examinations/papers submitted and having full access to the faculty.

The Diamond program also has professional association certification as well as corporate training opportunities available both to degree and non-degree candidates.

LL.M. (Master of Laws)

LL.M. degree applicants have earned a Juris Doctorate (J.D.), Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.), or an equivalent legal degree from a law school in the United States or from an accredited foreign University law faculty.

The ABA Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar has adopted a statement that no post J.D. or other graduate program is a substitute for the J.D. and should not be considered the equivalent of the J.D. for bar admission purposes. Students participating in an LL.M. are advised that an LL.M. does not prepare or qualify its students to engage in the practice of law; that the LL.M. is not intended to qualify students to take a bar examination. Because each State or Dependency (Puerto Rico, USVI, Guam, etc) has its own Bar admission requirements, contact the relevant State or Dependency Bar regarding any questions that you may have regarding its requirements to sit for its bar examination.

J.S.M. (Master of Science of Laws)

J.S.M. applicants have earned an accredited Bachelors degree or its foreign equivalent, generally in accountancy, business, finance, or economics, and are able to show a strong commitment from previous academic experience and professional experience to undertake a rigorous legal study that includes extensive writing, research, and critical legal thinking. J.S.M. applicants are generally members of a professional association such as the American Academy of Financial Management, the Society of Trusts and Estate Practitioners, and the International Compliance Association.

J.S.M. candidates will be assessed and judged against the same standard as the LL.M. candidates, and the program requirements are the same in all respects.

J.S.D. (Doctor of the Science of Laws)

J.S.D. applicants have earned the Diamond program LL.M. or J.S.M. degree. However, in exceptional circumstances, an applicant with a LL.M., J.S.M., or its equivalent post-graduate specialized legal degree from another institution, may apply. The LL.M., J.S.M., or its equivalent degree, must have had a thesis requirement as part of its graduation requirements.

Certification of Expertise

Degree and non-degree candidates may seek a Certification of Expertise in a certain field, generally in association with certification of the relevant professional association. Please refer to the Certifications webpage for further details.

  • International Financial Services
  • Anti-Money Laundering & Compliance
  • Wealth Management & Private Banking
  • E-commerce / Intellectual Property
  • United States Taxation
  • Trusts/Company Administration & Compliance

Continuing Professional Education

Professional continuing education (e.g. CPE and CLE) is an annual requirement for many professional associations. A degree or non-degree students should consult with his or her relevant professional association to determine whether courses undertaken in this program may fulfill such requirements.

Application Procedures and Protocols

LL.M. Degree

LL.M. degree applicants apply through the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) website: http://www.lsac.org/LSAC.asp?url=/lsac/lsdas-general-information.asp choosing Thomas Jefferson School of Law Graduate Program as the recipient of the completed application information. The LL.M./J.S.M. does not require the applicant undertake the LSAT – this is simply a document collection service used by all ABA accredited law schools.

Further, for non-US institution academic degrees, the applicant must have the non-US transcripts certified by the LSAC LL.M. credential assembly service for https://llm.lsac.org/llm/logon/splash.aspx

Application to the LL.M. and J.S.M. program must submit the following to the LSAC:

  1. The completion of an application form
  2. Resume or curriculum vitae (CV)
  3. Two letters of recommendation
  4. One page personal statement
  5. Official transcripts from all previous law school/law faculty and universities
  6. LSAC fees and Thomas Jefferson application fee of $100

Selection is based upon a showing of intellectual capacity, strength of the applicant's educational and professional records, and evidence of the applicant's commitment and ability to overcome difficulties in attaining specialized education and skills. Thus, applicants are encouraged to submit copies of professional association membership certificates in good standing, copies of any professional certifications, and any other evidence to support admission, beyond the requirements above.

The personal statement may include topics such as: how the degree will further the applicant’s career or how the applicant’s background will support the successful completion of the degree.

Applicants with completed applications will have a telephonic or face-to-face admissibility discussion with Professor William Byrnes.

J.S.M. Degree

LL.M. degree applicants apply through the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) website: http://www.lsac.org/LSAC.asp?url=/lsac/lsdas-general-information.asp choosing Thomas Jefferson School of Law Graduate Program as the recipient of the completed application information. The LL.M./J.S.M. does not require the applicant undertake the LSAT – this is simply a document collection service used by all ABA accredited law schools.

Further, for non-US institution academic degrees, the applicant must have the non-US transcripts certified by the LSAC LL.M. credential assembly service for https://llm.lsac.org/llm/logon/splash.aspx
Application to the LL.M. and J.S.M. program must submit the following to the LSAC:

  1. The completion of an application form
  2. Resume or curriculum vitae (CV)
  3. Two letters of recommendation
  4. One page personal statement explaining how a legal education will
  5. Official transcripts from previous Universities
  6. LSAC fees and Thomas Jefferson application fee of $100

Selection is based upon a showing of intellectual capacity, strength of the applicant's educational and professional records, and evidence of the applicant's commitment and ability to overcome difficulties in attaining specialized education and skills. Thus, applicants are encouraged to submit copies of professional association membership certificates in good standing, copies of any professional certifications, and any other evidence to support admission, beyond the requirements above.

The personal statement may include topics such as: how the degree will further the applicant’s career or how the applicant’s background will support the successful completion of the degree.

Applicants with completed applications will have a telephonic or face-to-face admissibility discussion with Professor William Byrnes.

Non-Degree Applicants

Non-degree applicants may submit directly to Thomas Jefferson:

  1. The completion of an application form
  2. Resume or curriculum vitae (CV)
  3. One letter of recommendation
  4. One page personal statement
  5. Copy of transcripts from previous Universities
  6. Application fee of $100

Selection is based upon a showing of intellectual capacity, strength of the applicant's educational and professional records and evidence of the applicant's commitment and ability to overcome difficulties in attaining specialized education and skills. Thus, applicants are encouraged to submit copies of professional association membership certificates in good standing, copies of any professional certifications and any other evidence to support admission, beyond the requirements above.

The personal statement may include topics such as: how the degree will further the applicant’s career or how the applicant’s background will support the successful completion of the degree.

J.S.D. Degree

  1. Completed J.S.D. Application Form
  2. Memo of Novelty of Publishable Topic ***
  3. Certified transcripts from the previous LL.M. program, all previous law school/law faculty and universities
  4. Copy of LL.M. Thesis
  5. List of three potential supervising faculty members with resumes/CVs supporting the faculty members’ specific expertise in the subject matter
  6. Three letters of recommendation that specifically address the applicants ability to undertake a rigorous research and publication project
  7. $200 Application Fee

*** The Memo of Novelty of Publishable Topic, generally around 10-20 pages, requires the following issues be specifically addressed under separate topic headings:

  1. Working Title
  2. Description of the topic
    • Topic’s novelty (the unresolved issue)
    • Topic’s relevance to the relevant field
    • Proposed contribution by applicant to addressing the topic, such as potential conclusions
  3. Description of previous published work regarding topic including contrasting at least five other books and Ph.D. thesis’s on overlapping subject matter
  4. Working table of contents by chapter and chapter topics
  5. Statement regarding research techniques to be employed and resources to be used
  6. Statement regarding contemplated time line of 3 years for final submission, including research period milestones, chapter deadline dates, and final submission deadline date.
  7. Statement regarding potential publishing, by example, in smaller article format and for the entire final J.S.D. dissertation

ADMISSION TIME PERIODS

LL.M. and J.S.M. Programs

You may apply for admission for any 16 week semester.

  • FALL – completed LSAC application deadline June 30, for early September start date
  • SPRING – completed LSAC application deadline October 31, for early January start date
  • SUMMER – completed LSAC application deadline March 15, for late May start date

Once LSAC has sent the completed application to Thomas Jefferson’s Admissions Committee, Professor Byrnes will schedule a call with the applicant within a week. The decision regarding admission will be made within 10 business days after the telephonic interview.

J.S.D. Program

The J.S.D. only has one intake per year–Fall.

  • FALL – completed J.S.D. application deadline June 30, the start date is the first day of the fall term

Applications may be submitted earlier for earlier admissibility decision. Decisions may take no less than one month and may take longer depending on obtaining qualified supervisors.

MATRICULATION (ACCEPTANCE OF ADMISSION) REQUIREMENTS AND DEADLINES

LL.M. and J.S.M. Program

If an applicant is accepted for admission, then he or she will have 10 business days from the confirmation letter being transmitted by email to submit a matriculation non-refundable deposit of $500.
Should the applicant fail to submit the matriculation deposit within 10 business days, then the applicant’s admission will be null and void, the seat being made available to the next candidate at the top of the waiting list. The applicant may instead of submitting the matriculation deposit request to be placed upon the waiting list. Waiting list candidates will be notified of admission two weeks after the application deadline and may at that time submit the full course enrollment fee within five business days of notification.

Upon receiving either the matriculation deposit or full course enrollment fee, the candidate will be enrolled in Thesis I. All persons admitted, non-degree or degree, must take the Online Research & Writing (Thesis I) course the first trimester, along with any other courses, but for exceptional circumstances. This course teaches the use of the many research databases, interaction with resources, minimum writing standards, as well as the general process of online learning.

You may elect to take any number of courses, even only one, a semester. However, each course is only offered at most once a year. Each year from the start date of the student, to continue to be an active student, three courses must be enrolled in. An inactive student may, at the discretion of the admission committee, seek re-activation by payment of a re-activation fee and submission of a letter of time frame of courses to be enrolled in.

Each student should plan a curriculum estimate upon acceptance. Each course is guaranteed to be offered only once every two years. However, a course may be offered each year, subject to sufficient enrollment. A course that is not offered one year will be offered the following year.

Students that want to continue to access the library and not have their Westlaw, Lexis, other databases and student id/email suspended during semesters of non-enrollment may pay a continuation fee of $500 each semester to continue to have such access.

J.S.D. Program

If an applicant is accepted for admission, then he or she will have 10 business days from the confirmation letter being transmitted by email to submit a matriculation non-refundable deposit of $1,500.
Should the applicant fail to submit the matriculation deposit within 10 business days, then the applicant’s admission will be null and void. The applicant may apply for admission for the following year only without prejudice.

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