A fashion law LLM can cost $81,592 in annual tuition or €9,500 for the whole programme, depending on the city you pick. Fordham in New York sits at the top of that range, Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) charges overseas students £34,650, and LUISS in Rome is the cheapest of the three, with an application deadline of 29 November 2026. This guide compares the three programmes using each university’s own pages: fees, content, entry rules, teaching patterns and what the degree can and cannot do for your career.
Short answer: Choose Fordham if you want New York, the Fashion Law Institute and a possible route to the New York bar for foreign-trained lawyers. Choose QMUL for a broad London LLM with many free-choice modules. Choose LUISS for the lowest fee, a January start and a Friday and Saturday timetable in Rome. None replaces qualifying as a lawyer.
Key takeaways
- Fordham’s full-time LL.M. costs $81,592 in tuition for 2026-27, and the school’s own estimate of the total cost of attendance is $120,392.
- QMUL’s Fashion Law LLM costs £22,000 for home students and £34,650 for overseas students for September 2027 entry, and runs for one year full-time or two years part-time.
- LUISS charges €9,500 for a 60 ECTS programme taught in English from January to July 2027, and the next application deadline is 29 November 2026.
- Fordham’s LL.M. can count towards New York bar eligibility for foreign-trained lawyers, but admission does not guarantee it, and no fashion LLM promises a job.
How do the three fashion law LLMs compare?
The figures below come from the universities’ own websites as read on 4 November 2026. Each is shown in its original currency, and the entry year differs, so compare them with care. FLJ’s general guide to where to study fashion law covers the wider routes; this piece looks only at these three degrees.
| Feature | QMUL (London) | LUISS (Rome) | Fordham (New York) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Degree | Fashion Law LLM | LL.M. in Fashion Law, a second-level Italian university master | LL.M. in Fashion Law |
| Length | 1 year full-time, 2 years part-time | One academic year, classes January to July 2027 | Typically 2 semesters full-time; part-time also offered |
| Credits | 180 UK credits | 60 ECTS | At least 24 US credits (2022-23 handbook) |
| Fee | Home £22,000; overseas £34,650 (September 2027 entry) | €9,500 plus a €48 revenue stamp (2026/27) | $81,592 tuition plus $1,222 fees full-time; $3,400 per credit part-time (2026-27) |
| Next start | September 2027 | January 2027 | August or January |
| Deadline | None stated on the course page | 29 November 2026 | Fall: 1 March preferred, late applications to August. Spring: 1 October preferred, late applications to December |
| Timetable | Monday to Friday, 9am to 9pm; part-timers study alongside full-timers | Fridays and Saturday mornings, in person | Standard law school semesters |
| Who can apply | 2:1 in law, or non-law graduates with a Merit in the GDL or CPE, or at least five years’ relevant experience | A second-cycle degree or foreign equivalent; no law degree named as a requirement | Lawyers; non-lawyers are pointed to the separate M.S.L. |
| English | IELTS 7.0, with 6.5 in Writing and 6.0 in other parts | Taught in English; no minimum score listed | TOEFL 100, IELTS 7 or Duolingo 120 |
Sources: QMUL’s course page, LUISS’s admissions page, and Fordham’s pages on cost of attendance and how to apply.
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What does each LLM really cost?
Fordham is the only one of the three whose page sets out a full budget. On top of tuition and fees of $82,814, it estimates $37,578 in indirect costs for 2026-27, including $27,110 for room and board, which brings the total to $120,392. Health insurance is a further $5,232 a year unless you can show other cover. The school’s application page gives priority scholarship dates of 1 February for fall entry and 21 September for spring entry.
QMUL’s course page gives fees but no comparable living cost figure, so London rent is yours to research. Overseas students pay a £2,000 conditional deposit, and the page warns that part-time fees of £11,000 a year for home students and £17,350 for overseas students may rise annually. Queen Mary alumni may qualify for a discount.
LUISS has the simplest bill. The call for applications allows two instalments of €4,750. An early bird rate of €8,550 expired on 29 May 2026. The call does not mention scholarships, though it refers to honour loans from partner banks. Whichever you choose, set the total against what the published pay data shows before you borrow.
What will you study on each programme?
QMUL splits its 180 credits into 90 of compulsory fashion law modules, 30 of fashion law electives, which can include a dissertation, and 60 of free choice from more than 150 modules. That free choice is the main difference from the other two: you can pair fashion with IP, technology or commercial subjects. QMUL’s fashion law modules include Fashion, Law and Social Justice; Fashion Enterprise: Ethics, Business and Law; and two on intellectual property and fashion. The school says the degree also covers contract law, tax, sustainability, fast fashion and cultural appropriation.
LUISS follows the life of a product through seven modules: business models and the legal framework; creation to production, including IP, product compliance and “Made In” rules; shows, marketing, distribution and labour law; e-commerce and consumer protection; advertising and influencer marketing; compliance and corporate social responsibility; and dispute resolution. It is the most European of the three, and it is built for people already working. Assessment combines module grades with a thesis.
Fordham requires a Fashion Law course and a capstone or thesis, with electives across four areas: intellectual property, business and finance, international trade and government regulation, and consumer culture and civil rights. Advanced courses listed by the Fashion Law Institute include Fashion Law and Finance, Fashion Retail Law, Fashion Modeling Law and a Fashion Law Practicum. The focus is US law, which matters if you plan to work for American brands or firms.
Who teaches, and how strong are the industry links?
At Fordham, the draw is the Fashion Law Institute, a non-profit based at the law school and founded by Professor Susan Scafidi, who created the first fashion law course in 2006. It was set up with support from the Council of Fashion Designers of America. Fordham says the institute has placed M.S.L. students as interns at Louis Vuitton, Prada and Ralph Lauren in New York, and the practicum offers faculty-supervised internships for credit.
At QMUL, Professor Johanna Gibson directs the fashion law programme. The university says it ran a fashion law pilot in 2008 and expanded it in 2014, before starting the LLM in September 2025. It described that LLM in March 2025 as “the first and only Fashion Law LLM in the UK”, which is the university’s own claim. The degree is still young, so ask for evidence of where the first cohort went.
At LUISS, the overview page lists law firms including Clifford Chance, Freshfields and Hogan Lovells, and fashion houses including Gucci, Prada, Valentino and Max Mara, as contributors. It says several firms have offered internships to students. The call for applications is more cautious: Career Services helps create opportunities but guarantees nothing, and internships do not count towards the 60 ECTS.
Can a fashion law LLM qualify you to practise?
Only Fordham has a clear link to a bar, and it comes with conditions. Fordham says its LL.M. programmes can supplement a first law degree to help foreign-trained lawyers meet New York’s requirements. Its 2022-23 handbook warns that admission does not guarantee eligibility, that non-J.D. students generally need 24 approved in-person credits, that thesis credits do not count, and that specific courses are required. Plan this with the school before you enrol, and check the current rules, because the handbook we could read is several years old. The M.S.L. does not lead to bar eligibility in any US jurisdiction.
The QMUL and LUISS pages make no claim that their degrees qualify anyone to practise in England or Italy. FLJ’s guide on how to become a fashion lawyer sets out the qualifying steps by country. Treat any LLM as specialisation on top of that route.
Which fashion law LLM should you choose?
Start with the market where you want to work, because fashion law is applied through national and regional rules.
- US brands and firms: Fordham fits best, particularly for a foreign-trained lawyer aiming at the New York bar. It is also by far the largest financial risk.
- UK or general commercial practice: QMUL makes sense if you want a London base and the option to build a broader IP or commercial profile through free-choice modules.
- European luxury, or a working professional: LUISS costs far less and has a compact timetable, but attendance is compulsory, with an 80% minimum, and you need to be in Rome on class days. The website says Friday afternoons, while the call says Fridays may run morning and afternoon, so ask.
- Undecided: do not buy a degree to find out. Try a fashion law internship or read how people actually moved into legal careers in fashion first.
Frequently asked questions
Which is the best fashion law LLM?
There is no reliable ranking, and FLJ has not found published employment data that would support one. The better question is which legal market you want. Fordham is built around US law, QMUL offers the widest module choice in London, and LUISS focuses on European and Italian fashion business at the lowest fee.
How much does a fashion law LLM cost?
At LUISS, €9,500 for 2026/27. At QMUL, £22,000 for home students and £34,650 for overseas students for September 2027 entry. At Fordham, $81,592 in full-time tuition for 2026-27, plus $1,222 in fees. Fordham estimates the full cost of attendance at $120,392, including living costs.
Do I need a law degree to apply?
It depends on the programme. QMUL looks for a 2:1 in law but also considers non-law graduates with the GDL or CPE, or at least five years’ relevant experience. LUISS asks for a second-cycle degree and does not name law as a requirement. Fordham’s LL.M. is for lawyers, and non-lawyers apply to its M.S.L.
Can I study part-time or online?
QMUL offers two years part-time, with no separate evening or weekend track. Fordham has a part-time LL.M. charged at $3,400 per credit, and its online options are in other subjects, not fashion law. LUISS teaches in person, although the university reserves the right to move some or all classes online.
When are the application deadlines?
LUISS’s next deadline is 29 November 2026 for classes starting in January 2027. Fordham reviews applications on a rolling basis, with 1 March the preferred date for fall entry and 1 October for spring. QMUL’s course page shows a September 2027 intake and an open application link but no fixed deadline.
Will a fashion law LLM get me a job?
No degree can promise that, and none of these three does. An LLM gives you knowledge, a network and a line on your CV. Employers will still look at your qualification, your experience and your drafting. Internships help, but LUISS states plainly that it cannot guarantee one, so test any careers claim against last year’s cohort.
This article is general information, not legal, financial or career advice. Fees, dates and entry rules were read from the universities’ websites on 4 November 2026 and can change, so confirm them with the university before applying or paying.
Featured image: Photo: Carlo Dani via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (adapted)
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