Dispute resolution How to apply

How to apply

Fulfill the admission requirements:

• Completed law degree or advanced degree with three years dispute resolution experience.
  • U.S. applicants must have satisfied the requirements for the JD degree, preferably at an ABA-accredited law school.
  • International applicants must have completed the first degree in law (JD, LLB or equivalent) required for law practice or law teaching in the country in which law studies were pursued.
  • U.S. applicants with an advanced degree outside law and at least three years of experience related to dispute resolution may be admitted under an “experience exception” to the law degree requirement. The LLM Admissions Committee will consider, among other things, academic performance and awards, quality of the degree-granting institution, dispute resolution course work, training, or competitions and professional memberships and experience. See the examples below of students admitted under this exception to the law degree requirement:
    • Master of arts in intercultural communication with four years of experience providing training, mediation, and facilitation through a community dispute resolution center;
    • Master of divinity with 18 years of experience resolving conflicts in marriages, among staff, within the congregation and in the community;
    • Master of arts in management with 19 years of experience as an advocate in managed care and with training and experience in civil and divorce mediation;
    • PhD in English with 10 years of experience resolving faculty conflicts as a department chair and associate dean;
    • Master of arts in public policy and significant experience with a Public International Law and Policy group.
• Minimum GPA of 2.5 in law program and a 3.0 GPA for work completed in any additional graduate or advanced degree program.
• GRE or LSAT scores are not required.
• If English is not your native language, please submit a TOEFL score of at least 100 (internet-based test), an IELTS score of at least 6.5, a Pearson Test of English (PTE) score of at least 66 or a Cambridge C1 Advanced score of at least 190.

Gather your papers

Applying will be easier and faster if you gather these required documents beforehand:

• Transcripts of all previous college or university education. Upload unofficial transcripts in your online application. If you are accepted, you will be asked to provide official transcripts.
• Statement of purpose describing your academic and career background and goals.
• Résumé or CV.
• TOEFL, IELTS, PTE or C1 Advanced score reports for applicants whose native language is not English. For information on sending test scores, visit the Grad School website.
• Two letters of recommendation from two people who are well-acquainted with your academic experience and can attest to your intellectual, experiential and interpersonal abilities. At least one of these letters must come from a professor or other academic official. You will supply only the names and contact details of your references; the Graduate School will instruct them on how to upload their letters to your application.