Paying it forward

By ricey in Law According to Harvard - Class 2008 on Jul 10, 2007

To Toni: I deliberately patterned my blog title after yours. =) I've been an avid LLM-Guide fan for about a year and a half now, back when going to Harvard was just a dream for me. This site and all the wonderful people in it have been more than helpful in my pursuit of that dream. To the numerous people here whom I bugged for comments on my odds of getting in, for evaluation of my meager credentials, etc. Thank you very much. I see this blog as some sort of a payback to this community. Hopefully, my experiences in HLS will be of some use to those who are interested.

In a nutshell, I went to Harvard because my areas of focus are comparative constitutional law and Internet law and Harvard has the experts in these fields, e.g. Mark Tushnet, Noah Feldman, Frank Michelman, and for Internet Law, there is Yochai Benkler, John Palfrey and Jonathan Zittrain.

Comments

anurag, Sep 06, 2008 17:21

I am in the process to pursue my LL.M from USA in fall 2009. I hve already scored TOEFL ibt with total 98(21+28+22+27). I hve planned to major in corporate law and practice or international trade law or securities and Bankingregulation.I am looking for get seat in top law college with full scholarship along with monthly stipend. I want to kno that whether I wud be able to manage admission as desired by me and my brief profile is as under:

I am a Law Graduate from Kanpur University in India and have over 8 years work experience as a practicing Lawyer at Bar in the Supreme Court of India and High Court of Delhi. Apart from that I have majored in science(B.Sc. Bio) in undergraduate and since then my medium of education has been English throughout till LL.B.

If anything lacking in my CV for which I may be disqualified for taking admission, suggest me whereupon I could improve upon same whereby secure admission.
Another query is about Letter of Recommendations. I am looking for to get recommendation letters as under:
1. From my Law College HOD or College Principal.
2. From Chairman Bar Council Delhi.(State Bar Council which is a statutory body responsible for enrolling the lawyers and monitoring their conducts)
3. From any reputed "Designated Senior Lawyer" by the Supreme court or High Court.
Further query is about my CV.Except in the beginning of my professional career when i worked with a lawyer as his junior, through out i practiced as a lawyer independently and do not possess any good law firm experience. will it affect my prospect ? or should i obtained a law firm experience certificate to enhance my chances?
Last querry is about Personal Statement stating purpose to join law particular law school or an ESSAY to that effect. What should I keep in my mind while writing the same. Any important inclusion which you deem fit and proper to be included

Sissa , Sep 02, 2008 18:27

I would love to have few of my questions responded by one of you. I earned my Law Degree in Brazil back in 1998. Since then I spent a few years studying to become a judge there. In the course of my studies I came to US to visit my family where I ended up getting married and since 2003 I have been living in the US. I attended BU Paralegal Program to become more familiar with the US legal system and started working in the Intellectual Property field. At first as an International Filing paralegal in a very prestigious law firm and after that as a Patent coordinator in a legal department of a Hospital affiliated with Harvard. In total, I have now 3 years of experience and I have been very successful in my career as an IP paralegal. However, I am looking to apply to an LLM program, having HLS and BU as my first choices, and take the bar in NY in order to work with Corporate Intellectual Property.

My questions are:

Is the fact that I never practiced Law in Brazil after graduating from law school will be a problem for me?

Although, not having practiced law in Brazil at a law firm, I have been working with an American client that was willing to open a business in Brazil and to become a citizen in Brazil. I was able to set up his business and I am just about to get his residency granted. Is that a good idea to include these accomplishments in my application as well?

Does the successful professional work experience in the IP field helpful to get me into school?

I will have access to very good references from my current employer - VP General Counsel and head of my department.

I have very small contact with my professors in Brazil but I could try to get a good recommendation letter. Also, I could get a recommendation letter from the director of the BU Paralegal program who had recently been in touch with me as a student. Lastly, a couple of my friends passed in the test and became judges and are eagle to give me recommendations. Is that a good idea?

Thank you very much! I really appreciate your input!

hemera, Aug 08, 2007 23:29

Ricey

I have been following your blog closely for a while now. Till date, the reading was enough. But now that i find myself gearing for LL.M. admissions for the September 2008 intake, i am all questions.

I am sure what i ask next will be questions you already have answered umpteen times before. But i say, once more. :-)
1. What warrants a place at HLS? Is there anything other than luck that does it? Any suggestions would be readily welcome.
2. The SoP is posing a problem. I am unable to draw a line between flowery and forthright. All the samples that i've seen begin with descriptions of the visions that the fathers and mothers instilled into the child's head and how the child continues to carry them forth. Should i create a standard SoP for all the schools that i apply to? How good an idea is to mention the names of school-specific professors whose tutelage i seek? Help!
3. My credentials are good on internships, a first class degree. What else?
4. I love Jurisprudence. I love Corporate. Does HLS provide a meeting ground?

Between i am from India and you write lovely, assuring stuff.

S.Malik

TomÃ¡s, Aug 03, 2007 22:37

Ricey, excellent decission!
I really suppose that part of the experience probably acquired at an LLM is also what we can all share through these messagesâ¦ In fact, your initiative is very useful for us (candidates for LLMÂ´s) and for you as well, for it is as from contact with other people that we grow personally and professionally.
Specifically with regard to your comments, could you please give more details on HLSÂ´ expertise in the Internet field?? IÂ´m seriously thinking of seeking an LLM based on relationship between Law & Technology.
Thank you!
Good luck.
TomÃ¡s.

Scholarshi..., Jul 18, 2007 04:49

Hi Rice! Great idea this blog! Thank you for your time!

Before you start to write about your experience in HLS, could you help me with the first steps?:
1. What things do you think that Havard considers important in order to accept a student? Which of them dou you have? Any advice to give in order to be accepted?
2. Do you know if Harvard grants good scholarships?
3. Surely in a future you could answer me better, but: do you know if it is true that Harvard works a lot in order that their students could find a job after an LLM?? (you know, to give the idea that Harvard students are good and are required by all law firms and companies).

Thank you very mach!

ricey, Jul 17, 2007 19:21

hey Toni - well you're the first person who encouraged me in this board. thanks! I hope to enjoy my stay in HLS. are you pursuing the JSD in Yale?

tmalmine, Jul 16, 2007 21:48

Ricey,

great to see that you're starting a blog! I'm looking forward to hearing your views on legal education at HLS.

Best,

Toni

Nikolas, Jul 10, 2007 21:00

Hi Ricey, great to have someone blogging about the Harvard LLM. As some of you may know from this very old thread (http://www.llm-guide.com/board/4337), I have been there as well ;-). Looking forward to read more about your year in Cambridge! Nikolas