Florida Coastal School of Law (FCSL) is the first U.S. law school to offer the LL.M. Masters of U.S. Law degree entirely online. Using the latest virtual classroom technology, students will be able to view live lectures and interact in real time with U.S. law professors. Whereas traditional LL.M. programs require students to leave their jobs and families for a year to come to the U.S., FCSL offers a high quality legal education that is available to students anywhere in the world with access to a laptop and a broadband Internet connection.

FCSL is fully accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA), and the online LL.M. program has the acquiescence of the ABA. The twenty-six credit hour program takes twelve months to complete and covers core academic subjects that are commonly tested on U.S. bar exams, including Constitutional Law, Civil Procedure, Evidence, Contracts & Sales, and Criminal Law. Graduates of the LL.M. program can qualify academically to sit for the bar examination in select U.S. states, including California.

The LL.M. Program uses advanced, user-friendly learning technology. Classes are hosted by Elluminate Live!, wherein students are able to view lectures and Power Point presentations in a live, fully interactive setting. Students can communicate live with the professor either through the audiovisual display or by using the streaming message board. All classes are also archived and can be viewed at any time in the learning management system. To view a live demonstration, please request an Elluminate Demonstration through the Florida Coastal website.

Outside of class, students will have access to Desire 2 Learn, the learning management system, where they are able to view reading assignments, view archived classes, check for announcements from the professor, and participate in discussion boards with professors and other students. Upon their enrollment in the program, students will be provided with access to the two premier online legal research databases, LexisNexis and Westlaw, as well as the FCSL Library’s substantial electronic database. Exams are administered entirely online using a secure website.

The LL.M. Program’s faculty is drawn from a distinguished group of law professors from all over the United States who are leading scholars in their fields. Faculty members have been recognized by their students for their outstanding teaching ability and have published numerous textbooks and articles. Many have substantial experience teaching in an online setting.

Tuition for the program is $575 per credit hour for a total of $14,950. This is a fraction of the cost of other LL.M. programs in the U.S. Students can pay tuition in four separate installments. Some scholarships are available.

To qualify for admission to the LL.M. Program, applicants must have obtained their first law degree (either an LL.B. or its equivalent) outside of the U.S. Persons who do not have a law degree from outside of the U.S. or who are not in their final year of the law degree program are not eligible for admission into the program. The Admissions Committee will consider a number of factors including academic performance, work experience, and the applicant’s personal statement.

FCSL is now accepting applicants to the LL.M. program on a rolling basis. Students may begin classes in September 2011.

Applicants must apply through the Apply Online page of the LLM website. To process an application, FCSL will need four items: the electronic application, a personal statement and resume that are attached to the electronic application, an official transcript submitted for evaluation to A2Z Evaluations, and, with some exceptions, a TOEFL or IELTS score. FCSL LL.M. does not require letters of recommendation or any additional documents.