This Harvard Law degree program could get decimated by foreign student ban

Reuters

2 days ago

May 29 (Reuters) - The Trump administration's bid to block international students from enrolling at Harvard University could potentially deal a death blow to the law school's influential masters of law program, if courts allow the ban to move ahead.
That program, established in 1923 and commonly referred to as the LL.M., brings about 180 lawyers to Harvard Law School annually for a year to learn about the U.S. legal system, study specific areas of the law, or pursue careers in the legal academy. The vast majority — 97% this year — come from outside the U.S., and its graduates have gone on to serve in foreign governments, courts and other key positions around the world.
Those LL.M. students would be shut out entirely under Trump's international student ban. Tuition for the LL.M. program at Harvard is set at $80,760 next year, according to the school's website. With about 52% of LL.M. students receiving some need-based grants, the program likely generates about $11 million in tuition revenue.
The ban on foreign students would also impact Harvard Law's Juris Doctor and Doctor of Juridical Science programs. Each J.D. class of 560 typically includes 45 to 50 international students — about 9% — for a total of about 150 students spread across three classes. The S.J.D., which is for aspiring legal academics and typically has about 60 people enrolled, also draws heavily from overseas.
Harvard data shows that international students made up 17% of all students across its three law degree programs this year, accounting for 349 of 2,009 total students. Those international law students likely paid more than $20 million collectively in tuition after accounting for financial aid grants, a Reuters analysis of publicly available data found.
Spokespeople for both Harvard University and its law school declined to comment on the potential impact of the international student ban on Harvard Law, but the university in a statement last week called it an 'unlawful" and "retaliatory action" that threatens its academic research mission. The top administrator of the law school's international legal studies program did not respond to a request for comment on what a ban would mean for the LL.M. program.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem ordered the foreign student ban at Harvard after accusing the university of "fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party."
The move escalated the Trump administration's campaign against the Ivy League university, following several rounds of federal funding cuts. Harvard sued and a federal judge on Friday temporarily blocked the Trump administration from revoking the university's ability to enroll foreign students.
The Trump administration on Thursday backed away from plans to immediately revoke Harvard University's ability to enroll international students and said it would instead give it 30 days to contest those plans through a lengthier administrative process. The judge hearing the case said on Thursday that she planned to issue a broad preliminary injunction preserving the status quo while the newly announced administrative process plays out.
Most of the top-ranked law schools in the U.S. offer LL.M. programs, which are typically revenue generators, in part because LL.M. students often take classes already offered through the J.D. program, which is the degree most common among U.S. lawyers.
Harvard's LL.M. has a notable track record of turning out influential lawyers who serve across the globe. A 2024 Harvard Crimson article, opens new tab noted that more than 25 of the program's alumni were sitting on the highest courts in 18 countries.
It's unclear how much of Harvard University's $6.5 billion in annual revenue is allocated to its law school — the university's 2024 financial report does not break out individual program budgets — but $1.4 billion of that came from tuition and other student costs. The report shows that tuition accounts for 43% of the law school's operating revenue, and that the university's endowment was $53.2 billion in 2024.
A law school in Harvard's situation would likely seek to "triage in the short-term" to cover the loss of tuition revenue, through a combination of cutting expenses and seeking support from its parent university, said Chris Chapman, president of AccessLex Institute, which advocates for affordable legal education.
Read more:
Trump administration blocks Harvard from enrolling foreign students, threatens broader crackdown
Judge temporarily blocks Trump admin from revoking Harvard enrollment of foreign students