Notre Dame Law School

Notre Dame, United States of America

Master of Laws in International Human Rights Law (LLM), one year

Admissionsapplication through LSAC from 1 November to 15 March, documents by 1 April, late applications considered if places remain; LSAC CAS report ($217 service and $45 per school), no school-specific fee found. A four-page statement, a two-page "Why Notre Dame" essay, CV, three letters including one from a law teacher. TOEFL iBT 100 or IELTS Academic 7.5, or C1 Advanced 185, taken within the year, waiver for a degree taught in English. Interview possible by invitation. Rolling decisions.Who it is fora lawyer holding an LLB or an equivalent first law degree, or an American JD, who is aiming for a career in the international protection of human rights: regional courts, the United Nations, NGOs, ministries. A joint programme with the Klau Institute, in 24 credits over two semesters: international law, international human rights law, business and human rights, philosophical foundations, international law research, and a compulsory Global Human Rights Clinic in the autumn. A deliberately small cohort.Fees (2026-27)tuition of $37,892 and fees of $520, roughly half the JD tuition, with $17,820 for housing and meals, $1,750 for books, $6,720 for personal expenses and $2,700 for transport, a budget of $67,402, compulsory health insurance extra. Every admitted student is automatically considered for scholarships, with no separate application, the school describing them as limited and highly competitive; dedicated scholarships for Mexicans (FUNED, $10,000) and the Irish (Fulbright). Federal loans closed to foreign students.CareersInter-American Commission on Human Rights in Washington, with co-funded eight-month internships for two graduates a year, one-year fellowships at the Inter-American Court in San José, African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner, Human Rights Watch, transitional justice; each graduate can request up to $6,000 for a post-graduate internship. The school writes that this LLM is not designed for the American bar. 12-month OPT. Possible progression to the JSD.

Master of Laws (LLM at Notre Dame), one year, with concentrations

Grade de Master (Bac +5)|3 à 5 ans

Admissionsapplication through LSAC opening 1 November, deadline 15 March, documents by 1 April, LSAC CAS report ($217 then $45 per school), no school-specific fee found. Personal statement, "Why Notre Dame" essay, CV, three letters, four at most. TOEFL iBT 100 with 25 per section (5 on the new scale after 21 January 2026), IELTS 7.5 or C1 Advanced 185, scores less than two years old, waiver for a degree taught in English. Interview possible by invitation.Who it is fora lawyer holding an LLB or an equivalent first law degree, or an American JD, who wants to study the United States legal system in a traditional law school, alongside JD students. About 10 places a year, 24 credits over two semesters including the LL.M. Legal Research and Writing course and a foundational course. Four concentrations to choose from: business law and tax, intellectual property, fundamentals of American private law, real estate and environmental law, or a tailored track.Fees (2026-27)tuition and fees announced at $37,892, books and living costs extra; on the basis of the budget published for the human rights LLM, allow about $17,820 for housing and meals, $1,750 for books, $6,720 for personal expenses and $2,700 for transport, close to $67,400, health insurance extra. Merit scholarships for exceptional applications, automatically considered, and a $10,000 FUNED scholarship for Mexicans; the school says its funding is limited. Federal loans closed to foreign students, personal or sponsored funding.Careersbusiness, tax and intellectual property firms in the home country or the United States, in-house legal departments, banks, government bodies and regulators, teaching. Bar: the school writes that its graduates may sit the exam in certain states and invites students to plan course choices with the international programmes office; for New York, a civil-law lawyer must gather the Rule 520.6 credits according to the Yale profile, subject to prior evaluation. 12-month OPT. Possible progression to the JSD with a thesis project.

Juris Doctor (JD), three years

Grade de Master (Bac +5)|3 à 5 ans

Admissions (autumn 2025 intake)3,579 applications, 575 offers, about 16.1%, and 185 enrolled; median LSAT of 170 (166 to 171), median GPA of 3.89 (3.78 to 3.95). Application through LSAC opening 1 September, deadline 1 March, documents by 10 March, rolling review, early decision abolished, $75 fee. LSAT or GRE, two letters, three at most, transcripts through CAS. TOEFL or IELTS required of non-native speakers without a degree taught in English, threshold not published for the JD. Interview possible by invitation.Who it is fora holder of a bachelor's degree, in any discipline, who is aiming for the American bar and a career in the United States, in a law firm, in a judicial clerkship, in government or in the public interest. A full-time professional degree over three years, with clinics, dual degrees and the London programme, a semester or a year in the second or third year, at the same price as on campus. A cohort of 185 students for the autumn 2025 intake, 60% of whom had left university at least a year earlier according to the profile published by the school.Fees (2026-27)tuition of $75,816 and fees of $520, with $17,820 for housing and meals, $1,750 for books, $6,720 for personal expenses and $2,700 for transport, a budget of $105,326, excluding compulsory health insurance, with $250 for the Indiana exam in the third year. All admitted students are automatically considered for scholarships, merit-based and partly need-based, including the full-tuition Kopko Family Fellowship; 92% of students receive one. Federal loans closed to foreign students, aid described as limited by the university.Careersbusiness law firms in Chicago, New York, Washington and the country's major legal markets, where the school says it is present as a national law school, clerkships with federal and state judges, prosecution, government, public interest and religious organisations, companies. A Loan Repayment Assistance Program helps public service graduates repay their loans. The bar exam is open in every state, with the Indiana exam included by default in the student budget. 12-month OPT after graduation.

Doctor of Juridical Science (JSD)

Grade de Master (Bac +5)|3 à 5 ans

Admissionsapplication through LSAC from 1 November to 15 March, documents by 1 April, late applications possible depending on places; LSAC service of $207 and $45 per school. A four-page statement, "Why Notre Dame" essay, CV, three letters, academic writing sample, character and fitness information, and a research proposal of at least five pages with a bibliography and intended supervisors among the faculty. TOEFL iBT 100, IELTS Academic 7 or C1 Advanced 185, waiver for a degree taught in English. Number admitted not published.Who it is forthe future academic holding an American JD, or an LLB and an LLM from an accredited law school, able to produce a publishable dissertation. Awarded since 1992, the doctorate long focused on human rights, as an extension of the school's LLM, and now accepts projects in any field of law. Two years of residence, at least 12 course credits in the first year, then a dissertation supervised by a professor, at Notre Dame or elsewhere; three to five years in total.Fees (2026-27)tuition of $37,892 and fees of $520 in the first year, then enrolment in one credit unit charged at $500 per semester. Every admitted student is automatically considered for a scholarship, which generally covers the first two years subject to a satisfactory first year; the school specifies neither its nature nor its amount. Living costs are estimated at $28,990 a year for a single student. As federal loans are closed to foreign students, the rest depends on personal funding.Careershigher education and research in the home country and abroad, regional human rights courts and commissions, international organisations, advisory work for governments. The doctorate is prepared under the supervision of a faculty professor, with the option of completing the dissertation away from Notre Dame after the residence. It does not change access to the American bar, which depends on the first degree and the LLM, under the rules set out in the Yale profile. The JSD opens 12 months of OPT, to be planned with the F-1 visa.

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