Mar 28, 2024  
2018-2019 Graduate Catalog 
    
2018-2019 Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Master of Laws (LL.M.)


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The LLM in U.S. Law at Chase is designed solely for internationally trained lawyers and law program graduates who have earned at least a first law degree outside the United States.

The LLM in United States Law program has one required course as an introduction to the American law school style of instruction and to the U.S. legal system. Students select all other courses, with guidance from the Associate Dean for Academics, from courses available to Juris Doctor students and design a study program for their individual objectives. A program of study may involve a general overview of U.S. law or a focus in one or more specific areas. 

  • Learn from Chase professors educated at law schools throughout the nation, with a variety of backgrounds and specialties.
  • Earn all credits for graduation in one academic year of August to May.
  • Begin studies with guidance on how to prepare for the U.S. law-school style of instruction.
  • Receive an introduction to the U.S. legal system and learn how to brief and analyze U.S. court decisions.
  • Select courses of special interest from the full catalog of courses available to Chase students listed below.
  • Have an option to concentrate studies in one of several areas, such as technology and intellectual property law, business law, criminal law, tax law, or labor and employment law.
  • Have full access to the Chase law library, career placement office, and student-related services.
  • Gain practical experience through programs in which students serve as interns in law offices, government agencies, or corporate offices, depending on visa regulations.

 

♦  Indicates prerequisite.

Curriculum


Students will need to pass a minimum of thirty credit hours to earn the LL.M. degree.  The only required courses are Introduction to the U.S. Legal System, Basic Legal Skills - Research, and Basic Legal Skills - Writing. The remainder of the thirty credit hours can be earned from Core, Required, and Elective JD courses. Please note that starting in 2018, there are no more Core courses; there are only Required courses and Elective courses.

For program-specific policies governing the LL.M. program, please refer to the Chase Student Handbook, supplemented by the Chase LL.M. policies.

Group One: Required Courses (6 credit hours)


  • Introduction to the U.S. Legal System or Legal Analysis and Problem Solving (0 credits)
  • Basic Legal Skills - Research (2 credits)
  • Basic Legal Skills - Writing (4 credits)

Group Two: Elective Courses (24 credit hours)


  • J.D. Core Courses
  • J.D. Required Courses
  • J.D. Elective Courses

Total Hours: 30


Grading Policies


Incompletes:  Students in the LL.M. in U.S. Law program will follow the same rules as J.D. students regarding “Incomplete” grades.  The rules regarding “Incomplete” grades are located in the Chase Student Handbook.   https://chaselaw.nku.edu/current-students/resources/handbook.html

Grading:  All students in the LL.M. in U.S. Law program will receive grades consistent with the NKU Graduate grading scale (A-C-, F).  The students’ exams will be graded separately from the J.D. students’ exams, and the students’ exams will not be factored into grade curves or grade distributions. 

Good Standing and Graduation:  The NKU graduate student good standing and graduation policies apply to the LL.M. in U.S. Law program, with one exception.  Students in the LL.M. in U.S. Law program must maintain a 2.33 GPA; where the NKU Graduate Catalog refers to a 3.00 requirement, that number should be replaced with a 2.33 for students in the LL.M. in U.S. Law program.

If a student is academically dismissed from the LL.M. in U.S. Law program, he/she can re-apply to the program at any time. If the student is re-admitted, the student must meet with the Associate Dean for Academics to discuss an academic plan for completion of the program.

Grade Appeals:  Students in the LL.M. in U.S. Law program will follow the same policies as J.D. students with respect to grade appeals.  The Chase grade appeal policy is located in the Chase Student Handbook.  https://chaselaw.nku.edu/current-students/resources/handbook.html

Length of Program


Students are expected to complete the 30 credit hour program in one year.  A student could, however, seek permission to complete the program in a longer time period.

Transferring to the J.D. Program


Transfer Between LL.M. and J.D. Programs

Students who enroll in the LL.M. in U.S. Law program may transfer to the J.D. program, but they must apply to the J.D. program.  Credit-hours earned in the LL.M. in U.S. Law program can transfer to the J.D. program, but grades earned while in the LL.M. program will not be counted in the student’s J.D. grade point average.  Students who transfer to the J.D. program will start the J.D. program with a 0.0 grade point average.

Credit Applied to Degree; Non-degree Credit; Transfer Credit

Ordinarily, students in the LL.M. in U.S. Law program cannot apply non-Chase credit-hours earned prior to enrolling in the program.  This applies to J.D. credits earned at another law school and all other non-Chase credits earned prior to enrolling in the LL.M. program.  Despite this rule, at the discretion of the Associate Dean for Academics, some credits might be transferable from another school’s LL.M. program to the LL.M. in U.S. Law program.

Students in the LL.M. in U.S. Law program must receive permission from the Associate Dean for Academics to register for courses at other law schools and have those credits apply to the LL.M. in U.S. Law degree.

Tuition


The tuition for the LL.M. in U.S. Law program is $28,950 for the 30 credit hours needed to complete the program.  Scholarships are available for qualified students. 

Additional LL.M. Policies


Visiting Students; Undergraduate Students Taking Chase Courses; LL.M. Students Taking Undergraduate Courses

Chase College of Law will allow students seeking an LL.M. degree at another institution to be a visiting student at Chase, as long as the student can provide documentation that the student’s degree-granting institution will accept transfer credit from Chase.

No undergraduate student will be permitted to take any NKU-Chase courses, unless the student receives permission from both the Associate Dean for Academics and the professor teaching the course the undergraduate student wishes to take.

Students in the LL.M. in U.S. Law program may take a maximum of six credit-hours at NKU’s other colleges and receive credit toward the LL.M. degree for that coursework.  The remaining twenty-four credit-hours must be earned at Chase College of Law (or at another law school - see transfer credit policy below).  Students must receive permission from Chase’s Associate Dean for Academics before registering for non-Chase coursework at NKU.

Independent Study / Readings Courses / Special Topics Courses

Students in the LL.M. in U.S. Law program will not participate in Readings Courses or Special Topics Courses.  Students in the LL.M. in U.S. Law program will be able to participate in a Supervised Independent Research project, but they must first seek approval from the Associate Dean for Academics.  Chase College of Law has its own policies and requirements for a Supervised Independent Research project, and those policies apply to students in the LL.M. in U.S. Law program.

Degree Time Limits

Students in the LL.M. in U.S. Law program are expected to complete their degree requirements within one academic year.  Students must receive permission from the Associate Dean for Academics to take more than one year to earn the degree. 

Audits and Course Loads

In order to audit a course, students in the LL.M. in U.S. Law program must receive permission from the Associate Dean for Academics and the faculty member teaching the course the students wish to audit.

Students are expected to enroll in fifteen hours per semester.  Students need permission from the Associate Dean for Academics to enroll in fewer than fifteen hours per semester.

Student Appeals

If the student is appealing a Chase-specific issue (other than a grade appeal), the student must appeal to the Associate Dean for Academics, who will either resolve the appeal or designate another administrator or committee to resolve the appeal.  The student will have the opportunity to appeal the first decision to the Dean, whose decision will be final.

If the student is appealing a non-Chase-specific issue, the student should follow the appeal process outlined in the Northern Kentucky University Graduate Catalog.

Graduation

No student in the LL.M. in U.S. Law program will be able to graduate if he/she is not in good academic standing at the time he/she wishes to graduate (see previous policy regarding academic standing).

Students in the LL.M. in U.S. Law program will be eligible to walk in the Chase College of Law graduation ceremony.  Students in the LL.M. in U.S. Law program will receive a diploma from the Chase College of Law.

Administration of the LL.M. in U.S. Law Program

The LL.M. in U.S. Law program is overseen primarily by the Chase College of Law. Students in the LL.M. in U.S. Law program should first consult with Chase’s Associate Dean for Academics if they have questions regarding the LL.M. in U.S. Law program.

Graduate Council

The Chase College of Law oversees and interprets the Chase-specific policies for the LL.M. in U.S. Law program.  The NKU Office of Graduate Education oversees the non-Chase-specific policies in this program. 

Miscellaneous Policies

Students in the LL.M. in U.S. Law program will follow the Chase College of Law’s academic calendar.

Students in the LL.M. in U.S. Law program will follow the registration instructions provided by Chase’s Associate Dean for Academics.

For students in the LL.M. in U.S. Law program, all course withdrawals and additions will follow the rules applicable to J.D. students.  The applicable rules and relevant dates are located on the Chase website.

Students in the LL.M. in U.S. Law program must follow the same attendance policies as J.D. students.  Each professor will follow his/her own attendance policies, which will be set forth in the course syllabus.

Students in the LL.M. in U.S. Law program are bound by these policies, the LL.M. policies set forth in the NKU Graduate Catalog, the Chase Student Handbook (where applicable), and by the Chase Student Honor Code; the Chase Student Handbook is found at https://chaselaw.nku.edu/current-students/resources/handbook.html.

Students in the LL.M. in U.S. Law program are also bound by NKU policies regarding student conduct and academic integrity.  Situations involving a conflict between the Chase policies and the NKU policies will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Information regarding the Greater Cincinnati Consortium of Colleges and Universities is not applicable to students in the LL.M. in U.S. Law program.

 

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