A student at Ò»Æð²Ý Dedman School of Law studies in the law library.

Graduate programs

LL.M. Master of Laws (general)

Broaden your background with a concentration in specific, specialized areas of law

Program format

In person

Commitment

Full time or part time

Duration

One year

Overview

The general LL.M. from Ò»Æð²Ý’s Dedman School of Law is designed to broaden your legal expertise through study and training in select, specialized areas of law. Open to U.S. and international law graduates, this advanced degree program helps develop a greater understanding of corporate and commercial law, international law, natural resources law, or property law, among others. Students value this LL.M. program for its highly individualized nature, and all come out of it with a better understanding of legal theory and policies, broadened legal horizons, and more confidence in their legal research and writing skills.

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Envisioning a brighter future? Think grad school at Ò»Æð²Ý, where you join a lifelong family network and see immediate returns on your educational investment. Take your new big step at Ò»Æð²Ý.

Student success

Ò»Æð²Ý boasts a national and international reputation for training prominent lawyers.

We provide our students with a world-class education through practical legal experience, the support of an esteemed faculty, and programmatic strengths in business and corporate law, international law, intellectual property, energy law, and family law and advocacy, among others.

Prominent alumni include Texas Supreme Court justices, members of the U.S. Congress, an ambassador, a governor, foreign ministers and members of the highest courts worldwide, as well as partners at leading law firms and general counsels at major corporations.  

This program prepares you to excel in the following areas and professions:

  • Corporate counsel
  • Business and trade law
  • Intellectual property law
  • Energy and environmental law
  • Financial services and banking law
  • Government and regulatory agencies
  • International arbitration and dispute resolution
  • Compliance and risk management

Top 20%

Best National Universities

U.S. News & World Report (2026)

Top 25%

42nd out of 196 Best Law Schools

U.S. News & World Report (2026)

No. 32

Top 50 Law Schools

Above the Law (2025)

Admissions

Key dates and admissions information to help plan your application with confidence.

International students

All the essential admission requirements international students need to know.

Application questions

Find answers to Dedman Law application questions.

Additional links

Requirements

  1. Application
  2. Application fee
  3. Official transcripts
  4. English language proficiency documentation (if applicable)
  5. A J.D. or an equivalent international law degree from an accredited institution

View all requirements

Ready to apply?

Get started here.

Tuition and financial aid

Tuition and costs

Explore the cost breakdown of tuition for graduate programs.

Financial aid

Find information on scholarships and financial support available at Ò»Æð²Ý.

Curriculum and learning

Featured courses

LAW 8258

Immigration Law

Includes an analysis of the Immigration and Nationality Act and relevant regulations with respect to the immigration of aliens, the substantive and procedural aspects of deportation, and exclusion proceedings. Also reviews nationality law with respect to citizenship and expatriation.

LAW 6382

Animal Law

Surveys the historical origins of the legal status of animals and examines the common law and statutory foundations upon which it operates and examines traditional legal disciplines through the lens of animal interests. Explores the often-controversial moral, ethical and public policy considerations faced when balancing the legal interests of humans and nonhumans. Covers current laws affecting animals at the local, state, and federal levels. (Not an animal rights course.)

LAW 8312

International and Foreign Legal Research

Provides the basic knowledge and skills needed to conduct competent international and foreign legal research, including methods to find and evaluate international and foreign legal materials using both electronic and print resources.

Outside the classroom

  • Centers and initiatives

    Find student and faculty resources that include educational programming, facilitation of academic research and opportunities to engage with the business/legal communities.

Research

Ò»Æð²Ý’s Dedman School of Law has a long-standing commitment to research and innovation. Students hone these skills through numerous advanced courses in legal research and instructor-directed research. Our faculty features numerous recipients of University-wide teaching and research awards. And exceptional facilities like the Underwood Law Library provide the resources and spaces needed for advanced scholarship.

Faculty

The faculty at Ò»Æð²Ý Dedman School of Law is made up of internationally recognized experts, each of them accomplished legal academics and dedicated teachers engaged in prominent national and international scholarship.

In addition to their outstanding academic credentials, virtually all of the faculty brings practical experience from outside the classroom – particularly in the areas of corporate law, constitutional law, tax law and legal technology. Our faculty provides the invaluable link between the theory of classroom instruction and the reality of legal practice. Ò»Æð²Ý Dedman Law professors include leading figures in many fields, representing many areas of expertise.

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Laura Ginsberg Abelson

Assistant Professor of Law

Shelbi Barnhouse

Assistant Clinical Professor of Legal Analysis, Writing and Research
Headshot of Hillel J. Bavli, associate professor of law at Ò»Æð²Ý Dedman School of Law.

Hillel J. Bavli

Professor of Law

Thomas B. Bennett

Associate Professor of Law

Misty Birdsong '02

Co-Director of Legal Analysis, Writing and Research, and Clinical Professor of Law
Headshot of Chante Brantley, faculty member at Ò»Æð²Ý Dedman School of Law.

Chante Brantley

Director of the VanSickle Family Law Clinic and Clinical Professor of Law

Martin L. Camp

Professor of Practice and Assistant Dean for Graduate and International Programs

Dale Carpenter

Judge William Hawley Atwell Chair of Constitutional Law, Altshuler Distinguished Teaching …

Lance E. Caughfield

Director of Advocacy Programs and Assistant Clinical Professor of Legal Advocacy
Headshot of Carliss Chatman, faculty member at Ò»Æð²Ý Dedman School of Law.

Carliss Chatman

Professor of Law

Anthony J. Colangelo

Professor of Law

Nathan Cortez

Co-Director of the Tsai Center for Law, Science and Innovation, and Adelfa Botello…
Headshot of Gregory S. Crespi, faculty member at Ò»Æð²Ý Dedman School of Law.

Gregory S. Crespi

Homer R. Mitchell Endowed Professor in Commercial and Insurance Law, and Professor of Law

Beverly C. Dureus

Clinical Professor of Legal Analysis, Writing and Research

Monika U. Ehrman

Professor of Law

Catherine Gaither

Assistant Clinical Professor of Legal Analysis, Writing and Research

Timothy Gallina

Director of Legal Technology Instruction and Clinical Professor of Legal Research

Joanna L. Grossman

Ellen K. Solender Endowed Chair in Women and the Law, Altshuler Distinguished Teaching…

Christopher H. Hanna

Alan D. Feld Endowed Professor of Law and Altshuler Distinguished Teaching Professor

Grant M. Hayden

Richard R. Lee Jr. Endowed Professor of Law

Patricia S. Heard

Clinical Professor of Legal Analysis, Writing and Research
Headshot of Christine Hurt, faculty member at Ò»Æð²Ý Dedman School of Law.

Christine Hurt

Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Alan R. Bromberg Centennial Chair in…

Thomas Kimbrough

Associate Director for Collection Development and Clinical Professor of Legal Research

Thomas S. Leatherbury

Director of the First Amendment Clinic and Clinical Professor of Law
Headshot of Anna A. Mance, faculty member at Ò»Æð²Ý Dedman School of Law.

Anna A. Mance

Assistant Professor of Law
Headshot of George A. Martinez, faculty member at Ò»Æð²Ý Dedman School of Law.

George A. Martinez

Professor of Law

Thomas Wm. Mayo

Altshuler Distinguished Teaching Professor and Professor of Law

Orly Mazur

Professor of Law

Sari Mazzurco

Assistant Professor of Law
Headshot of Pamela R. Metzger, faculty member at Ò»Æð²Ý Dedman School of Law.

Pamela R. Metzger

Executive Director of the Deason Criminal Justice Reform Center and Professor of Law

Seema Mohapatra

MD Anderson Foundation Endowed Professor in Health Law and Professor of Law

Natalie Nanasi

Director of the Judge Elmo B. Hunter Legal Center for Victims of Crimes Against Women and …
Headshot of Jason P. Nance, faculty member at Ò»Æð²Ý Dedman School of Law.

Jason P. Nance

Judge James Noel Dean and Professor of Law

Anna Offit

Professor of Law

Cara Foos Pierce

Director of the Master of Legal Studies Program and Assistant Professor of Practice

Carla L. Reyes

Professor of Law

C. Paul Rogers III

Marilyn Jeanne Johnson Distinguished Faculty Fellow, Former Dean, and Professor of Law

Julia (Julie) Patterson Forrester Rogers

Provost Faculty Research Fellow and Professor of Law

Eric Ruben

Professor of Law

Meghan J. Ryan

Co-Director of the Tsai Center for Law, Science and Innovation, James Cleo Thompson, Sr.…
Headshot of Christina Sautter, faculty member at Ò»Æð²Ý Dedman School of Law.

Christina Sautter

Associate Dean for Research and Professor of Law

Shani Shisha

Assistant Professor of Law

Mike Sims

Director of Academic Success and Assistant Clinical Professor of Legal Analysis, Writing, …

Mary Spector

Associate Dean for Experiential Learning, Director of the Civil/Consumer Clinic, and…

Jennifer Rangel Stagen

Assistant Clinical Professor of Legal Analysis, Writing and Research
Headshot of Marc I. Steinberg, faculty member at Ò»Æð²Ý Dedman School of Law.

Marc I. Steinberg

Rupert and Lillian Radford Chair in Law and Professor of Law

Heather L. Stobaugh

Co-Director of Legal Analysis, Writing and Research, and Clinical Professor of Law
Headshot of Diane M. Sumoski, faculty member at Ò»Æð²Ý Dedman School of Law.

Diane M. Sumoski

Director of the Child Advocacy Clinic, Director of the Institute for Children's Rights,…

Joshua C. Tate

Professor of Law

David O. Taylor

Co-Director of the Tsai Center for Law, Science and Innovation, and Professor of Law

Andrea Tosato

Professor of Law

Jenia Iontcheva Turner

Amy Abboud Ware Centennial Professor in Criminal Law
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Kandace D. Walter

Director of the Small Business and Trademark Clinic, and Associate Clinical Professor of…

Jessica Dixon Weaver

Vinson & Elkins Faculty Fellow and Professor of Law

Donna Wolff

Director of Legal Research, Associate Director of Underwood Law Library, and Clinical…

Frequently asked questions

Yes. A J.D. prepares students for the bar exam and general law practice. An LL.M. represents a higher level of specialization, focusing on specific areas such as tax law, international law or intellectual property, among others.

One year, if pursued full time. Part-time students may take longer to complete the program. In total, 24 term hours in courses, seminars and research are required.

The general LL.M. program offers law graduates an opportunity to deepen their backgrounds in certain specialized areas of law by enrolling in advanced courses and seminars and by engaging in specialized research. Students seeking a general LL.M. may concentrate in areas such as corporate and commercial law, international law, legal practice and procedure, natural resources law, or property law. 

Ò»Æð²Ý offers a separate LL.M. for tax law.

You can complete the LL.M. degree on a part-time basis, but full-time students are strongly preferred. All instruction is in person.

The Dedman School of Law at Ò»Æð²Ý offers two specializations. The LL.M. in taxation is a specialized program and is one of the most influential tax law programs in the country. The is a law degree for foreign-trained lawyers who hold a graduate degree from a recognized foreign law school and wish to practice in the United States. And, although the Dedman School of Law awards no specific subject-designated degrees under the

With its fast-growing economy, moderate weather, and comparatively low cost of living, Dallas makes a great place to live and study. As the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the nation, it is a center of global commerce and home to many of the country’s Fortune 500/1000 companies. Many prominent law schools and prestigious tax firms are headquartered here as well.

The Ò»Æð²Ý’s Master of Laws program stands out for its access to Ò»Æð²Ý’s connections to the thriving legal and business community. Students benefit from a strong alumni network and externship programs like the Corporate Counsel Externship Program, which places students in-house with companies like AT&T and Hewlett Packard, and our robust Federal Judicial Externship Program and Government and Public Externship Program give invaluable, hands-on lessons about law in the real world. Legal clinics give students invaluable practical experience while helping the community.

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