Our Mission
Land Acknowledgment
UC Berkeley sits on the territory of xučyun, the ancestral & unceded land of the Chochenyo-speaking Ohlone people, successors of the sovereign Verona Band of Alameda County.
Nondiscrimination
The University of California, in accordance with applicable federal and state law and University policy, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, medical condition (cancer related or genetic characteristics), ancestry, marital status, age, sexual orientation, citizenship, or service in the uniformed services.
Welcome
Finally, Berkeley Law is a very special community. It is a warm, collegial environment. It is the most intellectually exciting law school that I have been part of, with a plethora of speakers and programs and symposia every week. It is part of a superb and beautiful campus in a great location.
I feel very proud to be the dean of Berkeley Law and am excited for you to learn more about it.
Warmly,
Dean and Jesse H. Choper Distinguished Professor of Law
Finally, Berkeley Law is a very special community. It is a warm, collegial environment. It is the most intellectually exciting law school that I have been part of, with a plethora of speakers and programs and symposia every week. It is part of a superb and beautiful campus in a great location.
I feel very proud to be the dean of Berkeley Law and am excited for you to learn more about it.
Warmly,
Dean and Jesse H. Choper Distinguished Professor of Law
Excellence, Public Mission, & Community
What are we looking at in the admissions process? In short, everything. We employ a holistic review process and we read every application, front to back. We want to know who you are, where you come from, what matters to you, and that you understand what makes Berkeley Law the right law school for you.
What sets us apart:
- Berkeley Law offers two different program options, each leading to the same LL.M. degree. You can choose your path between the LL.M. executive track and the LL.M. traditional track.
- We are among the first ever to offer a law degree with a certificate of specialization in artificial intelligence (AI). It’s an industry-endorsed foundation in AI focused on building core skills and knowledge in areas including intellectual property, data privacy, licensing, and risk. This certificate has been specifically designed for the LL.M. executive track to allow busy professionals to grapple with the real-time legal issues introduced by artificial intelligence
and other emerging technologies. - The Berkeley Law faculty is second to none, and their doors are always open. “This is not only a place with a long-standing tradition of freedom of speech, gender and racial equality, and mutual respect, but also a vibrant environment offering endless opportunities. Here, you can not only acquire cutting-edge knowledge but also interact with professors who hold prestigious academic positions and dedicate themselves wholeheartedly to teaching, as well as passionate staff members committed to selfless service.”
— Fuyang Wan, ’25 China - You can craft the specialized academic experience you’re looking for. We offer the option to earn a certificate of specialization while meeting the eligibility requirements for U.S. state bar exams. We offer lectures and simulation courses, taught by faculty and practitioners.
The Bay Area & Campus
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Customizable Curriculum
Executive Track
The flexibility of the LL.M. executive track enables students to take and receive the same LL.M. degree as our traditional track, but with less time spent away from home. This non-traditional program structure compresses our academic year course schedule, allowing students to delve deeply into a few subject matters at a time for a rigorous and intensive educational experience.
After students complete mandatory coursework in Fundamentals of U.S. Law and Legal Research and Writing, they are free to enroll in any of the electives they choose. Students in the LL.M. executive track may also focus their studies to earn a certificate of specialization in one of our most popular areas of study — Business Law, Law and Technology, or AI Law and Regulation. With careful planning, students can also meet the requirements to become eligible to sit for the California Bar Examination.
There are two options for the LL.M. executive track:
Remote + Summer allows you to earn your LL.M. degree in one calendar year, with part-time online spring/fall semesters, and one full-time, in-person summer semester in Berkeley.
Two Summers allows you to earn your LL.M. degree over two consecutive full-time, in-person summer semesters in Berkeley.
Whichever option you choose, spend your summer at Berkeley Law in 8-10 weeks of in-person study, depending on the schedule you create.
Traditional Track
The LL.M. traditional track takes place during the standard academic year in Berkeley from August to May, offering an immersive academic experience and the flexibility to design a program aligned with your professional goals. In addition to engaging with Berkeley Law’s centers, clinics, journals, and other student groups, students complete mandatory degree requirements in Fundamentals of U.S. Law and Legal Research and Writing before customizing their studies through elective coursework.
Students seeking in-depth training in a particular area of law may also earn a certificate of specialization in one of six practice areas: Business Law, Technology Law, International Law, Public Interest and Social Justice Law, Energy and Clean Technology Law, and Environmental Law. With careful planning, students can also meet the requirements to become eligible to sit for either the California or New York Bar Examination.
Required Courses
Fundamentals of U.S. Law
The course introduces international law students to the American legal system, the common law method of case analysis, and U.S. forms of governance. Students will focus on the principal Constitutional doctrines that underpin the American legal and political system, including federalism and separation of powers, with a focus on how American law interacts with global concerns. Throughout the course, students will practice skills that will help them succeed in law school, on the bar examination, and in practice.
Legal Research & Writing
This course introduces students to U.S. legal reasoning and practice by examining court opinions, teaching legal research methods, and developing skills of legal writing in the United States. The course emphasizes understanding the U.S. legal system, common law legal reasoning, legal problem solving, and effective written communication of legal analysis. The course includes several written assignments building up to a final writing project (on an assigned topic).
Certificates of Specialization
The LL.M. Certificate of Specialization in AI Law and Regulation offers an industry-endorsed foundation in AI, building core skills in intellectual property, data privacy, licensing, and risk. The first program of its kind, it is designed for the LL.M. executive track, giving busy professionals the tools to navigate the real-time legal issues raised by artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies.
Business Law
The Business Law LL.M. Certificate, offered with the Berkeley Center for Law and Business, prepares students for professional practice as legal advisers to businesses, business-oriented NGOs, and government entities. The curriculum offers a strong grounding in fundamental areas of business law, giving graduates both breadth of knowledge and deep expertise as a foundation for practice.
Law & Technology
The Berkeley Center for Law & Technology offers a specialized certificate for LL.M. students interested in intellectual property law, privacy law, and other technology-related areas. The program equips students with advanced training suited to practice in a fast-evolving legal landscape.
Environmental Law*
The specialization in Environmental Law, offered in conjunction with the Center for Law, Energy & the Environment, provides advanced training in environmental, land use, and natural resources law. Students completing the program gain the depth of expertise needed for practice in this evolving field.
Energy & Clean Technology Law*
The specialization in Energy & Clean Technology Law, offered in conjunction with the Center for Law, Energy & the Environment, offers advanced training in energy, intellectual property, and finance law. Students graduate equipped to navigate the legal and regulatory landscape shaping the clean energy transition.
International Law*
LL.M. traditional track students may pursue a specialization in International Law, offered in conjunction with The Honorable G. William and Ariadna Miller Institute for Global Challenges and the Law, developing a broad background in fundamental areas of law alongside advanced training in international practice.
Public Interest & Social Justice Law*
The Thelton E. Henderson Center for Social Justice administers a specialized certificate for LL.M. students interested in public interest and social justice law. The program provides advanced training for students pursuing careers dedicated to advancing equity and justice.
**Available for LL.M. executive track only
Our Top-Ranked Programs
Criminal Law
Environmental Law
International Law
Intellectual Property Law
Innovative AI Law and Regulation Certificate Expands
“The experience has already strengthened how I approach complex problems at the intersection of law and technology.”
Built on the bedrock of the law school’s vaunted law and technology program, the certificate is open to students in the LL.M. executive track program, which is completed over two summers or through remote study with one summer on campus.
Two new courses — Biotechnology Law and Corporate Strategy in the Age of AI and Geopolitics — reflect how artificial intelligence is transforming every major sector and build on classes like Fundamentals of AI Technology and Making AI Work for the People.
Berkeley Law’s program offers students a way to gain deep understanding from both cutting-edge legal scholars and a roster of lecturers who are also practitioners.
“We dove into some of the most pressing legal issues around AI, from regulation and privacy to intellectual property, cybersecurity, and liability,” says Janina Winz LL.M. ’25, associate partner at Kapellmann und Partner Rechtsanwalte in Dusseldorf, Germany. “The focus was not only on innovation but also on how to responsibly address the legal, ethical, and societal risks these technologies create.”
Innovative AI Law and Regulation Certificate Expands
“The experience has already strengthened how I approach complex problems at the intersection of law and technology.”
Built on the bedrock of the law school’s vaunted law and technology program, the certificate is open to students in the LL.M. executive track program, which is completed over two summers or through remote study with one summer on campus.
Two new courses — Biotechnology Law and Corporate Strategy in the Age of AI and Geopolitics — reflect how artificial intelligence is transforming every major sector and build on classes like Fundamentals of AI Technology and Making AI Work for the People.
Berkeley Law’s program offers students a way to gain deep understanding from both cutting-edge legal scholars and a roster of lecturers who are also practitioners.
“We dove into some of the most pressing legal issues around AI, from regulation and privacy to intellectual property, cybersecurity, and liability,” says Janina Winz LL.M. ’25, associate partner at Kapellmann und Partner Rechtsanwalte in Dusseldorf, Germany. “The focus was not only on innovation but also on how to responsibly address the legal, ethical, and societal risks these technologies create.”
Research Centers & Initiatives
Berkeley Center for Consumer Law & Economic Justice
Advocating to ensure safe, equal, and fair access to the marketplace.
Berkeley Center for Law and Business
The hub of Berkeley Law’s cutting-edge research and teaching on the impact of law on business and national and global economies.
Berkeley Center for Law & Technology
Promoting the understanding and guiding the development of intellectual property and related fields of law and policy as they intersect with business, science, and technology.
Berkeley Center for Private Law Theory
Fostering insights into the legal building blocks of our social and economic life, including the laws of property, contracts, and torts as well as central aspects of family law, trust law, and work law.
Berkeley Center on Comparative Equality & Anti-Discrimination Law
A group of scholars, activists, and legal professionals from six continents working together to address the equality issues of the day.
Center for Indigenous Law and Justice
Aiming to facilitate meaningful ways for interested students, faculty, and staff to work with tribal nations and on Indigenous issues, and to offer programming including conferences, networking events, training sessions, and student fellowships.
Center for Law, Energy & the Environment
Fostering environmental law and policy research and translating it into pragmatic solutions.
Center for Law and Work
Promoting cross-disciplinary scholarship to address the pressing employment-related policy concerns of today.
Center on Race, Sexuality & Culture
Examining contemporary questions of identity and discrimination through the lens of intersectionality, considering how race, gender, and sexual orientation overlap to produce distinct experiences of vulnerability and resilience.
Center on Reproductive Rights and Justice
Broadening the conversation on reproductive rights and choices through legal scholarship, teaching, and conferences, and by bolstering law and policy advocacy efforts.
Center for the Study of Law and Society
Fostering empirical research and theoretical analysis concerning legal institutions, legal processes, legal change, and the social consequences of law.
Civil Justice Research Initiative
Using interdisciplinary, academically based, and independent research to explore how the civil justice system can be made more available to everyone seeking relief.
Criminal Law & Justice Center
A research and advocacy hub striving to transform the criminal legal system by centering the lived experience of communities most directly affected, providing support for impactful teaching, empirical analysis, and pragmatic training in criminal legal reform.
Helen Diller Institute for Jewish Law and Israel Studies
Developing opportunities for research, programming, scholars, and classes to strengthen academic inquiry and discourse related to Jewish and Israeli topics across the Berkeley campus.
Edley Center on Law & Democracy
Defending and strengthening democratic institutions in the United States through actionable research and public leadership.
Thelton E. Henderson Center for Social Justice
Producing and fostering creative scholarship examining the law through a lens of social justice and working with communities to provide education to the general public.
Human Rights Center
Promoting human rights and international justice worldwide and training the next generation of human rights researchers and advocates.
Kadish Center for Morality, Law & Public Affairs
Promoting research and reflection on moral philosophical issues in law and public life, with special concern for the substantive aspects of criminal law.
The Honorable G. William and Ariadna Miller Institute for Global Challenges and the Law
Supporting populations overlooked or unprotected by existing legal infrastructure, with a global focus on climate and energy justice, corruption, the rule of law, and human rights.
The Robbins Collection
Promoting and sponsoring comparative research and study in the fields of religious and civil law, including Jewish and Islamic law and the various Christian traditions.
AI Expert Lakshita Bhargava ’26 Works to Improve Judicial Cooperation in EU Cross-Border Enforcement
Bhargava credits Berkeley’s collaborative environment — where legal questions, technical testing, and interdisciplinary conversation intersect — with turning abstract AI policy questions into concrete, actionable work.
Leaders in Law
Earl Warren Professor of Public Law
Khiara M. Bridges
Bridges is an expert on the intersection of race, class, and reproductive rights. She joined the Berkeley Law faculty in 2019 and is the author of four books — including Expecting Inequity: How the Maternal Health Crisis Affects Even the Wealthiest Black Americans, published earlier this year — and a co-editor of a reproductive justice book series from the University of California Press. Bridges has a J.D. and Ph.D. in anthropology from Columbia.
Robert and Joann Burch Distinguished Professor of Tax Law and Policy
Dhammika Dharmapala
An expert on taxation and public finance, the economic analysis of law, and corporate finance and governance, Dharmapala moved to Berkeley Law in 2023 from the University of Chicago. Co-editor of the Journal of Law and Economics and president of the American Law and Economics Association in 2026-27, Dharmapala earned his Ph.D. at UC Berkeley and teaches undergraduate Legal Studies courses as well as classes within the Ph.D.-granting Jurisprudence and Social Policy Program.
William G. Simon Professor of Law
Colleen V. Chien ’02
Chien conducts cross-disciplinary research on innovation, intellectual property, artificial intelligence, and the criminal justice system, focusing on how technology, data, and innovation can be harnessed for social benefit. She is a faculty co-director of the Berkeley Center for Law & Technology, a faculty adviser to the Berkeley Criminal Law & Justice Center, and founded and directs two grant-funded research initiatives: the Innovator Diversity Pilots Initiative and the Paper Prisons Initiative. She joined the faculty in 2024.
Class of 1965 Assistant Professor of Law
Manisha Padi
Padi studies the law and economics of consumer financial contracts, using empirical methods to evaluate the role of regulation on consumers. Her work focuses on two broad areas: mortgage regulation and retirement policy. She came to Berkeley Law in 2019 after getting her J.D. from Yale Law School and her Ph.D. in economics from MIT and teaches courses on consumer law, consumer protection, and economic justice as well as law and economics.
Dynamic Duo Joins Law School Faculty
Harawa, who began his academic career at Washington University in St. Louis School of Law, is a former Washington, D.C., public defender who also worked for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. He earned his J.D. at Georgetown University Law Center.
He says the school’s stellar faculty was a big draw, along with the leadership of Dean Erwin Chemerinsky.
“There seems to be a great energy around the school. And the students obviously are some of the best in the country, and they do amazing things in all different fields and sectors,” Harawa says.
“I feel really lucky to be a part of the community.”
Harawa will teach Evidence, Criminal Law, and Criminal Procedure.
Hall comes from the University of Minnesota’s history department. A legal historian of colonial America and the young United States, with a particular focus on the tangled topics of slavery, constitutionalism, and governance between the Revolution and Reconstruction, Hall earned his J.D. at Harvard Law School and his Ph.D. in UC Berkeley’s history department.
His current book project, The Founding Rules: Slavery and the Creation of American Constitutionalism, 1789-1889, strives to tell a deep account of the origins of originalism by digging into the constitutionalism produced by struggles over slavery and state power.
Hall says he could “compile a very long list of reasons why I am thrilled to come to Berkeley,” centered on the overlapping intellectual communities at the law school and the broader campus. He’s teaching a seminar on policy and power and a legal history survey course in the undergraduate Legal Studies Program this year.
“It is the opportunity of a lifetime to become a part of the law school’s storied Jurisprudence and Social Policy Program, a singular institution for studying law and society together with creativity and rigor,” he says. “The program’s remarkable multidisciplinary faculty, scholarly vision, and teaching commitments resonate with how I approach legal history and with the kinds of advising and instruction that I am eager to pursue.”
Global Network & Career Development
Career Development Support
- Individual advising with specialized attorney-counselors dedicated to the professional development needs of LL.M. students
- Programs and workshops tailored for LL.M. students, including resume writing, interviewing skills, business etiquette and networking, and legal practice areas
- Networking events to help LL.M. students build and cultivate professional relationships
- International and domestic job search advising
- F-1 Optional Practical Training (OPT) for LL.M. traditional track only
Raise Your Bar
The California Bar determines eligibility based on whether you’ve been admitted to practice law in any jurisdiction in the world. We offer all the coursework you might need to become eligible for the California Bar Exam in all of our tracks.*
The New York Bar divides exam applicants by those who have been educated in a common law or civil law system. If, like most of the world, you are trained in civil law, you will find all the bar-related coursework you might need in our LL.M. traditional track.*
* Bar eligibility is determined by the relevant state bar and not Berkeley Law. Please contact the state bar with questions about your eligibility.
Merging Profession With Passion: Takayuki Ueda ’23 Spreads Manga Culture
Working with various startups in Japan, Ueda has advised private and public technology companies for nearly a decade. His experience covers new tech companies across a range of industries, including artificial intelligence, legal and privacy technology, HR technology, and healthcare technology.
Ueda now also serves as an adviser at Berkeley SkyDeck, a global startup accelerator and incubator affiliated with UC Berkeley. As SkyDeck strengthens its presence in the global startup landscape, Ueda shares his experiences both as a startup lawyer in Japan and as part of a cross-border startup at Orange.
One recent highlight was participating as a panelist in the program SkyDeck x Japanese Community: Connect, Collaborate, Innovate, where he contributed cross-border practical and legal insights that have become increasingly important in the U.S. and Japan entrepreneurial arenas.
He credits his LL.M. experience with propelling that effort, including the “incredible network” he forged with classmates from around the globe. Ueda has stayed closely connected with classmates and lecturers since graduation, collaborating on cross-border legal projects and even co-authoring a book titled Business Future: Navigating the 4th Industrial Revolution.
Ueda also relished taking part in various programs and events — including the Berkeley StEP entrepreneurship program, where he explored launching a new business with his cohorts, and the LL.M. x Law Hackathon that allowed him to collaborate on an AI project with leading engineers from major tech companies.
“I see connecting the U.S. and Japanese startup ecosystems and helping build global startups as a core part of my role as a lawyer,” he says. “It’s a long-term journey, and one I’m grateful to be part of.”
Discover More
APPLYING
Master of Laws (LL.M.) Programs
Executive Track
The application deadline for the LL.M. executive track (remote + summer) program is November 16, and the deadline for the LL.M. executive track (two summer) program is February 15 for international applications and March 15 for domestic applicants.
Traditional Track
If Berkeley Law is your top choice for law school, you may apply by the December 1 priority application deadline. Applicants who apply by the priority deadline will have their application fee waived and maximize their opportunity for merit-based scholarship consideration. Applications submitted after December 1 will be subject to the regular application timeline and application fee.
APPLICATION CHECKLIST
- Application submitted online via lsac.org
- $80 non-refundable application fee (LL.M. traditional track applicants only)
- Personal statement (up to 3 double-spaced pages)
- Curriculum Vitae or Résumé (no page limit)
- 2-3 letters of recommendation submitted through LSAC
- TOEFL score of 100 or 5.0 (subscore requirement of 4.5 on the Speaking & Writing sections) or IELTS score of 7.0 (subscore requirement of 6.5 on the Speaking & Writing sections).
- Video and written assessment (optional)
- Generative AI questions (optional)
- Other addenda as required (e.g., character & fitness explanation)
Scholarships
Please refer to the Admissions Timeline section for scholarship deadlines to maximize the opportunity for merit-based scholarship consideration.
Admissions Timeline
LL.M. executive track & traditional track applications open
October 1
Decisions begin for all tracks
November 16
LL.M. executive track (remote + summer) application deadline
LL.M. executive track (two summers) priority deadline for scholarship consideration
December 1
Priority application deadline for the LL.M. traditional track*
February 1
LL.M. traditional track application deadline
February 15
LL.M. executive track (two summers) application deadline for international applicants
March 15
LL.M. executive track (two summers) application deadline for domestic applicants
These requirements are subject to change. Please check our website for the most up-to-date information.
* Applications completed (including receipt of all supporting documents) by December 1 will qualify for a fee waiver, priority scholarship consideration, and an admissions decision by January 15.
PROGRAM CALENDAR
will
you go?
Photo by Darius Riley
