The application deadline for the 2009-10 academic year is December 15, 2008. Most admissions decisions will be announced by April 1, 2009. Some applicants may be notified of their admission prior to this date.
Please note that applications submitted by fax or e-mail will not be accepted.
A completed application consists of the following components (see guidelines below):
Additional materials required from SPILS applicants:
Applicants are discouraged from submitting additional materials with the application; such materials will not be returned. All applications must be in English. Applicants are strongly encouraged to provide information that demonstrates their ability to handle difficult materials in the English language.
Completed graduate applications should be sent to:
This statement of two to three pages seeks information about the applicant's experience in legal practice, and interest in graduate study (in the applicable specialization). This statement should also discuss the applicant's professional goals, and how the completion of an LLM degree could benefit his or her legal career.
This statement of two to three pages seeks information about an applicant’s interest in a chosen area of concentration, the expertise and experience the applicant brings to bear on his or her research and study at Stanford Law School, and how the completion of a JSM degree as a SPILS fellow will benefit his or her academic, public service, or policy-oriented career.
This statement of not more than five pages should (a) briefly explain the applicant's intended research project, including the nature of the underlying problem to which the research will respond, and (b) state clearly the scholarly and practical objectives and significance of the research. In addition, applicants should explain, on the basis of their prior research on and/or experience with the underlying issue, the methods they intend to deploy in analyzing and contributing to the ultimate resolution of the problem. In particular, applicants should address interdisciplinary perspectives and modes of analysis that promise to increase understanding of the underlying problem. The SPILS Admissions Committee pays particular attention to research proposals in evaluating applications. The committee reviews each research proposal carefully with respect to clarity of focus, analytical specificity, interdisciplinary approach and feasibility, and the degree and quality of research and work-related experience and preparation that the applicant brings to the proposal.
Each letter should be sent directly to the school by the referee. A Statement of Referee form is included with the application materials. Applicants must sign the Waiver portion of this form and send it to each person who will be writing on their behalf.
Applicants should make arrangements for two letters of recommendation to be sent to Stanford Law School by December 15, 2008. It is suggested that LLM applicants obtain one letter from someone familiar with their work in legal practice (or related professional experience) and one letter from someone familiar with their academic work. At least one letter should be from someone with whom the applicant has worked who can address the applicant's English-language proficiency.
SPILS applicants should make arrangements for three letters of recommendation to be sent to Stanford Law School by December 15, 2008. It is suggested that SPILS applicants obtain one letter from someone familiar with their research work, one letter from someone familiar with their non-academic work, and if possible, one from someone familiar with their academic or professional work outside the United States. At least one letter should be from someone with whom the applicant has worked who can address the applicant's English-language proficiency.
Stanford Law School strongly recommends that all LLM and JSM (SPILS) applicants submit their official transcripts through the LSAC LL.M. Credential Assembly Service. We believe that it is in the best interest of applicants to use this service, as it is an easy and convenient means of submitting transcripts to a number of different institutions. In addition, the service provides us with verification and authentication of transcripts and allows us to more quickly proceed with the actual review of your application.
Applicants who chose not to use the LSAC LL.M. Credential Assembly Service must submit two sets of official transcripts to Stanford Law School. These transcripts should show all courses taken and marks earned, and receipt of any degree from each university or institution of higher education at which the applicant has been in residence for one year or more. "Official transcripts" are (a) either original transcripts or copies that have been certified by the relevant educational institution and (b) either provided directly by that institution to Stanford Law School or in an envelope sealed by the institution. If these transcripts are not in English the applicant must also include a certified English translation.
An application fee of US $100 made payable to Stanford Law School is required of each applicant, for each program to which they apply. Payment must be made in U.S. dollars, either by check, postal money order or traveler's check. This fee is nonrefundable and not applicable to tuition. Students who apply to multiple programs must pay a separate $100 fee for each application.
Stanford Law School course work and related academic activities require written and spoken fluency in English. Graduate students whose native language is not English must submit their scores on the standardized Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). A minimum TOEFL score of 260 (computer-based test), 620 (paper-based test), or 100 (Internet-based test) is required for admission. This exam is administered worldwide.
For more information regarding TOEFL, please contact:
Applicants who register with the LSAC LL.M. Credential Assembly Service should submit their TOEFL scores to LSAC. The Institution Code for LSAC is 8395. Applicants who chose not to use the LSAC Service must submit their TOEFL scores directly to Stanford Law School through the Educational Testing Service (ETS). The Institution Code for Stanford Law School is 4704; the Department Code for the Advanced Degree Programs is 03.
Applicants may request a waiver of the TOEFL if they have studied previously in an English-speaking academic institution or have used English extensively in their professional work. Waivers may be granted to those applicants who have studied or worked in English full time for two years or more. Applicants seeking a waiver should furnish a formal letter requesting such an exemption, as well as evidence of their linguistic competence (e.g., a letter from an employer or an article published in English).
For students who are less than fully fluent in English, we may recommend or require, as a condition for admission, attendance at an intensive English language course prior to beginning studies at Stanford Law School. Stanford University offers a six-week intensive English course beginning in early July. For more information about Stanford's English for Foreign Students program please visit www.stanford.edu/group/efs/.
We believe that the LLM program is most valuable for students who already have significant law practice experience. Except under unusual circumstances, candidates must have at least two years of professional legal experience before commencing the LLM program. Applicants seeking a waiver of this requirement should explain in their application materials the personal or professional circumstances that they believe justify a waiver.
You can download the application forms in PDF format by clicking on the links below:
Applicants who have difficulty accessing these forms should contact the Office of Admissions by e-mail, graduate.admissions@law.stanford.edu, or telephone 650 723.4985. Please remember, however, that completed applications must be submitted by mail, not fax nor e-mail.
Questions concerning the LLM and JSM (SPILS) application process should also be directed to the e-mail or mailing addresses indicated above.
When the documents described above have all been received, an application is complete. Until the application has been finally acted upon, however, you are obligated to advise the school of any changes in the information previously furnished. In particular, you should promptly report to the school any additional grades received and any other facts that would have required a different answer to the questions asked in the application (Form A). Such changes may be reported informally by letter; if official verification is required, you will be so advised.
In order to register as students, Stanford University requires that all those who are not U.S. citizens or U.S. registered permanent residents must obtain and maintain an appropriate visa status for their stay in the United States.
If you are offered admission, Stanford reserves the right to withdraw that offer of admission if:
Stanford further reserves the right to require you to provide additional information about any such matter upon request; by submitting your application, you authorize the release of such additional information, and for Stanford to verify the information provided in the application process (including by contacting recommenders and school officials).
Stanford University admits students of either sex and any race, color, religion, sexual orientation, or national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the University. Consistent with its obligations under the law, it prohibits discrimination, including harassment, against students on the basis of sex, race, age, color, disability, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, national and ethnic origin, and any other characteristic protected by applicable law in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarships and loan programs, and athletic and other University administered programs. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding this policy:
Director of the Office of Diversity & Access
Mariposa House, 585 Capistrano Way, Stanford University
Stanford, CA 94305-8230
E-mail: equal.opportunity@stanford.edu
Phone: 650 723.0755
TTY: 650 723.1216
Fax: 650 723.1791
Completed graduate applications should be sent to: