Animal Law LLM Admissions

Animal Law LLM Program Qualifications

Admission to the Animal Law LLM program is competitive. Applicants must be graduates of an accredited U.S. or international law school and demonstrate an excellent academic record, strong legal research and writing skills, and a genuine interest in animal law. Neither an LSAT nor GRE score is required to apply. 

Applicants must hold or obtain, by the start of their matriculation, a law degree that qualifies them to practice as a lawyer or judge in their home country. U.S. applicants satisfy this requirement with a JD. A JD from an ABA-accredited law school is highly preferred. International applicants often meet this requirement with an LLB; however, other legal degrees may also qualify. International applicants should confirm their eligibility for the LLM Program by making sure their degree is listed here. Membership in a bar is not necessary for admission.

We welcome and encourage applications from international law school graduates who wish to learn more about animal law in the U.S. legal system and how the U.S. framework compares to and can help to effect change in legal systems abroad. Although the program offers a mandatory Introduction to U.S. Legal Studies course for international students, the program is not intended to prepare international students for U.S. practice or to sit for a state bar exam.

Applications are evaluated holistically. Factors taken into consideration include an applicant’s scholarly capacity, skills as a lawyer, academic performance, work history, strength of references, and engagement with animal law issues.

Application Materials

Applicants are asked to supply:

• A statement of interest (up to 500 words);
• A writing sample (up to 20 pages);
• A resume or CV (up to 5 pages);
• Transcripts from all institutions of higher education attended; and
• Two letters of recommendation.
• Demonstration of English proficiency for international applicants whose native language is not English. This requirement can be met in one of the following ways:
  1. if English was the primary language of their university education and the official language of the country in which the university is located; or
  2. if English was the primary language of their university education and if their university is accredited by a U.S. regional accrediting agency; or
  3. a minimum IELTS score of 8; or
  4. a minimum internet-based TOEFL score of 100.

Application Deadlines

The in-person Animal Law LLM program admits students for the Fall term only. The application deadline is February 1. Subsequent application cycles normally open in November of the prior year.

Admissions Decisions

The Admissions Committee reviews applications only once the application deadline has passed and contacts applicants within 1-2 months. For efficiency and environmental reasons, email is used to communicate with candidates.

Questions

If you have additional questions about our admissions process, please consult our Frequently Asked Questions page. If your question is not addressed there or if you would like additional information, please contact our Animal Law Program Coordinator, Danielle Lopez, at cals@lclark.edu.

ABA Accreditation and Anti-Discrimination Statement

Lewis & Clark Law School is fully accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools. Lewis  &  Clark adheres to a nondiscriminatory policy with respect to employment, enrollment, and program. Lewis  &  Clark does not discriminate on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, sex, religion, age, marital status, national origin, the presence of any physical or sensory disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or any other basis prohibited by applicable federal, state, and local laws, and has a firm commitment to promote the letter and spirit of all equal opportunity and civil rights laws, including Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, and the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990, as well as their implementing regulations. Questions regarding Title IX may be directed to one of Lewis & Clark’s Title IX coordinators (go.lclark.edu/about/title_ix) or to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights. We encourage applications from persons in groups historically underrepresented in the legal profession.