Hey, I'm about to graduate with a JD from Michigan and I'm giving some thought to getting an LLM in some sort of international law area, albeit probably not for a year or two (I'd like to work first). I had a couple of questions.

First, more generally, if I got some sort of International Law and Development LLM or something similar, is that the kind of thing the State Department or IGO's/NGO's would find impressive, or would I be spending a ton of money for a piece of paper (and of course knowledge) that no one particularly cares about?

The second question is more particular to Australia. For whatever reason I've been thinking about going there to get an LLM, if I do in fact decide to get one. But as I have a ton of debt already and the cost is not cheap, I was thinking about working part-time, just to defray some of the cost. One of the program brochures mentioned that you can get a work visa and work part-time as an international student, but I also understand that as a general matter these things aren't terribly easy to get (then there's the matter of finding a part-time job that gives me flexibility for school and travel). is this feasible? Anyone have any experience with that in Australia?

Thanks

Hi damaniac,

I am unsure if someone has already helped you with your queries privately but here are my thoughts..(and I hope you find them useful).

Amuch as I think advance qualifications are impressive to employers, the reality is that a LLM does not matter to most companies. Personally, I have a JD and will be graduating this year with my LLM and MBA. The latter two qualifications do not enhance my position and/or salary at the commercial law firm I am currently work for - it is more of a self-achievement really.

In terms of studying International Law in Australia, the best university that offers this field would be Australian National University. International Students are allowed to work 21 hours a week and the ability to obtain this visa is relatively easy. However, the availability of legal work would be quite low (as the market is a little saturated) but a part-time job in an administrative role should be relatively easy to find. They should also be decent enough to support your living expenses.

Hope this helps!


Regards
Greg