Intellectual Property & Information Law LLM Program Exam Information
Fall 2025 Exam Schedule
American Law / Intellectual Property and Information Law LLM Only
The following exams will be administered in-person and will require students to use Examplify in Secure Mode unless otherwise noted. Room assignments and additional format details will be available a few days prior to an exam on this page.
Security options summarized:
Secure: Locks down the exam-taker’s computer completely when the assessment begins, allowing access to only Examplify during the exam. Students will not be able to access any information stored on their hard drive, nor will they be able to run any programs in the background or access the Internet.
Non-Secure: This option allows exam-takers to access information stored on their hard drive, run other programs, and access the Internet during the assessment. We can modify this setting with this additional option:
Non-Secure with Internet Access blocked: This option allows exam-takers to access files, applications, and programs on their device, prevents them from accessing the internet during the exam. (For comparison, Secure exams always block access to the internet.)
****Please note that Ipads do not work at all with Non-Secure or Secure Exams. You must find an alternate device or speak with OGIP Staff for options! ****
| Friday, November 21 |
Intro to American Law (A1) Caputo 2:00-5:00 |
|
Intro to American Law (B1) Caputo 2:00-5:00 |
| Friday, December 5 |
Pro Responsibility for LLMs (Burlingame) |
| Monday, December 8 |
Immigration Law for LLMs (DeRienzo) |
| Tuesday, December 9 |
2YR LLM Intro to American Law (L1) Palermino |
| Wednesday, December 10 |
Corporations for LLMs (A1) Matera |
|
Corporations for LLMs (B1) Wall |
| Friday, December 12 |
Contracts for LLMs (Donweber) |
|
2YR LLM US Legal Culture (Palermino) |
| Monday, December 15 |
Intellectual Property for LLMs (Psyhogeos) |
|
Evidence for LLMs (Borenstein) |
| Tuesday, December 16 |
2YR LLM Academic Skills |
*LLM students who are taking JD Exams must report to the LLM exam room (which has a different start time than JD Students) on the scheduled date and time.*
Take-Home Exams
Take-home exams do not require students to use Examplify and are administered via the ExamSoft site. Download/Upload instructions will be e-mailed to registered students prior to the first day of the exam. Students are responsible for reviewing instructions in advance. Further details will be posted in late October.
Constitutional Law for LLMs (Malkiel)
Criminal Law for LLMs (Borenstein)
**Updated 8.25.2025 and subject to change.
Exam Information
Here are several important reminders to keep in mind regarding administration of final exams. Please read this information carefully, as you are responsible for being aware of all important exam-related information.
All LLM students should report to the exam room a half-hour prior to the beginning of the exam. A student who is granted exam relief should report to the appropriate room on their make-up date. When there are multiple exams in a room, seating instructions will be posted on the door of the exam room. Students must sit in the assigned section of the room.
Please note: You MAY NOT discuss your exam with each other or any other students following the exam. There are students who may take an exam later and they should not share information or thoughts on the exam until grades are released.
Where to Go
Room assignments are posted to the web a few days at a time.
When to Arrive
You must arrive to the exam room at least 30 minutes before (or 9:00AM for most (BUT NOT ALL LLM exams– check room assignments above). Those using Examplify must have downloaded the exam file in Examplify prior to the exam day. If you are using Examplify, you should not leave the room without receiving confirmation that your exam file uploaded properly. If you are having difficulty uploading your exam, you should seek assistance from Systems & Technology staff in the room.
You should arrive early to ensure you have sufficient time to complete administrative details and receive proctor instructions. The exam will begin promptly at the scheduled time – proctors will not delay the start for late students.
If you arrive late, you MAY NOT be allowed to take the exam.
Please bring your BU ID card with you, since you’ll need to write your BU ID number on your exam cards. Your exam card is the only place that you will record your name and BU ID number. You should also bring your unique exam number (accessible from the Student Link) to each exam. You must write this four-digit number on all the exam materials (exam card, exam questions, scantron sheet, and blue book, if applicable.)
Please note: LLM in American Law and Intellectual Property & Information Law students receive an extra hour on JD exams, beyond the JD time limit. Please refer to the schedule and time above.
Exam Procedures
When you sit down to take your tests, you’ll be asked to put aside whatever cultural norms you’ve grown accustomed to from your home countries and abide by the rules governing how we administer exams at BU Law. Your exams (as with all student exams) will be supervised by a proctor. The proctor will ask you to comply with the following. Please do so.
- Sit every other seat during the exam (no sitting next to each other).
- Only one person at a time (one male and one female) will be allowed to leave the exam room to use the restrooms. You must sign your name on the blackboard when you leave and erase it when you return. If there is an emergency, please discuss this with the proctor. You’ll be allowed to leave the room only to use the restrooms—not to have a smoke, or do anything else.
- No talking or communicating with others during the exam. You are not allowed to share any books or other materials—or otherwise communicate with each other in any way—during the exam. This means under no circumstances can you talk with each other, pass notes, etc. PLEASE DON’T EVEN THINK OF TALKING TO EACH OTHER DURING A TEST.
- No cell phones are allowed in the exam room. You must leave your cell phones in your lockers or elsewhere.
- You must stop writing when time is called. It will be tempting to continue working, but PLEASE don’t. This has been a problem in the past.
- As for what you can bring into the exams, the proctor will tell you whether your exam is “closed book,” “open book,” or “restricted open book” and announce what materials are allowed if the exam is restricted open book. You should find out ahead of time whether your exams are open, closed, or restricted open book and what materials you can bring, if the latter. If your exam is “restricted” or “closed” book, you will be asked to move your backpacks and other items to either the front or side of the room.
- You are allowed to bring in a regular (non-legal) English foreign language and regular English dictionary to all your exams, even to your closed book exams. YOU NEED TO BRING IN YOUR OWN DICTIONARY. DO NOT EXPECT TO USE A DICTIONARY THAT IS ON RESERVE IN THE LIBRARY. These books must not contain any handwritten notes if you bring them into a closed book exam. You cannot bring in an English/foreign law dictionary unless the exam is a restricted open book exam and the professor has allowed for this, or unless the exam is a completely open book exam. You cannot bring in any kind of electronic device, such as an electronic dictionary, even into open book exams.
- If you have concerns during the exam, speak to the proctor.
- If you have a question during the exam, ask the proctor. Do not simply leave the room. Do not ask a classmate. If you are not sure about how much time is remaining for your exam or cannot see what is written on the blackboard, ask the proctor.
Please understand that violation of these rules may subject you to disciplinary action, including possible expulsion. It goes without saying that this is something we all want to avoid. These rules, and the consequences of their violation, apply to all BU Law students, so please realize you’re not being singled out or being treated differently. (The School’s faculty Judicial Committee does not have great sympathy for culturally based defenses to alleged disciplinary violations, like “We’re allowed to talk during our exams at home.”)
Other Details
- During the exam period, the proctor will write the remaining time on the board at regular intervals. Because several different exams may be administered in the room at the same time, please pay close attention to the remaining time for YOUR exam—not one of the other exams being administered.
- When your exam is over, you’ll be required to turn in all exam materials, including the exam questions. DO NOT LEAVE THE EXAM ROOM WITH THE EXAM QUESTIONS. If you finish an exam early, please try to leave the room quietly out of courtesy to others who still might be working.
- Because all exams are graded on an anonymous “blind” basis, it is improper for you to contact your professors after you’ve taken an exam and to communicate information that reveals the identity of your exam. For example, if you accidentally missed seeing three questions on the test, don’t seek out the professor to tell him/her this. See Maureen Tracy Leo to discuss.
- You need to bring your BU ID cards to your exams so you can write your ID number on your exam cards. Your proctor will instruct you on this. Do not write your ID number on the actual exam books.
Exam Relief
Please note that exam relief is only offered under the following circumstances under our Academic Regulations:
Examination schedule. A student may reschedule an examination that is one of
(1) three examinations on three consecutive days of the examination period’s first calendar week;
(2) three examinations on three consecutive days of the examination period’s second calendar week, if the third examination concludes no later than 48 hours after commencement of the first;
(3) two examinations on one day; or
(4) four examinations on four consecutive calendar days.
In circumstance (1) or (2) above, the middle examination will be rescheduled. In circumstance (3), either examination may be rescheduled. In circumstance (4), either the second or the third examination may be rescheduled. The date of the rescheduled examination will be as close as possible to the originally scheduled date, and ordinarily it will be neither more than one day earlier nor more than five days later. Rescheduled exams must be completed within the published exam period. Students seeking to reschedule outside of the exam period need to petition the relevant committee (Academic Standards Committee for JD course or Graduate Foreign Programs Committee for an LLM course) for approval. Students may submit any request to reschedule an exam directly to the Registrar, after notifying the OGIP.
All rescheduling must be coordinated with the Registrar’s Office and will be subject to administrative considerations.
Excused absences due to illness or other compelling reasons will only be granted subject to the provisions of Article IV of the current Academic & Disciplinary Regulations and require approval by the Academic Standards Committee.
Arrangements for these types of deferrals for Fall/Spring semester exams must be made no later than the last day of classes.
Please contact Maureen Tracy Leo if you are facing an exam conflict or otherwise believe you’re entitled to an exam schedule change. You can also make your arrangements directly through the Registrar’s Office. If you are granted exam relief and take an exam on a different day, you’ll be asked to sign a form certifying that you will not discuss the exam with others.
If You Run Into Problems
In the event you run into an emergency before an exam, contact Maureen Leo, or the Registrar’s Office immediately. Please don’t wait until after the exam is over to tell us that you missed it for some reason. If you are concerned about how you think you performed, see Maureen Leo—not the professor. It’s helpful to get perspective on the larger picture and we are happy to help.
If You Are Sick
If you are sick and are not feeling well enough to take an exam, you should contact Maureen Leo BEFORE THE EXAM. We will ask you to go to Student Health Services to see a doctor, who—with your permission—will be able to certify that your illness prevents you from taking the test. We can then reschedule the test. Life gets very complicated if the first time you tell us you are sick is after you take an exam. It’s almost impossible to help you out in that situation, so if you are not feeling well, it is better to not take the test at all.
Extra Time for JD Exams
All LLM students qualify for additional time during mid-term and final examinations only for JD exams that are under five hours in length. No student gets additional time for any exam conducted over five hours. There shall be no additional time given for take home exams that are more than five hours in length or LLM only exams and assessments.