Application Deadlines
The application deadline for the LL.M. class beginning in August 2024 is December 1, 2023, at 11:59 p.m., U.S. Eastern time.
In addition to submitting the online LL.M. application by the deadline, applicants must make sure that any other required documents (e.g., transcripts, TOEFL results) are sent out in time so that they are received by our office on or before the deadline. Please note that the application deadline will be strictly observed. It is your responsibility to make certain that all required materials reach the Graduate Program office by the deadline.
Sample Applications
Application Materials
To apply to the LL.M. program, applicants must complete the Graduate Program’s online application. The online application form asks applicants to provide information about themselves and the studies they propose to pursue at Harvard. In addition, applicants must provide letters of recommendation from professors and others who know their work, and transcripts from each university they have attended.
All applicants from non-English speaking countries who did not receive their full-time legal education entirely in the English language must take the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) examination within two years prior to submitting their applications. The Graduate Program requires a minimum score of 100 on the internet-based test (with a minimum score of 25 on each subsection).
The TOEFL is offered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) at locations around the world. For more information, please visit the ETS website. To ensure that your TOEFL score reaches the Harvard Law School Graduate Program Admissions Office, please use the following reporting code: Institution code: 3457.
Applicants with at least two consecutive years of full-time university education conducted entirely in English may request a waiver of the TOEFL exam; however, such waivers are very rare, and are granted at the sole discretion of the Graduate Program.
Application Materials Checklist
- Online application form
- CV/Résumé
- Personal statement, parts (A) and (B)
- Transcript(s) (including diplomas for all degrees that have been received)
- Recommendations (at least two)
- Official TOEFL report (if applicable; please note that we do not accept MyBest™ TOEFL score reports)*
- Financial Aid application (if applicable)
- Application fee of US$85**
*Important information about TOEFL waivers: it is not possible to request a waiver of the TOEFL requirement in advance of submitting an application, or by email. To request a waiver of the TOEFL requirement, you will need to complete the TOEFL waiver request within the online application form and submit the online application. Your request will not be considered until after all of your transcripts have been received. Please note that TOEFL waivers are very rarely granted, and we do not recommend requesting a waiver unless (1) you have completed at least two consecutive years of full-time university education conducted entirely in English AND (2) your level of English fluency is near that of a native speaker.
**Important information about application fee waivers: it is not possible to request a waiver of the application fee in advance of submitting an application, or by email. To request a waiver of the application fee, you will need to complete the application fee request within the online application form and submit the online application. Your request will not be considered until after you have also submitted a complete financial aid application. Please note that fee waivers are granted only for applicants with extreme financial hardship, and never on a “merit” basis.