Licensing Disclosures

JD Program

See the licensure information regarding BU Law’s Doctor of Law program.

LLM Program

The LLM program is not designed to lead to a license to practice law in any of the 50 jurisdictions of the United States.  Candidates who seek a credential that leads to a license to practice law in any state in the United States should consider the JD (Juris Doctor) degree, a three-year program of study. Each of the fifty states of the United States has its own criteria and procedures for admitting lawyers to practice, and these criteria and procedures change from time to time.

It is essential that a foreign-trained lawyer who seeks a license to practice law in the United States directly contact the relevant state bar authority to determine whether his or her educational background meets the state’s eligibility requirements.  A list of state bar authorities, with contact information, is here.

The National Conference of Bar Examiners publishes a Comprehensive Guide to Bar Admission Requirements, which may be ordered from:

ABA Order Fulfillment Department
750 North Lake Shore Drive
Chicago, Illinois 60611
Phone 312-988-5522

Current and prospective students should contact bullm@bu.edu if they have any questions about bar qualification.

Please note that remote or distance learning may impact your qualification to take a state bar exam and thus your ability to obtain a license to practice law in the US. US bar rules generally limit or prohibit the recognition of distance learning credits for bar eligibility purposes. While certain bar authorities waived their prohibition of online courses during the global pandemic, BU Law is unable to determine whether courses that include a distance learning component meet the licensure requirements or fulfill the bar eligibility rules in the state where a student resides or plans to practice. A foreign-trained lawyer who seeks a license to practice law in the United States must directly contact the relevant state bar authority to determine whether distance education classes offered through a hybrid program format meets the state’s eligibility requirements. A list of state bar authorities, with contact information, is here.