General LLM Program

The application for admission to the Northwestern Pritzker Law General LLM Program must be submitted through the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) and we require that supporting materials, such as transcripts and letters of recommendation be submitted through the Credential Assembly Service.

Candidates must submit a one- to two-page personal statement/statement of interest.  The statement is intended to be open-ended, so candidates may write on a topic of their choice.  It is helpful to include information about your motivations for seeking an LLM degree at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law.

Please submit a one- to two-page resume or C.V. highlighting your your relevant educational and professional background, skills, and interests.

Official copies of all post-secondary studies should be submitted through the Law School Admission Council's Document Assembly Service (DAS). 

International applicants who completed their post-secondary degrees outside of the United States should register for LSAC's International Transcript Authentication and Evaluation (ITAES).

You must submit at least one and no more than four letters of recommendation.  Letters may come from academic professors or professionals.  Letters of recommendation are most persuasive when they come from people who know you very well and can provide specific information that is relevant to your candidacy. We prefer that letter of recommendation be submitted on official letterhead.

Applicants who are not native speakers of English should submit a valid TOEFL/IELTS score report.

• Northwestern prefers a TOEFL score of 100 or higher and an IELTS score of 7.5 or higher.

• We have not determined a preferred score on the new 6 point TOEFL score band. We anticipate that it will be between 5 and 5.5. Applicants who submit a test score below 5.5 should conduct an online video interview to allow us to better assess English language skills.

• The law school will accept scores up to two years after the test date.

• We do not accept MyBest Scores, IELTS indicator, TOEFL ITP Plus, TOEFL Essentials or Duolingo.

Qualified applicants whose scores fall below our thresholds of 100 (120 point scale) on the TOEFL and 7.5 on the IELTS may be admitted through our pre-term summer Legal English Program,

Legal English and Foundations (LEAF).

We do not automatically waive the English language proficiency test for applicants. If you have completed a first degree/undergraduate degree in law at an institution where the language of instruction is in English or if English is your native language, you may request a waiver of the TOEFL or IELTS by completing our English Language Proficiency Exam Waiver Request.  In addition to submitting the form, you must also complete an evaluative online video interview and writing test. Please note that waivers are reserved for students who are native speakers or are fully fluent in English.  If the waiver is approved, you will not be eligible for language-based accommodations, such as extra time on examinations. 

Interviews are encouraged to provide the Admissions Committee with additional information about your interpersonal and communication skills, maturity, and motivation. Interviews also help us preserve the strong sense of community and cooperative culture for which we are known. Please indicate your preference to conduct an interview in your application. We will follow up with an email invitation that includes an online access code for the interview system. Note that questions are pre-recorded and you will record your responses for review by the Admission Committee