LL.M. in
Agricultural and Food Law
Leading Agricultural and Food Law Education for Over 40 Years
For attorneys interested in a career in agricultural and food law – whether in advocacy, government, small business, corporate representation, or education – specialized experience is often essential.
The LL.M. Program in Agricultural & Food Law at the University of Arkansas School of Law is recognized nationally and internationally for its educational leadership and expertise. Explore the full spectrum of law and policy “from farm to fork” – from the perspective of the farmer, the processor, the retailer, and the consumer. With agricultural and food law issues in the headlines, now is the time to learn about this area of the law. A J.D. or LL.B. is required for admission.
The program offers a full range of distance components to combine the educational benefits of classroom interaction with the efficiencies and economies of remote participation. In addition, the program offers live instruction, innovative hybrid courses, self-paced, guided online study, and condensed opportunities.
Ellen Murphy
Graduate“Throughout my studies, I felt connected, supported, and fully integrated into the LLM community... including the classes I and others have attended via video conference while other students and faculty were in a physical classroom in Fayetteville.”
Samantha Capaido
Graduate"All of the professors successfully engaged students both in the classroom and online and ensured all of the online students had ample opportunity to participate and ask questions. I would enthusiastically recommend the LL.M. program to any law student looking to make a career in the food and ag space or any lawyer looking to either transition their career or learn more.”
Blake Jackson
GraduateThe program helped him “develop the skills needed to translate complex legal requirements into practical guidance that business teams can implement.”
Jim Eggleston
Graduate"During the course of the program, I met an incredible number of new professionals in the ag world, people who I would have never met otherwise. … To anyone thinking about an LL.M. in ag and food at Arkansas – DON’T WAIT. I wish I had done this 25 years ago.”
Lauren Borsheim
GraduateThe program provided her with “the advanced training in the core legal frameworks that shape our food system, from federal statutes governing food safety, agricultural subsidies, and agribusiness consolidation, to congressional budgets and agency rulemaking. My LL.M. education has certainly sharpened my ability to engage in high-level advocacy.”
Alex Beard
Graduate"Although an LLM degree was not a prerequisite for my new position, it nevertheless prepared me for it. The courses I took, which included water law, environmental law, and labor law, gave me a broad base of knowledge that I rely on every day in drafting the tribe’s laws. Mission accomplished!"
100%
Online
24
Credit Hours
Including one credit
for a written product.
2 SEM
Estimated Time
to Complete
1st
The first advanced legal degree
in Agricultural & Food Law
- Full-time and part-time enrollment options.
- Many ways to participate, including synchronous, asynchronous and hybrid online courses.
- Full curriculum of specialized courses designed specifically for the LL.M. program.
Admission Criteria
Applicants for admission to the LL.M. Program in Agricultural & Food Law must have earned a J.D. or LL.B. degree from a fully accredited school in the United States or a J.D., LL.B., or a substantially equivalent degree from a fully accredited school in another country. An applicant who has earned a J.D. or LL.B. degree from a law school in the United States that is not fully accredited but who has been admitted to a bar may be admitted in special circumstances upon the approval of the Graduate Legal Studies Committee.
Non-Degree Seeking Options
Non-Degree Credit for Attorneys
Occasionally, an attorney may want to take one or two LL.M. classes for non-degree
credit. If they later decide to pursue the degree, their credits earned can be applied
to the LL.M. degree, with the approval of the Graduate Legal Studies Committee. Some
states allow LL.M. credits to count toward Continuing Legal Education requirements.
Other Graduate Student Credit
Graduate students in related programs may enroll in some LL.M. classes for graduate
academic credit. While they cannot earn the LL.M. degree, they may be able to receive
credit toward their graduate degree for taking LL.M. classes. Graduate students should
contact their department and advisor to discuss requirements.
Careers in Agricultural & Food Law
Graduates of the LL.M. program in Agricultural and Food Law are leaders in the agricultural and food law community. Employment opportunities include government service; private practice representing those involved in the agricultural and food industries; regulatory compliance; advocacy and non-profit work; and academia. Our network of alumni work in at least 40 different states and 18 different countries.
- Olsson Frank Weeda, in Washington, DC
- Amin Wasserman Gurnani, in New York
- Handel Food Law
- The Food Law Firm
- Landwise Partners, LLC
- Many other large, mid-sized and small law firms throughout the U.S.
- Daisy Brand (Corporate Counsel)
- Hormel Foods (Senior Attorney)
- Hain Celestial Group (Associate General Counsel)
- Nestle Purina North America (Associate Counsel)
- Simmons Foods (Corporate Counsel)
- Proterra Investment Partners (Managing Director, Food & Beverage Credit Strategy)
- Walmart (Corporate Compliance Director; Food Packaging Compliance Manager; Director of Government and Public Affairs; Senior Manager Testing & Monitoring)
- Family Dollar (Assistant General Counsel)
- Bayer Crop Science (Gov't Affairs Director)
- Farm Credit of Western Arkansas (General Counsel)
- The Poultry Federation (President)
- Worldly (Vice-President, Human Rights)
- Perfetti Van Melle (Americas Regulatory Director)
- S. Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee (Counsel / Sen. Boozman)
- USDA Office of General Counsel (Attorney Advisor)
- USDA Office of the Inspector General (Senior Policy & Legislative Advisor)
- State Departments of Agriculture (Secretary of Agriculture in Arkansas and General Counsel, Dept of Agriculture, Food & Forestry in Oklahoma)
- USDA Farm Service Agency (Agricultural Program Specialist)
- USDA Risk Management Agency (Deputy Administrator for Product Development)
- National Conference of State Legislatures (Policy Associate)
- S. Dept of State, Foreign Service (Foreign Service Officer)
- Federal Trade Commission (Trade Regulation Attorney)
- Inspector General, Arkansas (Secretary of the Dept of Inspector General)
- University of Arkansas
- Harvard Food Law & Policy Clinic
- UCLA, Resnick Center for Food Law & Policy
- Iowa State, Center for Agricultural Law & Taxation
- University of Maryland
- University of Maryland Eastern Shore
- University of Southern Illinois
- University of Nebraska
- University of West Virginia School of Law
- Drake University
- Penn State University
- University of Ottawa
- University of Saskatchewan
- University of Iasi, Romania
- Purdue University
- Clemson University
- Land Loss Prevention Project (Attorney)
- California Certified Organic Farmers (CEO)
- Revitalize Mississippi (Executive Director)
- ASPCA (Farm Animal Welfare Campaign)
- Native Agriculture Financial Services (CEO/President)
- Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund (President)
- Graphyte Carbon Renewal (Founder, CEO)
- Native Americans in Philanthropy (Senior Vice President, Legal & Government Affairs)
- Food System 6 (CEO)
- Food & Water Watch (Food Policy Analyst)
- Trout Unlimited (Director of California Water Law & Policy)
- National Cooperative Business Association (President and CEO)
| Tuition / credit hour | $532.18 |
| Fee / credit hour | |
|---|---|
| Library | $5.38 |
| Network & Data Systems | $18.00 |
| Off-Campus | $30 |
| Online Facilities | $2 |
Tuition and fees per credit hour reflect fall 2026 rates for students studying completely online. Students in online programs who take an on-campus course will pay on-campus fees, mandatory and college fees, for only the on-campus course.
LLM Blog
Program-related news, alumni success, and more.
It is the most desired degree in this discipline. I thought, why not become a master of one of the emerging issues in law? Who knows what I will get to do? I'm ready!"
Julie LinckLittle Rock, AR
Although I was initially skeptical that the online LLM in Agricultural and Food Law program would benefit me as much as the in-person experience, the professors have done an exceptional job at encouraging participation from distance students, making me feel as though I'm sitting right there in the classroom."
Patrick Morin, Jr.Birmingham, MI
The Online Learner
A Lifetime of Work Leads Back to the Classroom
Lula Cole has always been passionate about giving back, and an advanced law degree delivered online from the U of A is her chosen path to continue her work post-retirement.
