Berkeley / Boalt
Application Period: September 1 – February 1

Boston College
Application Period: Mid-September – March 1

Boston University
Binding Early Decision Deadlines: December 1
Application Period: September 15 – March 1

Chicago
Early Decision Deadline: December 1
Application Period: September 1 – February 1

Columbia
Early Decision Deadline: November 15
Application Period: September 1 – February 15

Cornell
Early Action Deadline: November 1
Application Period: September 1 – February 1

Duke
Early Decision Deadline: November 4 (Round I) and January 7 (Round II)
Application Period: September – February 15

Emory
Application Period: September – March 1.

Fordham
Early Decision Deadline: October 15
Application Period: September 1 – March 1

George Washington
Early Decision Deadline: December 15
Application Period: October 1 – March 31

Georgetown
Early Decision Deadline: March 1
Application Period: October 1 – March 1

Harvard
Application Period: September 15 – February 1

Illinois
Early Decision Period: October 31
Application Period: September 15 – March 1

Iowa
Application Period: September 1 – March 1

Michigan
Early Decision Deadline: November 15
Application Period: September 1 – February 15.

Minnesota
Early Action Deadline: November 15
Application Period: September 1 – April 1

New York University
Early Decision Deadline: November 15
Application Period: September – February 15

Northwestern
Early Decision Deadline: December 1
Application Period: September 1 – February 15

Notre Dame
Early Decision Deadline: November 1
Application Period: October 1 – February 15

Stanford
Application Period: September 1 – February 1

UCLA
Early Decision Deadline: November 15
Application Period: September – February 1

University of Pennsylvania
Early Decision Deadline: November 15
Application Period: September 1 – March 1

USC / Gould
Application Period: September 1 – February 1

U Texas-Austin
Early Decision Deadline: November 1
Application Period: September – February 1

U Virginia
Application Period: September 1 – March 1

University of Washington
Application Period: October 1 – February 15

Vanderbilt
Application Period: September 10 – March 15.

Washington and Lee
Application Period: September 1 – March 1

Washington University in St. Louis
Application Period: late September – March 1 (recommended deadline; applications accepted after this date on space-available basis)

William and Mary
Application Period: September 1 – March 1

Yale
Application Period: September 15 – February 15

According to Assistant Dean of Graduate Studies, John Riccardi, the development of this specialized curriculum is a result of numerous candidates who sought LL.M. degrees from BU but were unable to enroll due to professional commitments to international clients, companies and firms.  In Riccardi’s words, “this program offers an innovative ‘blended learning’ design to meet their needs. For the busy international practitioner, it’s the best of both worlds.”

The program consists of 20 credits of coursework, part of which will take place in Boston during three two-week segments in March, July and August. Students must complete courses in Corporate Finance, Accounting, Mergers and Acquisitions, Contracts, Corporations, Securities Regulation, and International Business Transactions and Agreements to earn their degree.  Two courses will be taught by BU Law faculty during each two-week session and students are free to choose the order in which they take the sessions.  In addition to six weeks of classroom learning, students must complete a robust online curriculum that covers international business topics from a U.S. viewpoint.

Applications for the new program are scheduled to be released in July 2010.  Prospective students should keep in mind that only graduates of law schools located outside of the U.S. will be evaluated for admission.  The first session will commence in March 2011.

For more information about this new Executive LL.M. opportunity, visit the BU Law website.

The programs are all briefly profiled in the article, and also are said to have certain unifying aspects: financial and emotional support from administration, faculty and staff; an office or administrator “solely devoted” to public interest law; a “large and vast array” of projects; some sort of social network for students exploring public interest law; and “orientation programs, welcome receptions and recognition awards.”

“If you present opportunities, students are very interested in public service.  It’s a case of, ‘If you build it, they will come,’” said Maura Kelly, BU School of Law’s assistant dean for career development and public service, to the Jurist.

In selecting the four law schools, the magazine used data from the non-profit organization, Equal Justice Works, while also indicating the extent to which broad-based support for public interest law is on the rise among law schools.  For example, the number of loan repayment assistance programs has nearly doubled since 2002, and the percent of employed law graduates who take public interest positions has risen from 3 percent in 2000 to 5.4 percent in 2008.

With that in mind, applicants might find a resource from Boston University’s (BU) School of Law website helpful for thinking ahead to future day-to-day responsibilities.

Originally posted in September, the program’s “A Week in the Life” interactive web feature offers the schedules of seven current BU JD students.  The students range from 2009 to 2012 graduates and biographies convey the students’ prior work experience and areas of legal focus.  Further, a web surfer can click on schedule events to read descriptions of classes, lectures and clinical research, as examples.

While naturally the feature is best suited for BU students and applicants with regard to specific concentrations and courses, the schedules could offer any prospective student ideas about how to maintain an appropriate work/life balance while progressing through rigorous and engaging law school programs.

Berkeley / Boalt
Application Period: October 1 – February 1

Boston College
Application Period: Mid-September – March 1

Boston University
Application Period: September 1 through March 1

Chicago
Early Decision Deadline: December 1
Application Period: September 1 – February 1

Columbia
Early Decision Deadline: November 15
Application Period: September 1 – February 15

Cornell
Early Action Deadline: November 1
Application Period: September 1 – February 1

Duke
Early Decision Deadline: November 5 (Round I) and January 7 (Round II)
Application Period: September 1 – February 15

Emory
Application Period: mid October – March 1.

Fordham
Early Decision Deadline: October 15
Application Period: September 1 – February 1

Harvard
Application Period: September 24 – February 1

Illinois
Early Decision Deadline: October 31
Application Period: September 1 – March 1

Iowa
Application Period: September 1 – March 1

George Washington
Early Decision Deadline: December 15
Application Period: October 1 – March 31

Georgetown
Early Decision Deadline: March 1
Application Period: October 1 – March 1

Michigan
Early Decision Deadline: November 15
Application Period: September 1 – February 15.

Minnesota
Early Action Deadline: November 15
Application Period: September 1 – April 1

New York University
Early Decision Deadline: November 15
Application Period: September – February 1

Northwestern
Early Decision Deadline: December 1
Application Period: October 1 – February 15

Notre Dame
Early Decision Deadline: November 10
Application Period: September 1 – February 15

Stanford
Application Period: September 1 – February 1

UCLA
Early Decision Deadline: November 15
Application Period: September – February 1

University of Pennsylvania
Early Decision Deadline: November 15
Application Period: October 1 – February 15

USC / Gould
Application Period: September 1 – February 1

U Texas-Austin
Early Decision Deadline: November 1
Application Period: September – February 1

U Virginia
Early Decision Deadline: December 1
Application Period: August – March 1

University of Washington
Application Period: October 1 – January 15

Vanderbilt
Application Period: September 6 – March 15.

Washington and Lee
Application Period: September 1 – March 1

Washington University in St. Louis
Application Period: September 15 – March 1 (recommended deadline; applications accepted after this date on space-available basis)

William and Mary
Application Period: September 1 – March 1

Yale
Application Period: early October – February 15

What significant personal, social or academic experiences have contributed to your decision to study law? Please respond in two pages.

Optional essay: In addition to your Personal Statement, you may wish to provide information regarding your ethnic, cultural or family background that is relevant to your development. You may also choose to discuss particular achievements, including obstacles overcome, that have not already been addressed in this application. Please respond in one page.