- About
About USC Gould
USC Gould is a top-ranked law school with a 115-year history and reputation for academic excellence. We are located on the beautiful 228-acre USC University Park Campus, just south of downtown Los Angeles.
- Academics
Academics
Learn about our rigorous and interdisciplinary curriculum, our invaluable experiential learning opportunities, and the breadth and depth of our specialized areas of concentration and certificate offerings.
- Admissions
Admissions
USC Gould helps prepare you for a stellar legal career. You can pursue a JD degree, one of our numerous graduate and international offerings, or an online degree or certificate.
- Student Life
Student Life
Participate in an unparalleled learning experience with diversity of people and thought. Get involved in the law school community and participate in activities that enhance your studies.
- Careers
Careers
We work closely with students, graduates and employers to support successful career goals and outcomes. Our overall placement rate is consistently strong, with 94 percent of our JD class employed within 10 months after graduation.
- Faculty
Faculty
Our faculty is distinguished for its scholarship, as well as for its commitment to teaching. Our 12:1 student-to-faculty ratio creates an intimate and collegial learning environment.
- Alumni and Giving
Alumni and Giving
The global Trojan network of more than 10,000 law alumni and donors include recognized leaders in numerous fields who are deeply committed to supporting student and law school success.

Career and Bar
Master of Comparative Law (MCL) Degree
- MASTER OF COMPARATIVE LAW (MCL) DEGREE
- APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
- CAREER AND BAR
- CURRICULUM
- CAMPUS HOUSING
- + TUITION AND FINANCIAL AID
- CONTACT US
The Office of Graduate and International Programs is available to help you develop your individual job search strategies. A career advisor is dedicated to helping students and alumni through personalized advice and review of résumés, cover letters and applications.
While we do not recommend that you search for jobs during the first year of the Two-Year LLM, you may attend any of our workshops, which cover career development topics such as networking and interview etiquette. As a Two-Year LLM student, you'll also gain access to Symplicity, an online resource for jobs and internship opportunities around the United States exclusive to USC Gould students.
In your second year of the Two-Year LLM, you may participate in the International Students Interview Program in New York in January and in the UCLA Interview Program in February. These career fairs provide foreign-trained students from top law schools with the opportunity to interview with prospective employers from the U.S. and abroad.
You also will be able to attend USC Gould Continuing Legal Education conferences in both years of the program, at which you can make valuable connections with law professionals, USC Gould alumni and peers.
Bar Exam Preparation

Enrollment in an LLM or MCL degree does not guarantee that you will be eligible to take a U.S. bar exam or practice law in the United States. You should review the requirements set by each state in which you wish to sit for the exam. The American Bar Association's Comprehensive Guide to Bar Admission Requirements provides additional information.
You will start learning about core legal principles, including those tested on the bar exam, during the first year. Specifically, you will get a head start on learning bar subjects by enrolling in Introduction to U.S. Legal System. This will give you more time and flexibility to enroll in bar subjects or other elective courses during the second year.
USC Gould academic advisers can assist you with choosing courses that help prepare you for the bar exams in New York, California and the District of Columbia. Download our Bar and Certificate Checklist for more information. Students are able to enroll in both a bar exam "track" and a certificate "track."
We also offer an Early Bar Preparation series of four daylong workshops exclusively for our LLM and MCL students throughout the year. The workshops cover pertinent substantive law tested by the bar exam as well as guidance on essay writing, multiple choice, performance tests and general test-taking skills. As a student in the Two-Year LLM, you will have the opportunity to participate in these workshops in both your first and second year.
Optional Practical Training
Some LLM and MCL students choose to enhance their U.S. legal education by gaining short-term, practical training in a law firm or other legal setting after graduation. The Graduate & International Programs office will assist you with the application for Optional Practical Training (OPT) during the spring semester of your second year. For current rules on OPT - the authorization required for eligibility for such work experiences - visit the USC Office of International Students website.
As a Two-Year LLM student, you may apply for Curricular Practical Training (CPT) during the second year, through which you can receive compensation for work off-campus.