{"id":162475,"date":"2026-09-09T14:35:21","date_gmt":"2026-09-09T22:35:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2026\/09\/09\/the-ll-m-honor-roll-ranking-the-nations-best-specialty-degree-programs-in-law-2026\/"},"modified":"2026-09-09T14:35:21","modified_gmt":"2026-09-09T22:35:21","slug":"the-ll-m-honor-roll-ranking-the-nations-best-specialty-degree-programs-in-law-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2026\/09\/09\/the-ll-m-honor-roll-ranking-the-nations-best-specialty-degree-programs-in-law-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"The LL.M. Honor Roll: Ranking The Nation\u2019s Best Specialty Degree Programs In Law (2026)"},"content":{"rendered":"

There are countless law school rankings out there, and we cover just about every single one of them here at Above the Law. But what about rankings for LL.M. programs, advanced degrees that allow law school graduates to sharpen their skills, specialize in a particular practice area, or add an impressive new credential to their resumes?<\/p>\n

Thankfully, the National Jurist<\/a> has once again released its LL.M. ranking, which refers to its list as an \u201chonor roll,\u201d perhaps to sate lawyers\u2019 desire to make the grade and come out on top. The new ranking recognizes law schools with standout programs across a wide range of specialties. <\/p>\n

Before we examine the schools that made the grade, let\u2019s take a look at the methodology. Programs were evaluated based on academics, career opportunities, practical training, and student offerings. Here\u2019s how the National Jurist broke things down:<\/p>\n

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For academics, we look at the number of courses offered (15%), and the number of professors (15%). Career opportunities consist of networking opportunities (8%), recruitment programs (8%), and whether there is a dedicated career counselor (14%). Practical training includes whether there is a live client guarantee (7%), externships opportunity (4%), and simulation courses offered (4%). Student offerings include journal participation (4%), moot court participation (4%) and student group options (7%). We reserve (10%) for other.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

This year\u2019s honor roll includes programs in business, criminal law, entertainment law, environmental law, health law, human rights, intellectual property, international law, technology law, and more. UCLA Law was the honor roll\u2019s biggest overachiever, appearing across 16 specialty categories, far more than any other law school.<\/p>\n

Once again, we\u2019d like to concentrate on taxation, arguably the most useful postgraduate degree a lawyer can pursue. So, which law schools made the honor roll for their tax LL.M. programs this year?<\/p>\n