Message from the Director

In addition to the juris doctor program, Wayne State University Law School offers three graduate programs in law. All are advanced programs meant for people who already have completed a first degree in law – either the American J.D. degree or a foreign equivalent. Our three LL.M. programs are in tax law, corporate finance law, and labor and employment law. Below, you will find an overview of the goals and requirements of these programs. You will also find links to other subjects of interest, such as application procedures, course offerings, and information about the University and the city of Detroit.

Overview:
Our LL.M. program is designed for those with focused objectives. Many of our students have practiced law for a number of years and now wish to attain a higher level of sophistication in their field of expertise. Others are seeking to change the direction of their careers. Some students are with us on a full-time basis. Others study part-time. Some are from the U.S. Others come to us from abroad. All have several things in common: a distinguished record of success, clear professional objectives, and a strong motivation to succeed in an intellectually demanding program of study.

Fields of Specialization and Requirements:
All LL.M. students complete 24 credits of course work. In addition, each must complete the Master’s Essay under the supervision of a faculty member. Each of the three majors has associated with it a set of required courses and a list of approved electives. To see the required and elective courses, click here.

Tax: All students specializing in tax law begin with classes in basic aspects of the federal taxation of individual and corporate income in the United States. From there students go on to specialize in various aspects of the subject: transactional tax practice, tax litigation, international or comparative aspects of tax law, value added taxes, estate taxes, or state and local taxation.

Corporate Law and Corporate Finance: Much of the investment and other economic activity conducted in the world today is done by corporate entities. Much involves capital markets and highly sophisticated forms of securitization and corporate combinations. The program in corporate finance law is for several types of students: those seeking careers in private practice assisting clients in raising capital in order to initiate new business ventures, those seeking careers in regulating capital markets and corporate behavior, and those with their sights on positions within the legal departments of business entities, either in the United States or abroad.

Admission and Selection Criteria:
Application to the LL.M. program should be done online by clicking here. Applications should be submitted only by individuals who have earned a first degree in law – either a J.D. degree from a U.S. institution or an equivalent from a foreign institution – and admission is offered on a competitive basis. In addition to completing the online forms, applicants are strongly encouraged to submit a personal statement, a curriculum vitae, and two or more letters of recommendation. The personal statement should identify the applicant’s area of specialization, explain the reasons for undertaking graduate study, and discuss the career path that the applicant anticipates after completing his or her studies. Letters of recommendation should be from professors, employers, colleagues, and other people who know the applicant individually and who are quite familiar with the applicant’s professional work. The c.v. should summarize all periods of study and employment since completion of primary education.

All courses in the LL.M. program are conducted in English. All written work must be submitted in English. Our policy on proficiency in spoken and written English is explained {here}.

The Academic Calendar and Progress Toward the LL.M. Degree:
Wayne State University operates on a semester system, with the fall semester typically beginning in late August and the winter semester beginning in early January. The Law School also has a summer semester beginning in mid-May. Specific dates can be found by accessing the University and Law School academic calendars. Students from outside the U.S. are strongly encouraged to commence their studies in the fall semester so as to benefit from the Law School’s orientation program and so that they can enroll in Introduction to the Legal System of the U.S. at the outset of their studies.

Full-time students typically complete the program in one-two years. Part-time students usually take longer. In all cases, the program must be completed no later than six years after studies have been commenced.

Finances:
A summary of tuition and other charges can be found at http://www.law.financialaid.wayne.edu/fees.php. Students seeking grants, loans, and other forms of financial assistance should consult http://www.law.financialaid.wayne.edu/types.php.

The Community:
Students in the LL.M. program study side-by-side with students in the three-year J.D. program and are full members of the Law School community. As such, they are eligible to enroll in the Law School’s clinical programs, to become editors of its law journals, to participate in moot court programs and student governance, and to apply for fellowship and internship opportunities. LL.M. students may also enroll in a limited number of courses outside of the Law School, in other departments of the University.

The City of Detroit:
Detroit is a city of nearly 1 million people located in a metropolitan, tri-county area of 4 million. It is home not only to the U.S. automobile industry but also to world-class music, museums, sports facilities, medical centers, and foundations. The city and its suburbs are home to established law firms, high tech corporations, bar associations, and civic organizations of every sort. Detroit is also one of the major gateways connecting the United States to Ontario, Canada and the city of Windsor.

In many respects, Detroit is a window on contemporary America -- its innovations, diversity, vitality and also its share of the challenges of modern urban life. It is an ideal place to study law and its relationship to American society and to globalization.

Detroit is surrounded by suburban and rural communities that offer green open spaces, rivers, lakes, and other places for recreation. It is approximately a five-hour drive from Chicago and Toronto and is well served by rail and air transportation to both cities.

Contact Us:
If you're interested in an LL.M. degree from Wayne Law, contact our office at (313) 577-0088 or at llmprogram@wayne.edu. We look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Professor Paul Dubinsky
Director of Wayne Law's LL.M. Program