Drawing on the resources and activities of the Donald E. Biederman Entertainment and Media Law Institute , Southwestern has established the first Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree in Entertainment and Media Law in the country. This exciting program is designed to prepare the next generation of effective and talented entertainment, media and intellectual property lawyers. With the launch of the online version of the LL.M. Program in Fall 2010, students have the option of attending classes in person in Los Angeles or online from anywhere in the world.
Southwestern has had a long and intensive involvement with the entertainment and media industries in the Los Angeles area. Located at the center of "The Entertainment Capital of the World" and the "Digital Coast," the law school has an outstanding entertainment- and media-oriented faculty. Southwestern graduates occupy important positions within a broad range of entertainment and media companies and with law firms specializing in the representation of entertainment clients. Recognizing the growing interest in this area around the country, Southwestern launched the Biederman Institute to provide a broad-based entertainment curriculum for law students as well as information and assistance to practitioners.
To qualify for the LL.M. degree in Entertainment and Media Law, students must have earned a Juris Doctor (J.D.) or equivalent degree and complete a minimum of 24 additional credit hours; 18 credit hours must be in courses within the entertainment and media law curriculum,* and 18 credit hours must be earned at Southwestern. Graduate students are free to elect up to 6 credits from any other courses offered by Southwestern. Students may also earn such credits by enrolling in Southwestern's summer abroad programs in Buenos Aires, Argentina; Guanajuato, Mexico; or Vancouver, Canada. Courses taken for credit for a J.D. will not be counted toward the LL.M. degree.
Students may attend on either a full-time or part-time basis. Full-time students will usually complete their coursework in one year and part-time students will usually complete the program in two years, but all are required to complete all coursework for the LL.M. within four years.
Students enrolled in the LL.M. program must attain a cumulative grade point average of 2.33 to earn the LL.M. degree. A graduate student who earns 24 credits with a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or greater, but less than 2.33, will be awarded a Certificate of Completion and may be eligible to take certain state bar examinations, and, if successful, be admitted to practice.