About Law (JD) at University of California, Berkeley
In the US, law is studied as a graduate professional degree: the Juris Doctor (JD) after a bachelor’s degree, while the LLM is a one-year master’s often taken by lawyers trained outside the US.
At University of California, Berkeley (QS World University Rankings 2026: #17) in Berkeley, Law (JD) is one of the subject areas international students choose most. UC Berkeley is the founding campus of the University of California system, located in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Degree levels for Law (JD)
- JD — typical length in the US: 3 years
- LLM — typical length in the US: 1 year
Program names, specialisations and exact length differ by department — check the official program page before applying.
Admission requirements for Law (JD) at UC Berkeley
- JD: a bachelor’s degree in any subject plus the LSAT (or GRE where accepted). LLM: a first law degree, usually from outside the US.
- English: TOEFL iBT around 100 or IELTS Academic 7.0+ is typically expected (requirements vary by school and program).
Fees and funding
University tuition (undergraduate, university-wide): Approx. $46,000 – $52,000 per year (non-resident undergraduate tuition and fees). Graduate and professional fees for Law (JD) are set separately by the school. Limited merit scholarships for international undergraduates; graduate students can apply for teaching and research assistantships.
Careers and work after graduation
F-1 graduates can apply for up to 12 months of OPT. Some programs in this field are STEM-designated — check the program’s CIP code to see if the STEM OPT extension applies.
Apply for Law (JD) at UC Berkeley with GIEC Global
GIEC Global offers free counselling, program shortlisting, SOP guidance, application support and F-1 visa assistance for Law (JD) at University of California, Berkeley.
