Berkeley is one of the best known universities abroad, and is especially known as a hotbed of political activism. Their Law School is one of the most selective in the country, and their admission rate is the 3rd lowest after Yale and Stanford. Although Berkeley is an all around excellent Law school (ranked 7th in the US, according to US News), it is particularly reputed in the areas of Intellectual Property Law (ranked 1st), Environmental Law (ranked 4th) and International Law (ranked 8th). Although they only offer a general LLM program, Berkeley has recently introduced Certificates of Specialization in various areas (Business Law, Environmental Law, International Law, Law & Technology).
In addition to the traditional 9-month LLM program, Berkeley has also recently introduced the Professional LLM program which accepts about 20 lawyers with significant work experience. The program is organized into two 10-week blocs over 2 summers, and is designed for those who cannot take a full year off from their work obligations. The professional LL.M. program does not allow candidates to take the New York Bar Exam.