SAL Africa Announces an Additional Selection Round for the 2025 Program

The Chicago-Kent College of Law, IIT, is offering a limited additional selection for this year’s SAL Nigeria and Africa program. This decision was made in response to the strong interest and the number of applications that continued to arrive after the main selection closed.

SAL is the first and only program in Africa that offers the 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.

The School of American Law (SAL Program) was established as a special overseas program for Nigeria and Africa in 2025. The program's mission is to help the Nigerian community achieve its potential, provide Nigeria with internationally qualified lawyers, and create partnerships between the U.S. and Nigeria.

This special offer applies to Nigerian legal professionals and may also extend to qualified candidates from other African countries who meet the requirements and successfully complete the SAL Program in 2025.

The SAL Nigeria program is also open for students and professionals of non-law majors from Nigeria and other African countries, primarily economists, specialists in applied sciences and information technologies, management and administration, political scientists, historians, sociologists, journalists, etc.

The program consists of two interlinked parts:

• Pre-LL.M. (mandatory) — online (September-November 2025);
• LL.M. (optional) — on campus at the Chicago-Kent College of Law of the Illinois Institute of Technology (Chicago, USA) after successfully completing studies at the Pre-LL.M stage and receiving a diploma of 10 academic credits signed by the dean of the Chicago-Kent College of Law of the Illinois Institute of Technology.

Lecturers of the SAL program are among the best legal practitioners, including: 

• Prof. Adam Weber, a former prosecutor at the Office of the Prosecutor for the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, Associate Dean of International Programs at Chicago-Kent College of Law IIT;
• Prof. Maurine Neiberg, IP Attorney, one of the best patent lawyers in Chicago;
• Prof. Jonathan Decatorsmith, Director of Clinical Education at the C-K Law Group, Chicago-Kent College of Law IIT, civil litigator and tax specialist, supervises the CK Tax Clinic;
• 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. Edward Harris, Associate Professor of Legal Research and Writing, Former Associate Dean of International Programs 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, Professor of Law, ESG Expert in Emerging Markets Organization, adjunct professor at Chicago-Kent College of Law IIT.

After completing the first (Pre-LL.M.) stage of the SAL Nigeria program, participants of law 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:

• LL.M. in Trial Advocacy
• LL.M. in Global Business and Financial Law
• LL.M in International Intellectual Property Law 
• LL.M. in Legal Innovation and Technology
• LL.M. in U.S., International and Transnational Law

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

• LL.M. in Global Business and Financial Law
• LL.M. in Legal Innovation and Technology
• LL.M. in U.S., International and Transnational Law
• LL.M in International Intellectual Property Law (for applied science and information technology professionals with prior approval from the LL.M. program director at Chicago-Kent)

After graduating from the Pre-LL.M stage, SAL Nigeria program (law and non-law majors) students may also choose to continue their studies with the two-year Dual LL.M. & M.B.A. degree program, including M.B.A. in business analytics (STEM).

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

• 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;
• 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;
• 70% tuition waiver for the LL.M;
• No need to take the TOEFL exam;
• Support with obtaining an American student visa.

Program duration:

• Pre-LL.M. — 5 weekends from October to December 2025
• LL.M. in Chicago, USA — 9 months

*During the Pre-LL.M. stage, classes are held twice a month via Zoom, only on Saturdays and Sundays. Sessions will begin at 3:00 PM Nigeria time and last 5–6 hours with breaks.

Who can apply?

• Practicing lawyers, attorneys, judges, and prosecutors, regardless of age
• Bachelor's, Master’s of Law, Doctors of Philosophy in Law
• Law students (4th, 5th year)
• Professionals of non-legal majors (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.

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 (in nearly all the 50 States, including New York and California Bar)
• Start legal practice in the USA upon being licensed by the Bar

Tuition fee for the SAL Nigeria Program for the 2025-2026 academic year is as follows:

• Pre-LL.M - $2,900 (tuition can be divided into two parts)
• LL.M (optional) - *$14,000 (9-month program; 24 credits; tuition can be divided into two or 4 parts)
• or
• Dual LL.M. & M.B.A. (optional) - *$53,570 for two academic years (SAL Nigeria students will pay $13,393 per semester for the Dual LL.M. & M.B.A. program and become eligible for Curricular Practical Training (CPT) employment during their second year of enrollment at Chicago-Kent)

*Paid upon commencement of studies in the USA.

Admission process

All applicants are required to submit the following:

• CV with 1 page of the cover letter (in English)
• Copy of diploma or academic transcript

*Your first and last names in your 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) through the application form on the program’s website (https://salkentlaw.com.ng/apply) or by email hello@salkentlaw.com.ng

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

Deadline – October 6, 2025.

SAL program partners in Africa are: Eagle Altitudes Law Practice, MOU Legal Practitioners.

Details

The School of American Law (SAL Program) is associated with the Chicago-Kent College of Law of the Illinois Institute of Technology (Chicago, USA). SAL successfully functions in different European and Asian countries. The program is based on Chicago-Kent's experience offering American Law studies in Europe since 1998. 

The School of American Law (SAL Program) was established as a special overseas program for Nigeria and Africa in 2025. The program's mission is to help the Nigerian community achieve its potential, providing Nigeria with internationally qualified lawyers.

Chicago-Kent College of Law, part of the Illinois Institute of Technology, is the second-oldest and one of the most prestigious law schools in Illinois. Chicago-Kent’s intellectual property law program is ranked as the ninth (#9) program in the U.S., and its trial advocacy program is ranked as the twelfth-best program in the U.S. by the U.S. News and World Report 2025 rankings.

Chicago-Kent College of Law, a nationally recognized institution and part of the Illinois Institute of Technology, has been accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) since 1936 and has held that accreditation continuously for over 90 years. It is also widely known for its rigorous legal training and commitment to academic and professional excellence.