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Studying an LLM (Master of Laws) in California

Law student in San Francisco California, located in western USA and bordered by Nevada, Oregon, Arizona, Mexico and the Pacific Ocean, is the largest state in the USA by population – over 39 million inhabitants – and the third largest in terms of the area.

Nicknamed the ‘Golden State’ which traces back to the discovery of gold and fields of golden poppies, it is also recognised as the entertainment capital of the world due to the presence of Hollywood. California has so much to offer, from the glamour of Hollywood to the fantasy of Disneyland, not to mention sandy beaches, soothing waves, Mediterranean climate, developed infrastructure, and most importantly for law students, accredited and internationally recognised educational institutions.

It’s a very appealing pace to live which is why statistics continuously demonstrate increased number of international students in California, with institutions such as University of Southern California, Stanford University, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and Berkeley showing the largest enrollment rates of international students in the USA!

Reasons to study law in California

With a wonderful climate, stunning landscape and cosmopolitan cities, not to mention an 840-long coastline boasting over 400 beaches, California is an enviable place to live. But what makes the state a great place to study postgraduate law?

Prestigious law schools – the Golden State is home to top-ranked law schools including UCLA Law, Stanford Law School and Berkeley Law.
Diverse range of PG law programs – there are plenty of different LLM and PG law specialisms to choose from.
Variety of legal networking opportunities – with many key industries being based in California, legal beagles have a superb amount of choice when it comes to networking, internships and relevant work. Choose from entertainment law in Hollywood to tech law in Silicon Valley, and countless other legal specialisms in other places in the state.
California Bar Exam – the California Bar Exam is known to be rigorous and those who pass it are held in high esteem by employers.
Diverse demographic – California is one of the most diverse states in the US, in fact over 25% of the population are foreign born. With established populations from a wide variety of nations and backgrounds, it is the perfect place to learn about legal issues from multicultural perspectives.
Cosmopolitan cities – offering a high quality of life, California is home to vibrant cities bursting with academic and professional opportunities – think Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego and more.

Studying law in California

Best law schools in California

Here are the top 10 law schools in California according to the recent US News & World Report Best Grad School Rankings 2024, and they all have Master of Laws courses available to study.

Position	Law School	Location	LLM Provision
1	Stanford Law School Stanford University	Stanford	LLM Corporate Governance & Practice LLM Environmental Law & Policy LLM International Economic Law, Business & Policy LLM Law, Science & Technology
2	Berkeley Law University of California – Berkeley	Berkeley, San Francisco Bay Area	LLM Traditional Track in the following specialisms: LLM Business Law LLM Law & Technology LLM Environmental Law LLM Energy & Clean Technology Law LLM International LLM Public Interest & Social Justice LLM Practical Lawyering LLM Executive Track (Flexible online/on-campus) in the following specialisms: LLM Business Law LLM Law & Technology LLM AI Law & Regulation LLM Post-Graduate Executive Leadership
3	UCLA Law University of California – Los Angeles	Los Angeles	LLM in Business LLM Media, Entertainment, Technology & Sports Law & Policy LLM International & Comparative Law LLM Environmental Law LLM Human Rights LLM Public Interest Law & Policy LLM Law & Sexuality LLM Critical Race Studies LLM Law & Philosophy
4	USC Gould School of Law University of Southern California	Los Angeles	LLM Alternative Dispute Resolution LLM Business Law LLM International Business & Economic Law LLM Media & Entertainment Law LLM Privacy Law & Cybersecurity Online LLM
5	UC Irvine School of Law University of California – Irvine	Irvine, Orange County	General LLM
6	Caruso School of Law Pepperdine University	Malibu	LLM Dispute Resolution LLM International Commercial Arbitration LLM Entertainment, Media & Sports Law LLM United States Law
7	UC Davis School of Law University of California – Davis	Davis	LLM Business Law LLM Immigration Law LLM Tax Law LLM Environmental Law LLM Intellectual Property Law LLM Criminal Law & Policy
8	Loyola Law School Loyola Marymount University	Los Angeles	LLM American Law LLM Civil Litigation & Advocacy LLM Criminal Justice LLM Cybersecurity & Data Privacy LLM Entertainment & New Media Law LLM Intellectual Property LLM International Business Law
9	School of Law University of San Diego	San Diego	LLM US Law for international applicants (on-campus or online) LLM Taxation LLM Business & Corporate Law General LLM LLM in Spanish
10	UC Law San Francisco University of California – San Francisco	San Francisco	LLM US Legal Studies

Studying an LLM in California

California has plenty of great law schools offering a diverse range of Master of Laws degree courses to choose from – here we list details of some of the top Californian universities and law schools.

Stanford Law School – Stanford University

Stanford University is in Silicon Valley, 35 miles south of San Francisco. It was originally founded in 1885 by a Californian senator and opened to students in 1891. Stanford has an annual student cohort of approximately 17,500 students, of which over 50% are postgraduates.

Stanford Law School (SLS) was established in 1893 with an initial intake of just 46 students, of which three were postgrads, and one of its two faculty members – Benjamin Harrison – was a former president of the United States! SLS offers four LLM degrees – an LLM in Corporate Governance and Practice, an LLM in Environmental Law and Policy, an LLM in International Economic Law, Business and Policy, and an LLM in Law, Science and Technology.

Berkeley Law – UC Berkeley

Berkeley Law California The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley) is located in the San Francisco Bay Area and has a student enrolment of over 45,000 students – just over a quarter of which are postgraduate students. UC Berkeley offers over 400 different degree programs and was recently ranked as the number one public university in the country.

Berkeley Law is consistently voted as one of the best law schools in the USA and its LLM degree programs are designed to prepare foreign lawyers for global practice. Students can choose between the flexible online and on-campus LLM Executive Track or the nine-month on-campus LLM Traditional Track. There are different specialisms within these LLM tracks and students can also pursue eligibility to register for the Bar Exam.

UCLA Law – UCLA

UCLA was established in 1919 and now has a student enrolment of over 46,000 students, of which around 13,600 are postgraduates and 1,370 are enrolled in the law school.

UCLA Law was founded in 1949 and has a network of over 22,000 alumni. The campus is just five minutes away from Beverley Hills and 15 minutes from the beach – making it an excellent place to be based for your postgraduate legal education. The LLM degree programs on offer at UCLA Law include LLM in Business Law; LLM in Media, Entertainment, Technology and Sports Law & Policy; LLM in International and Comparative Law; LLM in Environmental Law; LLM in Human Rights; LLM in Public Interest Law & Policy; LLM in Law & Sexuality; LLM in Critical Race Studies; and LLM in Law & Philosophy.

School of Law – University of San Diego

The University of San Diego was established in 1937 and has a student enrolment of 9,700. It offers over 40 masters degree programs, five of which are Master of Laws degrees.

The University of San Diego School of Law educates around 900 JD and postgraduate law students from the US and worldwide. Ranked as the most beautiful campus in the US and overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the School of Law has five LLM degrees to choose from – LLM in US Law for international applicants (on-campus or online); LLM in Taxation; LLM in Business and Corporate Law; General LLM and LLM in Spanish.

Studying an LLM in California

LLM tuition fees in California

California is a highly desirable US state to live in and this is reflected in the higher-than-average LLM tuition fees. A Master of Laws at the top-ranked Stanford Law School has the tuition fees of $74,475 while the second-place Berkeley Law charges $75,550 to study its on-campus Traditional Track. The full-time LLM tuition fees at the University of San Diego School of Law are $49,920.

Student accommodation in California

California is a large state and LLM student accommodation costs vary according to what city you live in and the institution you choose to study your Master of Laws program at. For example, the estimated living costs for an academic year at Stanford Law School are $42,339, while the estimated living costs at Berkeley Law are estimated by the University of California – Berkeley to be approximately $5,000 lower than this at $37,028. The living costs at University of San Diego School of Law are estimated to be similar to this amount at $36,918.

These tables show a breakdown of the predicted accommodation and living cost budgets for Stanford Law School, Berkeley Law and the University of San Diego School of Law.

Stanford Law School accommodation and living costs

Stanford Law School Living Costs	Amount
On-site accommodation	$20,976
Food	$7,215
Personal expenses	$8,655
Books and supplies	$1,530
Student services fee	$1,350
Health services fee	$783
Transport	$1,830
Total	$42,339

Berkeley Law accommodation and living costs

Berkeley Law living costs	Amount
Student accommodation and utilities	$19,072
Food	$9,356
Personal expenses	$3,170
Books and supplies	$1,748
Transport	$3,682
Total	$37,028

University of San Diego School of Law accommodation and living costs

University of San Diego School living costs	Amount
Student accommodation and utilities	$20,050
Food	$6,795
Personal expenses	$4,849
Books and supplies	$2,093
Transport	$3,131
Total	$36,918

California Bar Exam

The California Bar Exam is often regarded as one of the hardest Bar Exams in the United States, as it has one of the lowest pass rates. Those who want to practice law in California must be licensed by the State Bar.

Live the Californian dream

Studying an LLM in California California is the perfect place to live if you’re interested in outdoor pursuits, entertainment, sports and culture.

With more than 40 beaches – including Malibu Beach and Venice Beach – California is the perfect place for students interested in surfing, swimming, kayaking and other beach activities. Other popular outdoor pursuits include hiking, biking and camping.

Cultural activities and sites include Alcatraz, the Getty Center in LA, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, theme parks aplenty. If wine is your thing, Napa Valley and Sonoma Valley have vineyard tours and wine tasting. If you’re interested in the world of entertainment, visit the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the Hollywood sign and tour the movie studios in Los Angeles.

What other US states can you study postgraduate law in?

There are plenty of LLM opportunities for those interested in the living and studying in the United States and we have essential LLM study guides to over 20 US states, including:

Use the LLM course search on LLMstudy.com to find your ideal LLM degree program in the United States.

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