University of Chicago

 

 

 

Location: Chicago, Illinois

 

 

Study Programs and general Academic Information:

 

The university is known for specializing in Law and Economics, Empirical Analysis of Legal Studies and Constitutional Law.  

Chicago offers a general LL.M Program in which every student can completely build his own program to fit his goals and preferences- there are no mandatory courses. Chicago also offers a Master of Comparative Law degree, for which the requirements are identical to the standard LL.M program. Students may ask to be awarded the M.CompL degree if they wish. The LL.M program allows only about 75 students a year which are almost exclusively non-american. If one wishes to work in the United States after graduating it is recommended to apply to the JD program instead, as it enables students to take the bar exam in all of the states, as opposed to the LL.M degree which will only enable the students to take the exam in some states. 

 

The LL.M Program is 1-year long, during which each student is required to complete 27 course hours, which amounts to about 9 courses. No research paper or dissertation is required in the LL.M program, students are welcome to work on those with faculty members.

 

Recommended Lecturers and Courses:

• Law and Economics

• Judicial Behavior Workshop

 

Admission information:

 

Admission usually starts on September 1st and ends mid-February. As always, it is recommended to check the university website for the current updated information on this matter.

For admission a student must first fill the Basic Information digital form on the University’s website. After doing so, all the documents should be provided through the LSAC:

• Transcripts and diplomas

• TOEFL/IELTS score

• CV/Resume (a sample resume can be found on the university’s website)

• 2-4 letters of recommendation  

• Personal statement- up to 3 pages, describing your academic interests and career plans following your graduation from Chicago.

​

Admission fee- 85$

 

Note that it is Mandatory to use the LSAC service, together with the Document Assembly Service (DAS) and the International Transcript Authentication and Evaluation Service (ITAES) for transferring all documents and letters of recommendations.

Also note that all transcripts and diplomas and letters of recommendation must be translated to English by a certified translator if not already written in English and submitted with the original-language versions.

 

Scholarships and Financial Aid:

 

Tuition, together with other university charges is about 62,000$ a year. Together with accommodation and personal expenses one should expect about 88,000$ altogether. Therefor it is highly recommended to apply for different scholarships. Chicago offers financial aid, averaging 17,000$ per student, but such aid is usually given to only about 30% of the LL.M program students. Hence It is also recommended to look into the Fulbright, Fischman and other scholarships or financial aid options.

 

Housing, living expenses and other student life information: 

 

Chicago offers several housing options, as can be seen on their website, with ranging prices and extra options (such as discounts for Law students and Lyft credtis). For those wishing to find an apartment by themselves, it is recommended to live downton, in neighborhoods such as South Loop or Hyde Park. The average rent is around 650$ for a room in a shared apartment.

New Haven has a relatively large Jewish community, and there are many kosher shops and restaurants, plus a Chabad house and Hillel.