Buffalo Criminal Law Center


Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Criminal Law


For on-line application: click here.
To download an application in PDF format, click here.

The LL.M. program in Criminal Law, administered by the Buffalo Criminal Law Center, is the only post-professional program in the United States devoted exclusively to the study of criminal law. The curriculum for this unique program combines hands-on courses with a wide variety of upper-level and seminar courses that permit students to engage in the serious and in-depth study of American and comparative criminal law. LL.M. students have the chance to participate in all of the Center's projects, including a series of criminal law conferences, the Buffalo Criminal Law Review, the Center's Website, and the Herbert Wechsler National Criminal Law Moot Court Competition. By entering the Master of Laws Program in Criminal Law, students join the Center's vibrant community of scholars and students dedicated to the study of American, comparative, and international criminal law.

The Program

To receive a Master of Laws degree in Criminal Law, each LL.M. candidate must successfully complete 24 credit hours of course work. Full-time students must spend a minimum of two semesters in residence and must take between 9 and 15 credits per semester. Alternatively, students may spend a minimum of two semesters and either a summer session or a third semester in residence.

As a small program within a large and intellectually diverse law school, the Criminal Law LL.M. program offers each student a variety of academic options as well as the ability to tailor each student's course of study to his or her individual interests and career objectives. Each student receives individual counseling on program planning, course selection, and degree requirements from the Director of Post-Professional Education, who, together with the LL.M. Program Director and other members of the Criminal Law faculty, is also available thereafter to advise students as they progress through the program.

Course offerings include advanced lecture courses such as Advanced Criminal Procedure, Evidence and the Child Victim, Federal Conspiracy Law, Forensic Evidence, New York Criminal Practice, Organized Crime, and White Collar Crime; seminars including Advanced Criminal Law, Criminal Law Theory, Current Topics in Criminal Law and Procedure, Death Penalty Law and Practice, and History of American Criminal Law; and hands-on courses, including Choosing the Right Jury, Criminal Law Trial Evidence Issues, Criminal Motions, Federal Pretrial Criminal Practice, Federal Sentencing Guidelines, Path of a Criminal Case, and Plea Bargaining, with placements at local District Attorney and public defender offices.

Students should be aware that course offerings change each year. Detailed course descriptions are available on UB Law School's website, http://www.law.buffalo.edu, and are revised each semester and distributed to students well before registration.

With prior written approval from the Director of Post-Professional Education, Criminal Law LL.M. students may also take non-criminal law courses relevant to their individual programs of study as well as courses from other schools and departments of the University.

i. Foundation Courses

To ensure a solid foundation for advanced study of American Criminal Law, all LL.M. candidates must successfully complete the following three basic courses, Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, and Evidence, unless they have already successfully completed these courses prior to their enrollment in the LL.M. program.

Please note that students who are required to complete the foundation course requirement while in residence can use these classes to satisfy 9 of the 24 credit hours required for the LL.M. in Criminal Law.

ii. Written Work Requirement

The Master of Laws in Criminal Law also has a written work requirement. This may be satisfied by successfully completing two papers for at least 3 credits each, written either in a seminar or an independent study under faculty supervision, or by successfully completing a master's thesis for 7 credits. Courses used to satisfy the writing requirement are counted toward the 24 credit hours required to complete the LL.M. degree.

Application Information

Application Forms & Deadlines
LL.M. applicants are encouraged to submit their applications no later than May 1 (for the fall semester) or October 1 (for the spring).

Recommendations
Along with the application form, LL.M. applicants must supply two letters of recommendation. The Admissions Committee places particular emphasis on letters from law school faculty who are familiar with the applicant's law school performance and from employers or colleagues who are familiar with the applicant's employment record, particularly but not exclusively in law.  Please ask your references to place their recommendations in an envelope and sign their name over the seal.

Transcripts
LL.M. applicants must also submit an official transcript from every post-secondary institution they attended or are currently attending. Please ask all colleges and universities you have attended to send official transcripts. All non-English transcripts must be accompanied by an authenticated English translation. Please contact World Education Services at http://wes.org to arrange for translation of your transcripts.

Application Fee
A $35 nonrefundable fee, payable in U.S. funds and made out to "State University of New York at Buffalo," must accompany the application.

International Applicants
The LL.M. Program welcomes applicants from abroad. All international applicants are evaluated on the basis of academic qualifications, English language proficiency, and evidence of financial support.

TOEFL Requirement
Applicants whose first language is not English must demonstrate English proficiency by taking the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and the Test of Written English (TWE). TOEFL score reports must be dated within two years of prospective enrollment at UB Law School. Applicants should arrange to have an official TOEFL score report sent from the Educational testing Service (ETS), using the Institutional Code Number 2925 [paper] or "St. U. of NY at Buffalo (U.)" [computer]. Further information about the TOEFL may be obtained at www.toefl.org.

The language requirement will be unconditionally satisfied by a minimum TOEFL score of 600 (paper), 250 (computer), or 100 (iBT). The minimum TWE score is 5. TOEFL scores between 580-599 (paper), 237-249 (computer), and 88-99 (iBT) may qualify the applicant for conditional acceptance upon successful completion of an intensive English course.

The University's English Language Institute offers programs during the summer and the academic year for those students who wish or need to improve their competence in reading, speaking, or writing English. For more information, on ELI programs, please contact:

Director, English Language Institute
320 Baldy Hall
State University of New York at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY 14260
USA
E-mail: elibuffalo@buffalo.edu
Website: http://wings.buffalo.edu/eli

International applicants must also document their ability to meet all educational and personal expenses for the duration of the program. They may be eligible for Law School-based aid, if available, but not for any state or federal financial aid. They should contact their government, foundations in their home country, or an American Embassy or Consulate for additional information on fellowships and financial aid.

For a recent article on the program in a German law review, see 4 JURISTISCHE SCHULUNG xxvi (1999).  Additional information for international applicants is available from the Office of International Education.

Annual Tuition (2006-07)
New York State residents: $12,170
Others: $18,270
Fees: $2,273
(Subject to change without notice.)

Fellowships
Partial tuition fellowships may be available from time to time for highly qualified domestic or foreign applicants. No separate application is necessary. If available, fellowships will be awarded based on the regular application for admission to the LL.M. program.

Further Information

For further information about the LL.M. Program in Criminal Law, please contact:

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