The program is designed to deliver in-depth knowledge in a specific area. During the application process, prospective LL.M. students will be advised by admission counselors regarding their legal areas of interest and will have the opportunity to talk with faculty and students about the different program tracks to ensure that they select the track that best matches their career goals and interests.
LL.M. Courses
Antisemitism and the Law (2 or 3 cr.) D/N 700 - Elective - This course explores the legal system’s dual role in subordinating Jews and protecting them. It covers anti-Jewish oppression from the Spanish Inquisition to Nazi Germany, and remedial measures such as anti-discrimination law, hate crimes legislation, and hate speech laws. It connects these topics to intersectionality and other forms of bias and discrimination. It is an introductory course and no prior knowledge of antisemitism or Jewish subjects is necessary.
Clean Air Law (2 cr.) D/N 683 - Elective - The course will examine in depth the structure and function of federal law regulating air emissions that harm human health and the environment. The course will emphasize the history of air regulation including common law responses to industrial air pollution. It will review the advent of the Clean Air Act as a statutory framework and examine selected regulatory programs under the Act. Students will also review current controversies and areas of regulatory activity, such as the effort to regulate Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, which contribute to global climate change. Environmental Law or Administrative Law is strongly recommended.
Climate Change Law and Policy (2 cr.) D/N 700 - Elective - Global climate change is an urgent issue that requires engagement of the worldwide community at all levels. Lawyers play a critical role in societys response to climate change through participation in legislation, the administrative law arena and litigation. Lawyers are also able to contribute to policy discussions as society considers legal options for mitigation and adaptation. This course will examine the legal responses to global climate change, including international treaties, U.S. federal government policy and regulatory responses, state and local programs for mitigation and adaptation, and common law responses. The course will delve into policy issues inherent in these legal responses and provide an overview of climate change science. Environmental Law or Administrative Law is strongly recommended. This course may be listed either synchronously or asynchronously online.
Collaborative Solutions for Communities in Crisis: An Introduction to Problem-Solving Courts (1 cr.) D/N 700 - Elective - Problem-solving courts utilize judicial power to convene stakeholders and resolve crises collaboratively. This 7-week course explores the history of problem-solving courts. Students will learn about historical episodes which gave birth to the drug court movement, early successes of that movement, and expansion of problem-solving courts to address other crises. Students will also learn about problem-solving courts in Indiana. They will become familiar with the legal framework within which problem-solving courts are created and operate. They will also learn how the opioid epidemic and the 2014 revision of Indiana's criminal code have elevated the role of problem-solving courts in Indiana's legal culture. Finally, they will examine recent societal problems, caused by COVID-19 and systemic racism, to understand how expanded use of problem-solving courts can ensure continuity of essential government functions.
Contract Drafting for LL.M. Students (2 cr.) D/N 814 - Elective - provides introductory training in the U.S. approach to contract drafting. Through classroom discussion, reading assignments, in-class exercises, and drafting assignments, students will learn about different contract concepts; how to translate agreed terms into enforceable provisions that concisely and precisely reflect the contracting parties' intent; and how to draft a logically organized contract in plain English. P: Completion of LL.M. Contract Law for LL.M. Students or prior work experience in drafting contracts. This course is restricted to LL.M. students only.
Contract Law for LL.M. Students (2 cr.) D/N 535 - Graduate - introduces student to the sources of basic principles of contract law in the United States. The course will study contract formation, performance, breach, and available remedies under the common law, with references to parallel provisions in Article 2 of the Uniform Commercial Code.
Directed Reading (2 credits maximum, no more than 1 credit per semester) D/N 676 - Elective - Directed reading is an independent project in which a student reads a collection of materials in an area of interest, in consultation with a supervising faculty member. The student and supervising faculty member must have at least three one-hour meetings during the semester and the student must produce a short (at least 2,000-word) paper. P: Prior approval of supervising full-time faculty member and Vice Dean; submission of a proposal for Vice Dean approval prior to the first day of the semester; available only to JD students who have completed at least 55 hours of credit or to LLM/MJ students. A student may apply a total of 2 credits of directed reading credit, but no more than 1 credit per semester, toward their requisite course work for the degree. The course is graded pass/fail. The form for applying to a Vice Dean for a Directed Reading approval is available here: https://mckinneylaw.iu.edu/students/_docs/DirectedReading.docx
Dissertation Advanced Research (0 cr.) G 901 - Graduate - is reserved for LL.M. students on an F-1 or J-1 visa who have completed all degree coursework but have LL.M. Thesis or other incomplete coursework pending. Such students are limited to enrolling in G901 for one semester only (fall and spring semesters only) while the LL.M. Thesis or coursework remains pending. If the thesis is not completed within the academic term of enrollment in G901, the student will be required to complete the thesis without enrollment at the Law School. In rare cases and for good cause, the Vice Dean and the Track Director for the track in which the LL.M. student is enrolled, acting together, may grant an extension of this time period in their discretion, so long as the student has received approval from the thesis advisor. If an extension is granted written verification of the extension shall be provided by the student to the Graduate Programs Office, including the deadline for completion.
Dissertation Advanced Research (0 cr.) G 902 - Graduate - is reserved for LL.M. students who are not on a visa who have completed all degree coursework but have LL.M. Thesis or other incomplete coursework pending. Such students are limited to enrolling in G902 for one semester only (fall and spring semesters only) while the LL.M. Thesis or coursework remains pending. If the thesis is not completed within the academic term of enrollment in G902, the student will be required to complete the thesis without enrollment at the Law School. In rare cases and for good cause, the Vice Dean and the Track Director for the track in which the LL.M. student is enrolled, acting together, may grant an extension of this time period in their discretion, so long as the student has received approval from the thesis advisor. If an extension is granted written verification of the extension shall be provided by the student to the Graduate Programs Office, including the deadline for completion.
Genocide & the Law (2 cr.) D/N 700 - Elective - The course examines genocide, transitional justice processes, and the threat of genocide globally, from both legal and practical perspectives. The course begins with the historical origin of the concept of genocide and its development as a crime in the international legal system. Likewise, the course will analyze the current concept of genocide incorporated in the Genocide Convention and in the Rome Statute, its material and mental elements, and the challenges to prove the crime in a court of law. Finally, the course will cover leading national and international jurisprudence regarding the crime of genocide from a comparative perspective, and past and current case studies.
Homelessness Law & Policy (2 cr.) D/N 700 - Elective - This seminar examines the growth of modern homelessness with a focus on legal and policy interventions that have been implemented across the U.S.. Students will become familiar with the constitutional rights of the unhoused as determined by the Supreme Court. We will study the prevalence of tent encampments across the U.S., the availability of homeless shelters, as well as the effectiveness of the “Housing first model,” which connects unhoused individuals to housing without preconditions. Readings will include court cases, statutes, media articles, and research reports, supplemented by video documentaries. A variety of guest speakers will further add to our discussions.
Introduction to the American Legal System (2 cr.) D/N 500 - Graduate - introduces LL.M. students to the judicial function in tripartite government (judicial independence and judicial review of legislative and executive authority), the structure of American judicial systems (organization and functions of trial and appellate courts), the role of the federal courts in the federal system (subject matter jurisdiction and allocation of power), the meaning and use of judicial precedent, and the work of lawyers in an adversary system. J.D. students shall not be permitted to enroll. Required in the first semester of enrollment for all LL.M. students who have not completed a J.D. or LL.M. degree at an ABA-accredited law school.
Legal Research for LL.M. Students (1 cr.) D/N 517 - Graduate - provides students the opportunity to learn the mechanics and search strategies of legal research in order that they may successfully complete research paper assignments in other law courses. Students will be evaluated in this course on an S/F basis. J.D. students shall not be permitted to enroll. Required in the first semester of enrollment for all foreign-trained LL.M. students.
LL.M. Legal Writing and Analysis I (1 cr.) D/N 514 - Graduate - provides students with the basic skills needed to analyze a legal problem within a common law system and to document that analysis in the manner expected by attorneys and courts in the United States. The student-faculty ratio for each section shall be no more than 12:1. Required in the first semester of enrollment for all foreign-trained LL.M. students.
LL.M. Legal Writing and Analysis II (1 cr.) D/N 515 - Graduate - provides students with instruction on legal writing and analysis beyond that offered in the first course. This course is intended for LL.M. students who want to achieve an elevated level of skill by engaging more complicated legal problems than in the introductory course. P: LL.M. Legal Writing and Analysis I. Recommended co-requisite: Contract Law for LL.M. Students or Tort Law for LL.M. Students.
LL.M. Thesis (2-4 cr) D660 - Interested students must submit an approved LL.M. Thesis Approval Form, together with the required thesis proposal outlined therein, to the Graduate Programs Office. Enrollment will take place at the end of a students program, usually in their final semester of coursework, after the student has satisfactorily completed LL.M. Thesis Organization (0 cr.) D 525. Depending on the anticipated length of the thesis, students may choose to sign up for 2, 3, or 4 credits (equivalent to 50, 75, or 100 pages, +/- 10%). The number of credits and corresponding pages is chosen with the advice and approval of the thesis advisor.
LL.M. Thesis (2-4 cr.) D 660 - Graduate - Interested students must submit an approved LL.M. Thesis Approval Form, together with the required thesis proposal outlined therein, to the Graduate Programs Office. Enrollment will take place at the end of a students program, usually in their final semester of coursework, after the student has satisfactorily completed LL.M. Thesis Organization (0 cr.) D 525. Depending on the anticipated length of the thesis, students may choose to sign up for 2, 3, or 4 credits (equivalent to 50, 75, or 100 pages, +/- 10%). The number of credits and corresponding pages is chosen with the advice and approval of the thesis advisor.
LL.M. Thesis Organization (0 cr) D525 - Graduate - consists of online modules, addressing issues such as selection of a topic and supervisor, development of a problem statement, and methods of research and analysis. Because students must complete this course before they can register for LL.M. Thesis credits, it is recommended that students register for this course the semester before their intended LL.M. Thesis credits enrollment. Students will be evaluated in this course on an S/F basis.
Seminar in American Legal History (2 cr.) D/N 850 - Seminar - At the option of the instructor, this class will provide a survey of American legal history, or as an alternative, will explore a selected American legal history period or subject. Topics might include, but are not limited to, criminal justice, family law, Indiana legal history, legal profession, and legal theory.
Tax Policy (2 cr.) D/N 700 - Elective - This course will employ philosophy, economics, behavioral science, critical theory, and other systems of thought to consider the design of tax laws and systems in light of conflicting normative goals, varying conceptions of distributive justice, and real-world outcomes. We will cover income, sales, sin, estate, and digital transactions taxes in addition to many others. Students will write response papers to weekly reading, will engage in lively policy discussion and debate, and will work together with a small group of peers to lead one class session on the subject matter of their choice. No prior knowledge of tax law is required for this course.
Topics in Health Law (2 or 3 cr.) D/N 763 - Elective - examines specialized topics related to health law that are not addressed in depth by other courses. Using emerging issues in health care, public health, and environmental health law as modes of analysis, this course will introduce students to the theory, methodology, and evaluation of public policy development. Students will explore these issues via case studies and on-site learning opportunities related to issues such as the legalization of medical marijuana, syringe exchange programs, and drinking water quality. Students will also apply methods for evaluating law and policy to individual research topics via policy briefs or the option to prepare a longer paper to fulfill the J.D. Advanced Research and Writing requirement.
Tort Law for LL.M. Students (2 cr.) D/N 536 - Graduate - introduces students to basic principles of tort law in the United States. The course will study sources of duties, breach, defenses, and available remedies under the laws of international torts, negligence, and products liability.
U.S. Constitutional Law for LL.M. Students (2 cr.) D/N 615 - Graduate - provides an introductory level survey of U.S. constitutional law. the course includes discussions of the impact of the Constitution on fundamental concepts of criminal law (Amendments IV, V, VI, and VII), of civil law (Amendments I and XIV), and of powers – and limits on the powers – of branches of the national government (supremacy clause, enumerated powers, Amendment X). Enrollment is limited to LL.M. students who obtained their law degree outside the United States.
