MasterPhDBachelorMBAHealthcareCoursesOnline Studies
Keystone logo
University of Denver Sturm College of Law
University of Denver Sturm College of Law

University of Denver Sturm College of Law

About

The University of Denver Sturm College of Law is a leader in experiential learning and providing practical skills training, creating a seamless transition from law student to legal professional. Denver Law is dedicated to meeting your educational goals.

The University of Denver Sturm College of Law is a leader in experiential learning and providing practical skills training, creating a seamless transition from law student to legal professional. In fact, Denver Law has earned an A+ for Practical Training from preLaw Magazine for seven consecutive years, and our Clinical Program is ranked #5 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Our students don’t just study the law, they experience it through working with actual clients in our clinics and externships with law firms and government agencies.

Plus, our Office of Career Development helps students navigate employment opportunities from their first semester through graduation and beyond. Financial aid through scholarships is available and Denver, Colorado is one of the strongest job markets in the nation. For those who have earned or are earning a JD, or foreign equivalent, we offer LLM degrees in American Law Practice, Global Natural Resources, Energy and Environmental Law, International Business Transactions, and Tax.

Earning an advanced degree can open a wide array of new opportunities for your legal career and help you meet your professional goals. We also have offerings for working professionals with bachelor's degrees seeking to advance their careers including our Master of Legal Studies, Master of Legal Studies in Global Natural Resources, Energy and Environmental Law, Master of Science in Legal Administration, and Master of Taxation. No LSAT is required to apply for a master’s degree at Denver Law.

Upon earning a master’s degree, graduates have working, practical knowledge of the law that will have an immediate impact on their careers and industry. Denver Law is dedicated to meeting your educational goals, whether you are a full-time student or a professional looking to advance your career. Take the next step in your legal journey with a graduate degree from Denver Law.

Read more on the institution's website

How to Apply for an LLM

Prospective applicants are eligible to apply if one of the following is satisfied:

  • Student has graduated from a U.S. law school that is approved by the American Bar Association or is a member of the Association of American Law Schools.
  • Student has obtained a full degree in law from a recognized non-US institution with high academic standards.

A student’s primary law degree must be earned prior to the term for which admission is sought. Admitted students in the process of finishing their JD or JD-equivalent at the time of application may be granted provisional status and will not be allowed to enroll until proof of diploma and final official transcripts are received by the Graduate Admissions office.

Submission of GMAT or LSAT test scores is not required for admission to an LLM program.

Graduate Admissions accepts applications throughout the year on a rolling basis. Applicants to all programs are urged to apply as soon as possible for best consideration. However, we will continue to accept students to individual programs until all seats are filled for the upcoming term.

Application Submission Requirements

We are unable to process incomplete applications, so please ensure that all required materials are assembled before submitting your application. All materials listed below must be submitted together by the listed application deadlines. Students should be notified of an admissions decision within 4-6 weeks upon receipt of a complete application.

Admission is highly selective. The admissions committee will conduct a holistic review of each applicant. The committee reserves the right to request additional information from the applicant, including an interview via Skype, telephone, or in person, if feasible.

Online Application

  • Resume/CV – should list employment experience, educational background, and extracurricular and community activities. It should also include any honors and awards you have received. Please include dates for all items on your resume.
  • Submit a double-spaced, typed Personal Statement, which, generally, should not exceed two pages using the prompt below:

A recent survey of 24,000 practicing lawyers by the University of Denver-based Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System (IAALS) has determined that the professional competencies of early-career lawyers are as important as the legal skills that they develop in law school. Describe how your distinctive life experiences have shaped two (2) of the following competencies identified by IAALS as meaningful to the successful practice of law: resilience; perseverance; integrity; resourcefulness; passion; and compassion.

  • $65 non-refundable application fee.
  • A completed LLM Credential Assembly Service Report (LLM CAS/DAS) from LSAC.

International Students

  • English Language Proficiency Requirements and Testing
  • Photocopy of Current Passport
  • SEVIS Supplement Form
  • Financial Verification Form

Deposit for Accepted Students

Accepted applicants will be required to submit a nonrefundable deposit of $300 in order to secure their position in the class. The deposit is deductible from the first semester’s tuition. Detailed instructions are provided in the letter of acceptance.

How to Apply for a Master's Degree

A master's candidate must have earned a bachelor’s degree (accounting or business degree for Master of Taxation) from an accredited higher education institution or in the case of a foreign candidate, obtained the equivalent of a bachelor’s degree from an acknowledged institution of higher learning. GRE/GMAT is not required, except in certain circumstances for the Master of Taxation program.

Online Application

  • Resume/CV – should list employment experience, educational background, and extracurricular and community activities. It should also include any honors and awards you have received. Please include dates for all items on your resume.
  • Submit a double-spaced, typed Personal Statement, which, generally, should not exceed two pages using the prompt below:

A recent survey of 24,000 practicing lawyers by the University of Denver-based Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System (IAALS) has determined that the professional competencies of early-career lawyers are as important as the legal skills that they develop in law school. Describe how your distinctive life experiences have shaped two (2) of the following competencies identified by IAALS as meaningful to the successful practice of law: resilience; perseverance; integrity; resourcefulness; passion; and compassion.

  • $65 non-refundable application fee.
  • A completed LLM Credential Assembly Service Report (LLM CAS/DAS) from LSAC.

International Students

  • English Language Proficiency Requirements and Testing
  • Photocopy of Current Passport
  • SEVIS Supplement Form
  • Financial Verification Form

Deposit for Accepted Students

Accepted applicants will be required to submit a nonrefundable deposit of $300 in order to secure their position in the class. The deposit is deductible from the first semester’s tuition. Detailed instructions are provided in the letter of acceptance.

GMAT Requirements for Master of Taxation Applicants

GMAT scores sent electronically to the Graduate Tax Program directly from GMAC (select University of Denver – Daniels College of Business – Graduate Tax Program; GMAT code number MZR-6J-02).

GMAT Waivers: We will consider you waived from the GMAT if you meet one or more of the following criteria:

  • You received a bachelor's degree in accounting or a business administration degree with a major in accounting with a cumulative GPA greater than or equal to 3.0.
  • You received a bachelor's degree in accounting or a business administration degree with a major in accounting and you have earned a graduate level degree from an accredited school.
  • You have passed all four parts of the CPA Exam. Verification must be sent as an official document from the testing authority to Graduate Admissions before you can register for classes.

The Sturm College of Law offers numerous scholarship opportunities for first-year students, from the full-tuition Chancellor’s Scholars Program to other merit scholarships offered through the admissions process. Additionally, continuing students can apply for named scholarships once they are enrolled at the Sturm College of Law.

First-Year JD Student Scholarships

Sturm Elevation Initiative

Thanks to a multi-million-dollar investment by the Denver-based Sturm Family Foundation, the University of Denver Sturm College of Law is in a position to fund twenty full-tuition merit scholarships, with a first-year stipend, to incoming JD students with outstanding academic credentials.

Chancellor's Scholarship Program

Entering first-year JD students with a demonstrated history of excellence in academics and public service are encouraged to apply for the Chancellor’s Scholarship Program, which offers full-tuition scholarships to students interested in pursuing careers in public interest law.

Yellow Ribbon Program

The Sturm College of Law is a proud supporter of the Yellow Ribbon Program, which provides tuition assistance for American Military Veterans. Universities that participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program make additional funds available for veterans attending an out-of-state or private university. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs matches all contributions made by an institution.

Merit Scholarships

Entering first-year JD students are automatically considered for Merit Scholarships through the admissions process, these awards generally range from $17,250 to $41,000, with a few awards going up to full tuition.

Master's & LLM Scholarships

We are thrilled to offer various departmental scholarships that are available for Graduate Legal Studies students and are awarded by the admissions committee based on a student’s demonstrated ability. We recommend submitting all application materials as early as possible.

All applicants are considered for merit scholarships. Admission decisions are made without regard to a student’s ability to meet the financial obligations of their individual program.

Merit/Departmental Scholarships

All applicants are considered for merit scholarships. Admission decisions are made without regard to a student’s ability to meet the financial obligations of their individual program.

Students will be notified of any awards with their acceptance letters, or through an official e-mail if a scholarship award is allocated after an admission decision is made.

External Scholarship Opportunities

Students may want to explore other options when considering the financial responsibilities of their studies. Our students could possibly qualify for other scholarships through private grants and foundations. The following list of resources may be helpful in financing your graduate legal education. This should serve as a starting point and is by no means exhaustive. Each prospective student is encouraged to explore all funding options available.

Funding for International Students

(Visit the website for more information)

Tax Scholarships

We offer various merit scholarships to qualified applicants. All students are considered for these merit scholarships upon an initial application review by the admissions committee. We recommend submitting all application materials as soon as possible to be considered for the best scholarship opportunities. Students will be notified of any awards with their acceptance letters.

Continuing JD Students

Named Scholarships

Continuing JD students are encouraged to apply for our named scholarships, which are awarded on an annual basis and range from $1,000 to $25,000.

Denver Law's top-ranked programs in clinical training, legal writing, and trial advocacy build the practical skills to make a valuable impact from day one. Our graduates are as comfortable drafting a brief as presenting an oral argument and are dedicated to the highest ethical standards of the profession, placing them at the top of the list for potential employers. In fact, over 90 percent of our class of 2023 graduates were employed in professional positions within 10 months of graduation.

Denver Law is dedicated to meeting your educational goals, whether you are a full-time student or a professional looking to advance your career. We offer a traditional juris doctor (JD) program, a part-time JD Program, four LLM degree options, and four master's degree options.

Begin your law school journey today.

Student Organizations

Sturm College of Law students enrich our community through a wide variety of social, political, service, and professional interests, represented by more than 50 active student organizations. Throughout the year, these organizations plan fundraisers, speaker events, panels, banquets, and networking opportunities. Funding for student organizations is provided by the Student Bar Association, which includes all Denver Law students as members and requires payment of a one-time membership fee during the first year. Students with interests not represented by current student organizations are actively encouraged to form new ones!

Student Organization Listing

  • Air & Space Law Society
  • American Civil Liberties Union
  • American Constitution Society
  • Asian Pacific American Law Student Association
  • Black Law Students’ Association
  • Business Law Society
  • Children’s Legal Advocacy Group
  • Christian Legal Society
  • Criminal Law Association
  • Denver Journal of International Law & Policy
  • Denver Law Democrats
  • Denver Law Review
  • Disability Law Student Association
  • DU Law Film Society
  • DU Law Outdoor Club
  • DU Women's Legal Coalition
  • The Environment at 5280 Law Blog
  • The Federalist Society
  • First Generation Law Student Alliance
  • Health Law Society
  • If/When/How: Lawyering for Reproductive Justice
  • Intellectual Property Law Society
  • International Law Society
  • Jewish Law Student Association
  • Land Use Law Society
  • Latin Law Student Association
  • Law Student Ambassadors
  • Law Students Against Sexual Violence
  • National Lawyers Guild (NLG)
  • Native American Law Students Association
  • Natural Resources and Environmental Law Society
  • OUTLaws
  • Privacy Law Society
  • Public Interest Law Group
  • South Asian Law Student Association
  • Sports and Entertainment Law Journal
  • Sports and Entertainment Law Society
  • Student Animal Legal Defense Fund
  • Student Immigration Law Coalition
  • Student National Cannabis Bar Association
  • Student Plaintiff's Bar
  • Student Trial Lawyers Association
  • Student Veterans of America
  • Students for Sensible Drug Policy
  • The Race to the Bottom
  • Trusts, Estates, and Elder Law Society
  • University of Denver Water Law Review
  • Venture Law Society

Student Organization Resources

  • Student Leader Training
  • Student Organization Advisor Policy
  • Financial Information
  • Planning Events
  • Advertising Events
  • Resources for Outside Organizations and Events
  • Miscellaneous Information
  • Logos & Promotional Items
  • Student Organization Technology Resources

  • Denver

    Ricketson Law Building, 2255 E Evans Ave, Denver, CO 80208, USA

University of Denver Sturm College of Law