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SAL Ukraine Program

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About the SAL Ukraine Program

The School of American Law (SAL Program) is an overseas program of the Chicago-Kent College of Law. The SAL Program exists in different European and Asian countries. The program is based on Chicago-Kent's experience offering American Law studies in Europe since 1998. 

SAL is the first and only program in Ukraine that provides an opportunity to obtain a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree in the USA with a 70% discount on tuition and without requiring the TOEFL exam.

Since 2011, the Center of American Law has been associated with the Chicago-Kent College of Law of the Illinois Institute of Technology (Chicago, USA). Together with Chicago-Kent College of Law, the Center of American Law in Ukraine creates opportunities for legal professionals to obtain an LL.M. degree in the United States of America.

The School of American Law (SAL Program) was established as a special overseas program for Ukraine in 2011. The program's mission is to help the Ukrainian community achieve its potential, provide Ukraine with internationally qualified lawyers, and create partnerships between the U.S. and Ukraine. 

The SAL Program consists of two interlinked phases:

  • Pre-LL.M. (online) — 8 months (October – May)
  • LL.M. (on campus) — after successfully completing studies at the Pre-LL.M stage and receiving a diploma of 10 academic credits

Due to the Russian military aggression in Ukraine, the first phase of the SAL program will take place in an online format. Within 3 years after successfully completing the first phase and meeting all admission requirements, all SAL Ukraine students will be guaranteed the right to earn a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree at Chicago-Kent (Chicago, USA) with significant benefits and a 60% tuition discount.

Beginning from 2023, the SAL Ukraine program is open also for students and professionals of non-legal specialties from Ukraine (primarily economists, specialists in applied sciences and information technologies, management and administration, political scientists, historians, sociologists, journalists, etc.).

In response to the Russian aggression in Ukraine and the resulting significant financial distress faced by the Ukrainians seeking to further their education, the Center for American Law in Ukraine together with Chicago-Kent College of Law of the Illinois Institute of Technology (Chicago, USA) also offers a special and substantial reduction to tuition for Chicago-Kent's LL.M. programs for students who successfully complete the SAL Ukraine program.

This special offer applies to any Ukrainian professionals (even non-legal specialties) who are qualified to take part in and who successfully complete the SAL program during the upcoming 2026-2027 year, and also to those SAL Ukraine program graduates who successfully completed the SAL program within the previous three years.

For the 2026-2027 academic year, Chicago-Kent Pre-LL.M study program offers two-semester courses conducted exclusively either by full-time Professors or Adjunct Professors of Chicago-Kent College of Law with global industry experience. The Pre-LL.M component offers two semesters, a minimum of 120 credit hours of intensive lectures with ten courses. The Pre-LL.M study period covers October 2026 - May 2027, and the learning mode is two courses per month, covering only weekends through full-day workshop sessions.

After completing the first (Pre-LL.M.) stage of the SAL Ukraine program, participants of legal majors will be able to continue their studies at the following master's (LL.M.) programs of the Chicago-Kent College of Law of the Illinois Institute of Technology:

Instead, participants of non-law majors will have the right to continue their master's studies in one of the following majors: 

Learning at SAL Program is in English. Thus, all applicants should be at least intermediate in English. However, applicants are not required to submit a TOEFL or LSAT score to start the program.

Students attending the SAL Pre-LL.M Program will be graded solely by the Chicago-Kent College of Law Professors on a 4.0 scale and will be required to earn a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.7 to be eligible for admission to the LL.M. program in Chicago-Kent.

Lecturers

Lecturers of the first phase of the SAL Ukraine Program are one of the best legal practitioners, including:

  • Prof. Adam Weber, Former prosecutor, Associate Dean of International Programs at Chicago-Kent College of Law IIT;
  • Prof. Jonathan Decatorsmith, Director of Clinical Education at the Chicago-Kent College of Law IIT, civil litigator and tax specialist, supervises the CK Tax Clinic;
  • Prof. Edward Harris, Associate Professor of Legal Research and Writing, Former Associate Dean of International Programs at Chicago-Kent College of Law IIT;
  • Prof. Douglas Godfrey, Professor of Legal Research and Writing at Chicago-Kent College of Law, IIT;
  • Prof. Graham Dutfield, Professor of International Governance at the School of Law, University of Leeds (Leeds, UK);
  • Prof. Ronald Gieseke, Transactional lawyer with over thirty years of corporate law experience in Fortune 500 companies, Visiting Assistant Professor at Chicago-Kent College of Law IIT;
  • Prof. Richard Warner, SAL Worldwide Director, Professor of Law at Chicago-Kent College of Law IIT (Chicago, USA), member of the U.S. Secret Service's Electronic and Financial Crimes Taskforce, member of the U.S. Secret Service's Cyber Fraud Task Force;
  • Prof. Geoffrey Mazullo, ESG Expert in Emerging Markets ESG, Adjunct Professor of Chicago-Kent College of Law IIT.

For more information about the SAL Program lecturers, please find it here.

Courses 

Students of the School of American Law have the opportunity to study 10 of the following courses: 

  • Administrative Law
  • Antitrust Law
  • Business Associations / Corporations
  • Comparative Law
  • Copyright Law
  • Corporate Governance
  • Corporate Finance
  • Criminal Law and Procedure
  • E-commerce
  • Global IP Law
  • In-House Corporate Law Practice
  • Introduction to the American Legal System
  • Introduction to US IP Law
  • International Business Transactions
  • International Criminal Law
  • Managing and Licensing IP
  • Online Contracting
  • Technologies in Corporate Transactions
  • Tort Law
  • Trade Law
  • U.S. Corporate Law

*The courses taught during each year of the Pre-LL.M. stage are determined by the Chicago-Kent faculty and the Center of American Law in Ukraine.

For more information about the SAL Ukraine courses, please find it here.

SAL Program Advantages

  • The program is unique, the first and so far the only study program of this kind in Ukraine with the guaranteed opportunity to continue studying in Chicago for an LL.M degree;
  • After successful completion of the SAL Program, each graduate has a guaranteed right to receive admission to Chicago-Kent College of Law and obtain an LL.M. degree from Chicago-Kent College of Law;
  • After completion of the SAL Program, students will receive a waiver for the TOEFL;
  • During the SAL Program, each student has an opportunity to study without leaving the workplace and changing their everyday lifestyle;
  • All SAL Program lectures are conducted strictly by Professors and Adjunct professors of the Chicago-Kent School of Law;
  • The Chicago-Kent Professors develop program curricula, exam policy, grading system, and reading materials;
  • Students' assignments, exam marking and review, as well as all exam evaluations during the SAL Program, are conducted by Chicago-Kent Professors based on GPA standards.

The advantages of LL.M. study at Chicago-Kent College of Law, IIT are as follows:

  • Chicago-Kent IP Law LL.M. program is ranked as the ninth (#9) program in the U.S. in 2025 by the U.S. News & World Report;
  • Chicago-Kent Trial Advocacy LL.M. program is ranked as the twelfth-best program in the U.S. in 2025 by the U.S. News & World Report;
  • 90,57% - ultimate bar pass rate based on 2021 law school graduates who passed the bar exam in any jurisdiction within two years of graduation;
  • Moot Courts - Chicago-Kent trial advocacy team, consistently ranked among the best in the U.S.;
  • Legal Clinics - C-K Law Group is an in-house law firm staffed by practicing attorneys, some of whom allow first-year students to work on a wide range of legal matters alongside them;
  • At Chicago-Kent, you will study and collaborate with one of the most influential groups of legal scholars in the country;
  • Intensive Skills Training: Chicago-Kent combines rigorous theoretical course work with first-rate training in lawyering skills, legal writing, and advocacy;
  • Individual Career Planning: Beginning in your first term, you are assigned a career counselor who helps you create a career development plan that fits your personal and professional goals;
  • Dynamic Student Body: Chicago-Kent students come from 42 states and 19 countries, with backgrounds in biochemistry, journalism, engineering, teaching, fine arts, and more.

Graduates of the SAL Ukraine program who successfully complete the program are provided with:

  • 100% guarantee of admission to Chicago-Kent College of Law IIT (Chicago, USA) after successful completion of the SAL Program and meeting the admission requirements
  • 3 years after graduation from the SAL Program, students have a guaranteed right to continue their LL.M. studies at Chicago-Kent College of Law IIT
  • No need to take the TOEFL exam
  • SAL Program graduates have significant benefits and discounts if they choose to continue their studies at LL.M. programs at the Chicago-Kent College of Law IIT in Chicago, USA
  • Support with obtaining an American student visa

 Program duration:

  • Pre-LL.M. (online) — 10 weekends (2 times a month) from October 2026 to May 2027
  • LL.M. (in Chicago, USA) — 5 or 9 months (depending on the chosen specialty)

*During the Pre-LL.M. stage, classes are held twice a month via Zoom, only on Saturdays and Sundays. Sessions will begin at 4:00 PM Kyiv time and last 5–6 hours with breaks.

**During the LL.M. stage, it is possible to study for 5 months (one semester) only at the LL.M. in U.S., International and Transnational Law program. All other programs are designed for one academic year (two semesters).

 Opportunities after receiving an LL.M in the USA:

  • Work in international companies that require quality international legal education
  • Obtain the right to take the bar exam in the USA (for lawyers)
  • Start legal practice in the USA (provided LL.M. graduates meet immigration and work authorization requirements)

Who can apply?

  • Practicing lawyers, attorneys, judges, and prosecutors, regardless of age;
  • Bachelors and Masters of Law, as well as Doctors of Juridical Science (SJD);
  • Law students (3rd, 4th, 5th year) of legal and non-legal specialties;
  • Professionals of non-legal specialties (primarily economists, specialists in applied sciences and information technologies, management and administration, political scientists, historians, sociologists, journalists, etc.)

All applicants must be proficient in English at the Intermediate level or above.

Tuition Fee:

  • Pre-LL.M – $3,000 (tuition can be divided into two parts)
  • LL.M – $14,000 (9-month program)

All applicants are required to submit the following:

  • CV with 1 paragraph of a cover letter (in English);
  • Copy of diploma or university statement for LL.B/LL.M degree students.

*First and last names in the CV must be indicated as in your foreign passport.

Documents should be submitted in PDF format (copies of the diploma may also be sent in JPEG or PNG) through the application form below or by the program's official e-mail – hello@salkentlaw.com.ua

All candidates will receive a decision on enrollment within two weeks from the document submission date.

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