Master of Laws in Animal Law

Note: Admitted Animal Law LLM students should also refer the Animal Law LLM program guide sent to them as part of the matriculation process for additional details regarding course registration and the Animal Law LLM program as a whole. Animal Law LLM students should also review the What’s What Law Student Handbook, as all general law school policies applicable to JD students also apply to LLM students, except where noted.

General Program Requirements:

The Master in Animal Law (LLM) program, which is offered both as an in-person and online format, is designed for U.S. and international law graduates and attorneys seeking to focus on animal law in practice, teaching, research, academia, policy, and more.

Beginning in Fall ’23, students entering the Animal Law LLM program must complete 26 credits. For international candidates, 2 of these credits must come from the Introduction to U.S. Legal Studies online course designed to help prepare students for study in a U.S. law school environment. International Animal Law LLM students who begin their studies in the Fall take the Introduction to U.S. Legal Studies course approximately two weeks before the start of the regular Fall semester. International Animal Law LLM students in the online program who begin their studies in the Spring take Introduction to U.S. Legal Studies at the start of the regular Spring semester. The in-person Animal Law LLM program is designed to be completed in two semesters (e.g., Fall, Spring); the online Animal Law LLM program is designed to be completed in four semesters, or terms (e.g., Fall, Spring, Summer, Fall).

Beginning in Fall of ’23, students entering the online Animal Law LLM program must meet the following graduation requirements:

• 26 Credits Total (minimum)
• Required Courses (must be taken in their first semester):
• Introduction to U.S. Legal Studies (2 credits) for international candidates
• Animal Law Fundamentals (3 credits)
• Remaining Courses (selected in consultation with the Animal Law Program Director):
• Students choose their remaining courses from those offered through the Animal Law Program’s asynchronous online program.

Students entering the in-person Animal Law LLM program starting in Fall ’23 must meet the following graduation requirements:

• 26 Credits Total (minimum)
• At least 18 of the required 26 credits must be animal law courses
• Courses listed as “animal law” in an academic year’s course catalog, including those in the Summer, count toward the 18 required animal law credits.
• Required Courses (must be taken in their first semester):
• Introduction to U.S. Legal Studies (2 credits - online) for international candidates
• Animal Law Fundamentals (3 credits)
• Remaining Courses (selected in consultation with the Animal Law Program Director):
• Students select their remaining courses from those offered during the regular academic year (e., Fall and Spring). They may request to take non-animal law courses; however, these are not guaranteed. In addition, they may request to take clinical offerings and moot courts; however, these are not guaranteed.
• In addition, U.S. candidates may consult with the Animal Law Program Director to request to take an externship for up to 12 credits towards the degree. If electing to prolong their degree program, students may request to take courses during the Summer term. Finally, students may request to take courses offered exclusively through the Animal Law Program’s asynchronous online offerings, but this is not guaranteed.

Course Load and Timing:

Animal Law LLM students must register for a minimum of 5 credits each semester, except for Summer and their final semester if fewer than 5 credits are needed to complete the degree. If an Animal Law LLM student wishes to take fewer than 5 credits in any semester that is not Summer or their final semester, they must request permission to “underload” from the Director of the Animal Law Program. Note that Animal Law LLM students must be registered for at least 5 credits each semester in order to be considered a full-time student. Being less than a full-time student may impact the ability to defer loan repayments (depending on the lender), so please plan accordingly.

In-person U.S. Animal Law LLM students normally complete the degree in two semesters (e.g., Fall, Spring). That said, U.S. Animal Law LLM students in the in-person program have up to two and a half years to complete the degree; however, extensions for U.S. Animal Law LLM students are granted only in exceptional circumstances upon written request to and approval by the Animal Law Program Director.

In-person international Animal Law LLM students normally complete the degree in two semesters (e.g., Fall, Spring). Under U.S. Homeland Security regulations, international Animal Law LLM students in the in-person program must ordinarily complete the degree within 18 months and must contact the Director of the Animal Law Program and International Students and Scholars Office well in advance if an extension is needed.

Online U.S. and international Animal Law LLM students normally complete the degree in four terms, or 18 months (e.g., Fall, Spring, Summer, Fall). That said, Animal Law LLM students in the online program have up to two and a half years to complete the degree; however, extensions for online Animal Law LLM students are granted only in exceptional circumstances upon written request to and approval by the Animal Law Program Director.

In addition to the above, some scholarships may have course load and timing parameters that are more stringent than the above.

Grading Policy:

U.S. Animal Law LLM students receive letter grades for their courses. In contrast, international Animal Law LLM students are evaluated on a Credit (CR) / No Credit (NC) / Honors (HR) basis, with a course grade of B+ or higher making them eligible for an Honors (HR) designation. Consistent with this policy, they do not receive letter grades for their courses, even if they receive letter or numerical grades on assignments. Professors who have international Animal Law LLM students in their course are notified of this grading policy.

Academic Standing:

To obtain the LLM degree, US Animal Law LLM students must earn a minimum of 26 semester hours of credit with a cumulative GPA of 2.50 or better. Students who have a cumulative GPA below a 2.50 at any point during the LLM program are considered to be on probation and must meet with the Animal Law Program Director to discuss a plan for completing the program.

International Animal Law LLM students MSL students who receive two “No Credit” designations must petition the Director and Assistant Dean of the Animal Law Program to continue in the program. Students must provide a written explanation that demonstrates a change in circumstances that indicate the potential for success. Students who receive 3 or more “No Credit” designations are ineligible to continue in the program and will be dismissed.

Tuition

Animal Law LLM students are charged tuition by the credit hour. Animal Law LLM students also pay a Student Activity and Building Fee per year. For additional information on tuition and fees, consult the Law School’s Tuition and Fee page or contact the Animal Law Program Coordinator, Danielle Lopez, at 503-768-6960 or cals@lclark.edu.

Leave of Absence

Students who need to take a temporary leave of absence from the program must request a leave in writing from the Director of the Animal Law Program. The request must specify the basis for the requested leave and the estimated length of the leave. In the absence of unusual circumstances, any leave that is approved would be granted for one semester only.

If the time taken off for a permitted leave is requested and granted prior to the start of the published first day of a term or semester, the student will not be required to pay tuition for that term or semester. If the leave of absence is requested and granted on or after the published first day of the term or semester, charges will be prorated according to the Policy of Charge Adjustment found elsewhere in the What’s What Law Student Handbook.

Withdrawal

If an Animal Law LLM student wishes to fully withdraw from the Animal Law Program (i.e., not complete the program), they must notify both the Director of the Animal Law Program and Registrar as far in advance as possible prior to the withdrawal. The withdrawal is effective as of the date the student notifies the Director of the Animal Law Program and Registrar. Students who withdraw prior to the start of the published first day of the term or semester will not be required to pay tuition for that term or semester. For students who completely withdraw from the Animal Law Program on or after the published first day of the semester, charges will be prorated according to the Policy of Charge Adjustment found elsewhere in the What’s What Law Student Handbook and below.

Add/Drop

Animal Law LLM students may add and drop courses during the Fall and Spring add/drop period without penalty. The initial billing will be based on the number of credits registered for at the time of billing. To avoid late charges on tuition, Animal Law LLM students should pay tuition by the time it is due regardless of possible schedule changes. Animal Law LLM student accounts will be adjusted if they change their schedule within the add/drop period after paying tuition for the Fall and Spring semesters. Please refer to the summer registration page and calendar for details on the add/drop timelines for summer courses. 

PLEASE NOTE the following policy on tuition adjustments for schedule changes (not withdrawals): Dropping classes during the add/drop period: Tuition reversed at 100% for dropped credits (as long as student is not dropping all credits). Dropping classes after the add/drop period ends: no reversal of tuition charges for schedule adjustment.

Health Insurance

Animal Law LLM students in the in-person program are subject to the same student health insurance policies as JD students. Animal Law LLM candidates must be registered as a student to be eligible for the college’s insurance. Animal Law LLM students in the online program are ineligible for the college’s student health insurance plan.

Contact and Additional Information

For more information, please visit the Animal Law LLM program website.

Additional questions about the Animal Law LLM program may be directed to the Animal Law Program Coordinator, Danielle Lopez, at 503-768-6960 or cals@lclark.edu.