Best institutions to study Programs for Foreign Lawyers
A program that prepares lawyers educated outside the United States to understand U.
34 U.S. institutions graduated 1,380 Programs for Foreign Lawyers students in 2024–25 (IPEDS). It is CIP 22.0202, a specialization of Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies (CIP 22.02), and leads most directly to the Lawyers occupation (BLS SOC 23-1011).
About Programs for Foreign Lawyers programs
A program that prepares lawyers educated outside the United States to understand U. S. or Canadian law and jurisprudence.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP 2020).
The Programs for Foreign Lawyers, part of the Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies, is designed for lawyers who have been educated outside the United States. This program prepares them to understand U.S. or Canadian law and jurisprudence, enabling them to navigate the legal landscape effectively. With a focus on bridging the gap between international legal education and American legal practice, this program is ideal for foreign-trained lawyers seeking to enhance their qualifications.
Students in this program will develop essential skills such as critical thinking, active listening, and effective communication. Coursework typically covers areas like law and government, English language proficiency, and legal analysis, equipping graduates with the knowledge necessary to interpret laws and represent clients competently.
Credentials awarded
What Programs for Foreign Lawyers graduates earned in 2024–25, by award level (IPEDS completions).
- Master's degree1,375 graduates / yr · 33 institutions100%
- Post-master's certificate5 graduates / yr · 1 institution0.4%
Graduates over time
Programs for Foreign Lawyers completions reported to IPEDS each year, all award levels combined.
| Year | Graduates |
|---|---|
| 2012 | 849 |
| 2013 | 998 |
| 2014 | 1,121 |
| 2015 | 1,244 |
| 2016 | 1,295 |
| 2017 | 1,408 |
| 2018 | 1,768 |
| 2019 | 1,911 |
| 2020 | 1,835 |
| 2021 | 772 |
| 2022 | 2,221 |
| 2023 | 1,720 |
| 2024 | 1,567 |
| 2025 | 1,380 |
Top 34 institutions for Programs for Foreign Lawyers, ranked by graduates
Graduates (IPEDS completions), 2024–25. Award levels show which credentials each institution confers in this specialization.
| # | Institution | Graduates / yr | Grad rate | Net price | Field earnings* (1 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of California - Berkeley Berkeley, CAPublicMaster's | 312 | 93% | — | — |
| 2 | University of Southern California Los Angeles, CAPrivate not-for-profitMaster's | 257 | 92% | $26,873 | — |
| 3 | Northwestern University Evanston, ILPrivate not-for-profitMaster's | 200 | 95% | $14,799 | — |
| 4 | Boston University Boston, MAPrivate not-for-profitMaster's | 109 | 89% | $21,956 | — |
| 5 | Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago, ILPrivate not-for-profitMaster's | 74 | 75% | $19,899 | — |
| 6 | Southern Methodist University Dallas, TXPrivate not-for-profitMaster's | 47 | 84% | $33,246 | — |
| 7 | University of California - Davis Davis, CAPublicMaster's | 44 | 86% | — | — |
| 8 | George Mason University Fairfax, VAPublicMaster's | 42 | 68% | — | — |
| 9 | Indiana University - Bloomington Bloomington, INPublicMaster's | 33 | 80% | — | — |
| 10 | St. John's University - New York Queens, NYPrivate not-for-profitMaster's | 32 | 66% | $27,359 | — |
| 11 | Vanderbilt University Nashville, TNPrivate not-for-profitMaster's | 31 | 94% | $14,854 | — |
| 12 | Florida International University Miami, FLPublicMaster's | 21 | 74% | — | — |
| 13 | Duke University Durham, NCPrivate not-for-profitMaster's | 20 | 97% | $16,260 | — |
| 14 | University of Georgia Athens, GAPublicMaster's | 18 | 90% | — | — |
| 15 | Seton Hall University South Orange, NJPrivate not-for-profitMaster's | 18 | 69% | $27,376 | — |
| 16 | Syracuse University Syracuse, NYPrivate not-for-profitMaster's | 18 | 84% | $28,851 | — |
| 17 | Florida State University Tallahassee, FLPublicMaster's | 10 | 86% | — | $74,141 |
| 18 | Brigham Young University Provo, UTPrivate not-for-profitMaster's | 10 | 81% | $13,712 | — |
| 19 | Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, OHPrivate not-for-profitMaster's | 9 | 87% | $27,976 | — |
| 20 | University of Cincinnati - Main Campus Cincinnati, OHPublicMaster's | 9 | 75% | — | — |
| 21 | University of Connecticut Storrs, CTPublicMaster's | 8 | 83% | — | — |
| 22 | University of Hawaii at Manoa Honolulu, HIPublicMaster's | 7 | 64% | — | — |
| 23 | Santa Clara University Santa Clara, CAPrivate not-for-profitMaster's | 6 | 88% | $44,094 | — |
| 24 | Brooklyn Law School Brooklyn, NYPrivate not-for-profitMaster's | 6 | — | — | — |
| 25 | University of Wisconsin - Madison Madison, WIPublicMaster's | 6 | 90% | — | — |
| 26 | Saint Louis University Saint Louis, MOPrivate not-for-profitMaster's | 5 | 80% | $24,886 | — |
| 27 | Vermont Law and Graduate School South Royalton, VTPrivate not-for-profitMaster's | 5 | — | — | — |
| 28 | University of San Francisco San Francisco, CAPrivate not-for-profitMaster's | 4 | 70% | $37,121 | — |
| 29 | Washburn University Topeka, KSPublicMaster's | 4 | 53% | — | — |
| 30 | Mitchell Hamline School of Law Saint Paul, MNPrivate not-for-profitMaster's | 4 | — | — | — |
| 31 | Wayne State University Detroit, MIPublicMaster's | 3 | 58% | — | — |
| 32 | Albany Law School Albany, NYPrivate not-for-profitMaster's | 3 | — | — | — |
| 33 | Wake Forest University Winston-Salem, NCPrivate not-for-profitMaster's | 3 | 89% | $20,914 | — |
| 34 | University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Minneapolis, MNPublicMaster's | 2 | 85% | — | — |
* Median earnings 1 year after graduation for the broader Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies field (CIP 22.02) at these institutions; College Scorecard does not publish earnings at the 6-digit level.
Offered in 22 states
Where Programs for Foreign Lawyers graduates come from. Each state links to all Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies programs offered there.
Careers & outlook
The payoff after graduation: occupation 23-1011, Lawyers, and its national outlook.
Graduates of the Programs for Foreign Lawyers often pursue careers as lawyers, with a median wage of $151,160. The job outlook for this profession is about as fast as average, with an expected growth rate of 4.1% and approximately 31,500 annual openings. A doctoral or professional degree is typically required for these roles.
Top-paying metros
Career pathways for CIP 22.0202
The occupations the NCES crosswalk maps this 6-digit code to, with BLS pay and 10-year outlook.
| Occupation | US median pay | Growth | Openings / yr | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Lawyersprimary SOC 23-1011 | $159,670 | +4.1% About as fast as average | ~31,500 | Doctoral or professional degree |
Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
- Education
- Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
- Experience
- Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
- Training
- Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Related careers
Skills & knowledge in Programs for Foreign Lawyers programs
From the U.S. Dept. of Labor for the occupation this specialization most leads to.
Skills you'll build
Knowledge areas
Abilities that matter most
Day-to-day work activities
What graduates do on the job
- Interpret laws, rulings and regulations for individuals and businesses.
- Analyze the probable outcomes of cases, using knowledge of legal precedents.
- Gather evidence to formulate defense or to initiate legal actions by such means as interviewing clients and witnesses to ascertain the facts of a case.
- Represent clients in court or before government agencies.
- Evaluate findings and develop strategies and arguments in preparation for presentation of cases.
- Advise clients concerning business transactions, claim liability, advisability of prosecuting or defending lawsuits, or legal rights and obligations.
Tools and technology used
Other Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies specializations
The 24 other 6-digit CIP codes under Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies (CIP 22.02).
- Advanced Legal Research/CIP 22.0201
Studies 5,052 graduates / yr77 institutions - Legal Research and Advanced Professional StudiesCIP 22.02991,551 graduates / yr42 institutions
- American/CIP 22.0203
U.S. Law/ Legal Studies/ Jurisprudence 949 graduates / yr40 institutions - Tax Law/CIP 22.0211
Taxation 749 graduates / yr24 institutions - Health LawCIP 22.0208448 graduates / yr21 institutions
- International Law and Legal StudiesCIP 22.0209388 graduates / yr24 institutions
- Banking, Corporate, Finance, and Securities LawCIP 22.0205353 graduates / yr25 institutions
- International Business, Trade, and Tax LawCIP 22.0210316 graduates / yr16 institutions
- Energy, Environment, and Natural Resources LawCIP 22.0207255 graduates / yr21 institutions
- Human Resources LawCIP 22.0220partial data235 graduates / yr5 institutions
- Intellectual Property LawCIP 22.0212110 graduates / yr13 institutions
- Arts and Entertainment LawCIP 22.0215limited data98 graduates / yr1 institutions
- Comparative LawCIP 22.0206partial data84 graduates / yr6 institutions
- Real Estate and Land Development LawCIP 22.0222limited data56 graduates / yr2 institutions
- Tribal/CIP 22.0224
Indigenous Law partial data56 graduates / yr7 institutions - Compliance LawCIP 22.0216partial data38 graduates / yr3 institutions
- Criminal Law and ProcedureCIP 22.0217partial data30 graduates / yr3 institutions
- Entrepreneurship LawCIP 22.0218limited data2 graduates / yr1 institutions
- Patent LawCIP 22.0213limited data1 graduates / yr1 institutions
Show 5 more CIP codes with no U.S. programs reported+
- Canadian Law/
Legal Studies/ Jurisprudence22.0204 - Agriculture Law22.0214
- Family/
Child/ Elder Law22.0219 - Insurance Law22.0221
- Transportation Law22.0223
No institution reported completions for these codes in the latest IPEDS year, so they have no page.
See all Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies programs →
Common questions
What degrees can I earn from this program?+
You can earn a Master's degree or a Post-master's certificate.
How many colleges offer this program in the U.S.?+
There are 34 colleges offering this program across the United States.
What skills will I develop in this program?+
You will develop skills in critical thinking, active listening, and effective communication.
What is the job outlook for lawyers?+
The job outlook for lawyers is about as fast as average, with a growth rate of 4.1%.
What is the CIP code for Programs for Foreign Lawyers?+
Programs for Foreign Lawyers is CIP 22.0202 in the NCES Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP 2020), a 6-digit specialization within Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies (CIP 22.02). NCES defines it as: A program that prepares lawyers educated outside the United States to understand U. S. or Canadian law and jurisprudence.
How many institutions offer Programs for Foreign Lawyers programs?+
34 U.S. institutions reported Programs for Foreign Lawyers graduates in IPEDS 2024–25, across 22 states, awarding 1,380 credentials in the year. That is 11.4% of all Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies graduates.
How much do Programs for Foreign Lawyers graduates earn?+
Earnings are not published at the 6-digit CIP level by any federal source. The Lawyers occupation, which Programs for Foreign Lawyers most directly leads to, pays a median of $159,670 a year nationally (BLS OEWS May 2025), and graduates of the broader Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies field report median earnings of $74,141 one year after graduation (College Scorecard).
About the data on this page
Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.
Program definitions are from the NCES Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP 2020). Skills, knowledge, abilities, work activities, tools, and job zones are from the O*NET database by the U.S. Department of Labor, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
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