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Trump’s International Student Ban Would Decimate Harvard Law School’s 1-Year LL.M. Program ($81,760 Tuition Generates $11 Million/Year)

Reuters, This Harvard Law Degree Program Could Get Decimated by Foreign Student Ban:

HarvardLawSchool LLMHarvard University could potentially deal a death blow to the law school's influential master of laws 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.

Law.com, 'Profound Fear, Concern and Confusion' Plague Harvard University, Law School:

At Harvard University and Harvard Law School, students and faculty have expressed “profound fear, concern and confusion” in response to the Trump administration's efforts to block international students from attending the school, according to court documents in the university's federal lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security over the mandate.

Countless international students, including at least two international law students, have already been directly affected in the week since DHS mandated the revocation of the school's Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification, according to a declaration filed Wednesday in federal district court by Harvard's director of immigration services, Maureen Martin.

One student from Bern, Switzerland, who was planning to quit his job and travel to the United States to get his LL.M. at Harvard Law School this fall, had his F-1 visa denied last week—the same day DHS issued its revocation order. …

Another incoming Harvard Law School student withdrew their application for visa-related reasons, as "dozens" of incoming international students have asked about deferring their admission or obtaining Harvard’s assistance in enrolling elsewhere, the declaration states.

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