About
Founded in 1872, Boston University School of Law (BU Law) is renowned for its excellence in legal education. Offering premier graduate programs, BU Law is dedicated to supporting its students in advancing their careers and achieving their professional aspirations.
At the core of the BU Law learning experience is superior teaching and a supportive, dynamic environment in which professors guide, inspire, and challenge students. BU Law professors are devoted to their students — academically, professionally, and individually.
Top Reasons to Pursue your Graduate Law Degree at BU Law
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Academic Excellence: BU Law offers rigorous, top-ranked programs led by distinguished faculty who are leaders in their fields - law firm partners, in-house counsel, judges, advisors, consultants, and government officials - ensuring a world-class legal education.
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Commitment to Student Success: BU Law is deeply invested in student achievement, providing personalized academic support, career guidance, and professional development resources.
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Global Community: A diverse and internationally engaged student body creates a dynamic learning environment that prepares graduates for practice in an ever-evolving legal landscape.
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Modern Facilities: BU Law provides modern classrooms and premier resources designed to support an exceptional legal education experience. Take a virtual tour.
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Extensive Alumni Network: A robust and influential alumni community of 460,000+ from over 140 countries offers valuable connections, mentorship, and career opportunities.
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Boston as a Global Hub: Situated in the heart of Boston, BU Law provides access to leading opportunities in law, finance, healthcare, and innovation.
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Safe and Student-Friendly Environment: Boston is consistently recognized as one of the safest major cities in the U.S., allowing students to focus on their studies and fully engage in city life.BU Law offers internationally trained and domestic lawyers these top programs:
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Best for lawyers trained outside of the United States, this LLM program serves as a comprehensive introduction into the US legal system. Designed for those who want to qualify to take a US bar exam, transfer to a JD program, gain practical experience, and/or explore new practice areas. |
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Best for lawyers seeking advanced training and to gain a global perspective in financial services law. The program provides students with versatile learning formats, including residential or online, as well as full-time and part-time scheduling options. Designed for those who want to work in financial institutions and central banks, have an internship during their course of studies, qualify for a US bar exam, and/or explore new practice areas. |
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Best for lawyers seeking to enhance their expertise in IP law, and who want to become experts in copyright law, patent law, and trademark and unfair competition law. Designed with the ever-changing IP landscape in mind, this program is for those who want to be at the forefront of IP law, gain practical experience from leading Boston-based IP experts, and/or deepen their understanding in this field. |
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Best for lawyers seeking to launch or advance their careers in tax law or corporate transactional practice with a tax focus. The program provides students with versatile learning formats, including residential or online, as well as full-time and part-time scheduling options. Designed for those who want to heighten their practice in tax law, have an internship during their course of studies, make a mid-career shift in specialization, and/or deepen their focus area within tax law. BU Law also offers a Master in the Study of Tax Law for non-lawyers. |
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Ideal for lawyers whose first language is not English, and who aim to establish a robust foundation in legal skills, strategies, proficiency in legal English, and cultural insight within a legal English environment. The first year focuses on expanding legal English vocabulary, legal writing, case analysis, and advocacy skills. The second year focuses on specialized classes from the LLM degree in American Law, Intellectual Property, Banking and Financial Law, or Tax Law. It is also available for non-lawyers who seek to pursue a Master in the Study of Tax Law. |
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Best for accountants, wealth managers, paralegals, non-legal professionals with an interest in advanced taxation, and recent graduates with accounting degrees seeking to deepen their expertise in tax law and related fields. The program offers flexible learning options, including full-time and part-time study formats, designed to accommodate both working professionals and those transitioning into the field. It is ideal for individuals looking to advance their careers, gain practical experience through applied coursework, make a mid-career shift into tax-focused roles, or strengthen their specialization in business tax, estate planning, and international tax law. |
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Best for professionals, scholars, and graduate students in law-adjacent and interdisciplinary fields who want to build a strong foundation in U.S. law without seeking licensure to practice. This degree offers a flexible learning structure, drawing on select JD and LLM courses, and allows students to tailor their studies to areas such as banking and financial law, health law, or intellectual property law. Designed to support both career advancement and academic enrichment, the program is well-suited for individuals working in journalism and media, corporate compliance, public health, higher education, and social sciences. |
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BU Law also offers an Estate Planning Certificate available in online and residential formats (or a combination of both formats). Students can improve their knowledge and practice, without the full commitment or cost of a degree. Those who complete a certificate program and meet the corresponding graduate degree admissions requirements can apply their certificate credits towards a master’s or LLM degree. The program courses are taught by the same leading tax and estate planning experts who teach in the Graduate Tax Program. |
Admissions
Application Fee
$85
Campus Life
Popular Courses · 7
LLM in American Law
73,024
tuition / yr
LLM in Banking & Financial Law
73,024
tuition / yr
LLM in Intellectual Property & Information Law
73,024
tuition / yr
LLM in Taxation
73,024
tuition / yr
LLM in Two-Year LLM Program
73,024
tuition / yr
Masters in The Study of Law (MSL)
73,024
tuition / yr
Masters in The Study of Tax Law (MSLT)
73,024
tuition / yr
Frequently Asked Questions
If I have been admitted, what happens next?
For internationally-educated applicants, once we receive your deposit, we will begin processing your visa documents. We cannot process your immigration documents unless we have received the necessary financial documentation. These include a bank statement or letter and a sponsorship certification form, if necessary. When your financial documentation is complete, we will gather your completed file and send it to the school’s International Students and Scholars Office (ISSO), which will issue your official Form I-20. Once complete, your Form I-20 will be sent to you via email along with an email confirmation that the document has been sent. This process typically takes around four weeks.
Later, we send incoming students course information and other registration materials in anticipation of the beginning of the semester
What are the English language proficiency requirements?
● TOEFL: Beginning January 21, 2026, the TOEFL iBT will report scores on a new 1–6 band scale. Applicants to our graduate programs must achieve a minimum overall TOEFL score of 5.0, with a minimum of 4.5 on each of the individual sections (Reading, Listening, Speaking, Writing). (See exception for Two-Year LLM Program.) For tests taken before January 21, 2026, the existing requirement of 100 (0–120 scale), with a minimum of 25 on each of the individual sections, will continue to apply.
● IELTS: The IELTS Academic requirement remains unchanged: a minimum overall score of 7.
Candidates who receive a score below the required minimum on all English proficiency exams are still encouraged to apply to the program since we utilize a holistic approach when reviewing applications.
What are the English language proficiency requirements for Two-Year Candidates?
● TOEFL: Beginning January 21, 2026, the TOEFL iBT will report scores on a new 1–6 band scale. Applicants to the Two-Year LLM Program must achieve a minimum overall TOEFL score of 4.0, with a minimum of 3.5 on each of the individual sections (Reading, Listening, Speaking, Writing). For tests taken before January 21, 2026, the existing requirement of 85 (0–120 scale) will continue to apply.
● IELTS: a score of 5.5 or higher, with no individual section below 5.0.
What are the exceptions to the English language proficiency requirement?
Applicants who do not automatically qualify for an English proficiency waiver may ask us to waive the English Proficiency Test Score requirement if they have completed at least three (3) years of post-secondary education in a country where both the language of instruction and only official language are English. English waiver requests are considered on a case-by-case basis. To formally apply for an English proficiency waiver, please complete the English Proficiency Exam Waiver Request Form. Please upload the document to your LSAC application in the attachment section.
Last updated June 10, 2026