A prospective student may apply by completing the application
enclosed in the pocket part of this Bulletin and sending the
application to:
St. John’s LL.M. in Bankruptcy
Finley Hall, Room 3-16
St. John’s University School of Law
8000 Utopia Parkway
Queens, N.Y. 11439
Students will be expected to submit at least two letters of
recommendation with the application, directed to the student’s
capacity to handle the intensive program contemplated, preferably
from one faculty member and, where appropriate, one practicing
insolvency professional with whom the applicant was employed. In
addition, the student must submit a personal statement explaining
why the applicant desires to enroll and how the applicant believes
the program will advance his or her career goals and objectives.
The statement should be written in a clear, concise manner,
reflecting the applicant’s personal writing style, and be
approximately 250 to 500 words. Students may supplement these
materials with published or unpublished work written by the student
or other information or material the applicant believes may be
helpful in the selection process.
Student Selection Standards
The student body will be limited to outstanding candidates who have
the capacity to handle a rigorous academic curriculum. Acceptance
will be based on the individual’s performance at undergraduate and
law schools, experience in practice (where applicable), published
and unpublished written work, and, where appropriate, personal
interviews. Particular emphasis will be placed on the applicant
having achieved an outstanding academic record in obtaining a Juris
Doctor from an accredited A.B.A. law school and on the applicant’s
employment history and documented promise in the practice of
bankruptcy law. The evaluation of applicants will be conducted by
an appropriate LL.M. program faculty committee in concert with the
law school Faculty Admissions Committee and the Dean of
Admissions.
Foreign Law Graduates
The LL.M. in Bankruptcy welcomes applications from graduates of law
faculties in a foreign university who demonstrate academic
achievement comparable to that of American law school
graduates. All foreign student applications must be made
through LL.M Credential Assembly Service (LSAC). Registration
can be made through their website at http://www.llm.lsac.org/, or
you can contact the LL.M office to request an application.
Foreign student application not made through the LSAC will not be
considered.
Because of the rigor of the LL.M. in Bankruptcy program and the
major thesis requirement, it is essential that all students have a
high level of comprehension and oral and written expression in the
English language. Foreign law school graduates (other than students
from Australia, English-speaking Canada, Ireland, New Zealand and
the United Kingdom) are required to have taken the have taken the
Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and obtain a grade of
at least 100 in the Internet-Based TOEFL (comparable to 600 on the
Paper-Based TOEFL or 250 on the Computer-Based TOEFL), with a score
of at least 25 on the writing section. In addition,
applicants must obtain a grade of at least 5 on the TWE component
of the TOEFL Test. The TOEFL score report codes are 2799 for
the institution and 03 for the department. Applicants should
contact TOEFL, P.O. Box 6155, Princeton, NJ 08541-6155, Telephone:
(609) 921-9000; or CITO/SYLVAN Learning Systems, B.V.P.O. Box 1109,
6801 BC Arnhem, The Netherlands, 31263521577. All TOEFL scores
are to be sent LSAC as indicated on their web site.
Important: Taking the New York
State Bar Examination
An applicant with a foreign law degree who is interested in sitting
for the New York State Bar Examination must contact the State Board
of Law Examiners directly in order to have his or her law degree
evaluated for duration and substance, and to receive confirmation
of the U.S. legal education requirements that will satisfy
eligibility requirements for the Bar Exam.
State Board of Law Examiners
Corporate Plaza- Building 3
254 Washington Avenue Extension
Albany, NY 12203-5195
518/452-8700 (tel)
800/342-3335 (tel)
518/452-5729 (fax)
http://www.nybarexam.org/
Completion of the LL.M. in Bankruptcy Program does not
necessarily guarantee eligibility to sit for the Bar Exam, and the
LL.M. in Bankruptcy program is not intended to be a bar preparation
program. St. John’s School of Law makes no representation or
assurance that students who complete the LL.M. program will qualify
for the New York State Bar Exam or the bar examination of any other
jurisdiction.
Rolling Admissions and Application
Deadline
Students may commence the program either in the Fall or Spring
terms. Applications should be submitted by May 15 for the fall
term, and October 15 for the spring term, but later applications
will be considered on a space-available basis. We use a rolling
admissions process and will make every effort to inform you of our
decision as soon as possible after receipt of your completed
application. An application is considered complete when the
School of Law has received the following:
- Completed & signed application
- Two letters of recommendation
- Personal statement
- Transcripts from law school (including class rank) and
undergraduate schools attended
- LSAT Score (a copy of the front sheet of the applicant’s LSDAS
report, indicating his/her LSAT score provided by Law School)
- Application fee of $100
- Foreign Applicant Addendum (if applicable)
Non-Matriculating Option
Attorneys may take courses on a non-matriculating basis with
consent. Students will receive CLE credit and a Certificate of
Completion. A non-matriculating student who completes the course
and passes the exam (examination not required for non-matriculating
students) and is accepted in the LL.M. in Bankruptcy program within
two years, may apply the credits earned to the completion of the
LL.M. in Bankruptcy degree.
LL.M. Application Form