Chapman University Law School

Last Updated on December 23, 2022

LL.M. in Taxation| Fowler School of Law | Chapman University

Chapman University Dale E. Fowler School of Law is located in the historic Old Towne district of Orange, California. We are part of the nonprofit private university that is over 155 years old. The law school, established in 1995, received full approval by the ABA in 2002 and AALS accreditation in 2006. 

The school of law is part of a main university campus, which gives law students access to educational, cultural, and recreational activities that often cannot be replicated at a stand-alone law school. It also lets us offer cross-disciplinary study in approved courses with other colleges within our university. 

Our school is noted for offering an excellent quality of life (a measure of overall law school community experience), great classroom experiences, and diverse faculty. We compare exceedingly well against much older schools and are clearly an institution on the move. 

In addition to our LLM programs, Fowler School of Law offers JD certificate programs in seven different concentrations and extensive clinical programs along with JD/MBA and JD/MFA dual degrees. 

Law School Enrollment

Fowler School of Law has committed itself to building a small, talented, and diverse student body. Total student enrollment for 2017–2018 was approximately 500 students, including approximately 35 LLM students. 

The Faculty

Fowler School of Law has nearly 50 full-time faculty, including a Nobel laureate, four former US Supreme Court clerks, and professors who hold degrees from Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, Chicago, Pennsylvania, Berkeley, Michigan, Duke, Northwestern, Cornell, Georgetown, UCLA, and USC, among others. In addition to our full-time faculty, we are very proud of our program adjuncts, who are respected practitioners in their areas of expertise and bring real-world experience and a teaching dynamic to the classroom. 

The School of Law’s environment is conducive to learning. Students have access to the faculty and frequent opportunities to engage them in both formal and informal settings. Our current student-to-faculty ratio is 6.1 to 1. Our interesting and accessible faculty speaks volumes about the supportive nature of our institution. 

Courses in the LLM programs are taught by a mixture of experienced full-time professors and leading practitioners who bring extensive experience in very specialized areas of legal practice. Our curriculums are designed to provide each student with a background in the program areas most often encountered, while allowing each student to choose specialized courses according to his or her interests. 

Short biographies of the faculty teaching within the programs may be found here. Complete biographies are printed in the brochures for the respective programs.

Physical Facilities

The beautiful Donald P. Kennedy Hall opened in 1999 with state-of-the-art learning facilities in its classrooms, law library, and trial and appellate courtrooms. The Rinker Law Library holdings now exceed 500,000 volumes, volume equivalents and electronic titles. There are ample library carrels and desks. Group-study rooms are available for student use and extended research. Two state-of-the-art courtrooms provide computers, cameras, and electronic blackboards for trial advocacy exercises, competitions, and formal hearings by visiting courts.

Housing

Very limited on-campus housing exists for graduate law students. There are numerous housing opportunities in the surrounding areas. Inquiries should be forwarded to the LLM Programs Office:

Phone: 714.628.2635
Email: [email protected]

LLM Programs/Areas of Specialization

Fowler School of Law’s six LLM programs include Taxation, Trial Advocacy, Business Law, Entertainment and Media Law, and International and Comparative Law, as well as a self-designed course of study.

Taxation

Taxation is Fowler School of Law’s oldest LLM program and continues Chapman’s advances in the field of tax law. Our renowned JD Tax Program bolsters our graduate tax programs as well. Our four full-time tax faculty members include leaders in various tax sections and committees of the American Bar Association, as well as prolific tax scholars, including casebook authors. We are the only law school in the nation with both trial and appellate tax clinics (whereby students handle actual cases while in school) and an estate planning clinical opportunity. Our graduates have been placed at leading law and accounting firms and at the IRS. In addition to the traditional personal and business-related tax law courses, the school of law has made a particular effort to include an extensive array of advanced estate planning and advanced business and personal tax-planning courses.

For additional information about this program, please visit the LLM Programs website, or contact

LLM Program Coordinator
One University Drive
Orange, CA 92866
USA

Phone: 714.628.2635
Fax: 714.628.2655
Email: [email protected]

Trial Advocacy (with Court Residency)

Fowler School of Law’s newest LLM program is different than most trial advocacy programs you may find because Fowler School of Law lets qualified candidates gain nearly unattainable civil or criminal trial experience while in school. Unlike other programs, Fowler School of Law’s LLM in Trial Advocacy gives students who are licensed by the California State Bar the opportunity to participate in a 15-week “residency” in a criminal agency or law firm, where they will routinely make court appearances and handle other pretrial matters. Most will also try at least one complete jury trial. Candidates not licensed by the California State Bar will still be able to receive hands-on trial training from superior court judges and leading jurists, prosecutors, civil litigators, and criminal defense attorneys.

For additional information about this program, please visit the LLM Programs website, or contact

LLM Program Coordinator
One University Drive
Orange, CA 92866
USA

Phone: 714.628.2635
Fax: 714.628.2655
Email: [email protected]

Business Law

The field of business law includes many subjects that are vital to local and global businesses, such as contracts, trade regulation, competition, finance, and banking. Earning an LLM in Business Law from Fowler School of Law allows you a course of study in sophisticated areas of business law, including international business, bankruptcy, and mergers and acquisitions. The LLM degree brings to light the myriad ways that business law is connected to other fields of law.

For additional information about this program, please visit the LLM Programs website, or contact

LLM Program Coordinator
One University Drive
Orange, CA 92866
USA

Phone: 714.628.2635
Fax: 714.628.2655
Email: [email protected]

Entertainment and Media Law

In a field like entertainment law, it is vital not only to develop and enhance one’s legal skills, but also to make lasting impressions and connections with those who have insight into, and experience in, the entertainment industry. Fowler School of Law’s LLM in Entertainment and Media Law lets students access a complete film and television school, and our proximity to the “entertainment capital of the world” gives students a distinct advantage in making these connections. Our LLM program lets students pursue not only traditional entertainment law courses, but also valuable, in-depth courses in our film school. A student who utilizes this unique combination of curriculums may have a competitive edge in this field.

For additional information about this program, please visit the LLM Programs website, or contact

LLM Program Coordinator
One University Drive
Orange, CA 92866
USA

Phone: 714.628.2635
Fax: 714.628.2655
Email: [email protected]

International and Comparative Law

The legal climate of the world is sophisticated and global. Whether you are involved in human rights, international trade, international relations, or a host of other fields, a good understanding of US and international legal systems can benefit you and your firm or government agency. The school of law offers a wide variety of courses and is updated to reflect new developments in this dynamic field, giving our LLM students the most current selection of courses possible.

For additional information about this program, please visit the LLM Programs website, or contact

LLM Program Coordinator
One University Drive
Orange, CA 92866
USA

Phone: 714.628.2635
Fax: 714.628.2655
Email: [email protected]

Self-Design Program

Please contact the LLM Programs Office for more information on how we can build an LLM program for your field of interest:

LLM Program Coordinator
One University Drive
Orange, CA 92866
USA

Phone: 714.628.2635
Fax: 714.628.2655
Email: [email protected]

Student Services and Organizations

The law school offers many activities that enrich the academic program and provide important training in leadership. Three journals offer valuable experience in research, writing, and editing. The Student Bar Association administers a full range of programs. Other organizations include but are not limited to the Minority Law Students Association, the Asian Pacific American Law Students Association, the Public Interest Law Foundation, the Federalist Society, and the student-run Honor Council. Externships allow students to earn academic credit while working in a variety of government agencies, judges’ chambers, and public interest organizations, developing the practical skills and confidence they will need after graduation. Fowler School of Law offers a range of advocacy experiences, including participation in mock trial, moot court, client counseling, international law, and negotiation competitions. Fowler School of Law teams have won regional competitions and have performed competitively in national and international tournaments. The Moot Court Board and the Mock Trial Board administer their programs and provide excellent practical training. 

The Tax Law Emphasis Program affords students the opportunity to represent claimants against the IRS in the US Tax Court Clinic. The Center for Land Resources allows students to network with practicing professionals. In the externship program, students receive placements in the offices of appellate judges, trial judges, district attorneys, and public defenders, where they gain hands-on experience and academic credit. Clinic offerings include family violence/immigration law, elder law, entertainment law, constitutional litigation, mediation, tax law, and appellate practice. Nearly all clinics allow students additional opportunities to represent actual clients in an array of legal settings. The law school’s Academic Achievement Program assists students in the mastery of the skills necessary to become successful law students and productive attorneys. The program includes individualized counseling and instruction, as well as group workshops and peer tutoring.

Career Services

Fowler School of Law provides students and alumni with comprehensive career services and resources that aid law students in selecting their career direction and reaching their goals. The office is composed of a director, two assistant directors, and a recruitment coordinator. The Career Services Office staff facilitates interviews for our students with legal employers during our On-Campus Interviewing Program in both the fall and spring. The office also provides students the opportunity to meet with prominent members of the legal community through frequent panels, a highly successful Attorney Mentor Program, and an extensive Mock Interview Program. The Career Services Office helps to match students’ educational and experiential skills with both traditional and nontraditional employment opportunities. In keeping with the Chapman mission of personalized education, the Career Services Office staff meets with individual students to review résumés and cover letters; to aid in self-assessment and goal orientation; to discuss specific opportunities unique to the student’s needs; and to provide training, support, and feedback in all aspects of exploring career options. The office receives regular input from the Career Services Student Advisory Board.

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