Current Miami Law LL.M. students should submit an application for admission to the J.D. program during their first semester of study in the LL.M. program.
Applicants may enroll for spring semester (December 1 application deadline), summer semester (April 15 application deadline), or fall semester (May 1 application deadline).
A separate admissions committee will review their application and determine eligibility to enter the J.D. program. The admissions committee takes into consideration the nature of, and grade point average in, classes taken by the applicant while enrolled in the LL.M. program.
Joint LL.M./J.D. graduate Nicolle Lafosse discusses her experience at Miami Law as a joint degree student in U.S. and Transnational Law for Foreign-Trained Lawyers and then the J.D. and the professional opportunities afforded her during her studies.
Course Selection
Students should discuss their intention to apply to the J.D. program with their LL.M. program director early on in their LL.M. studies to make sure their course selection enables them to complete all graduation requirements effectively.
It is strongly recommended that LL.M. students considering applying to the Joint J.D./LL.M. program take at least one first-year law course or one basic U.S. law course during each semester of their LL.M. studies, such as:
Administrative Law
Business Associations
Commercial Law
Civil Procedure
Constitutional Law
Contracts
Criminal Procedure
Evidence
Family Law
Property
Substantive Criminal Law
Torts
Trust & Estates
U.S. Income Tax Law
Having completed one semester towards the LL.M., students admitted to the Joint J.D./LL.M. will enroll in J.D. courses in their second semester.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the advantage of a joint J.D./LL.M. degree?
Joint J.D./LL.M. students must earn a combined 100 credits (instead of 112 normally required for a J.D. [88 credits] and LL.M. [24 credits] degree) with a grade point average of 2.3 out of 4.0 to earn both degrees.
Can a student receive Advanced Standing Credit for a foreign law degree?
Miami Law may award up to 29 Advanced Standing Credits towards the J.D. to students for their foreign law studies. The specific number of such credits will be determined at the time of admission to the J.D. based on a review of the applicant’s J.D. application file.
How will receiving Advanced Standing Credit be applied towards the joint J.D./LL.M. program?
When a student enrolls in the Joint J.D./LL.M., then he or she needs only 100 credits (instead of 112) to earn both degrees. If a student receives 29 Advanced Standing Credits towards the J.D., this means that only a total of 71 credits are needed to complete the Joint J.D./LL.M. In most cases, full time students can complete their remaining credits in three semesters after their LL.M. year.
For More Information
Current LL.M. students interested in enrolling in a Joint J.D./LL.M. program should contact intl-llm@law.miami.edu.
