I am a practising attorney in the US. I am considering taking an LLM course in Australia or NZ, but was wondering what the job market is like after I get the degree and go through the procedures to obtain a license to practise. Is there any demand for US-licensed and experienced lawyers? My background is in general commercial law - corporate and some civil litigation as well (dealing with commercial matters only).

Not sure if you can obtain admission to Australian Jurisdictions. I'm a Solicitor in Sydney and I know of foreign (common law: Ireland, HK, US, UK) lawyers working in Australia. It seems that most of them register as foreign lawyers, not solicitors in Australia (most US laywers in Sydney are not admitted in NSW, but register as foreign attorney). I'm not sure about the procedure requirements. LLM does not qualify you for admission purposes. you need to take basic LLB courses that are not offered in LLMs (Australian LLMs don't take courses with LLBs).

As far as I know, your best shot of getting employment based on your profile is with top teir commercial firms. They're hard to get in unless you have similar top teir experience. Normally US laywers in Sydney work for US law firms in Sydney like Jones Day, Sullivan, Skadden etc. Not many go to Aus top teir firms. And as far as I know, very very few Aus lawyers employ foreign lawyers on a perminent basis.....or at all. Your best shot is speaking to US Law firms operating in Sydney.

To clarify my question: I do believe I can obtain admission to Australian Jurisdictions. From this site and others, it appears you apply to the Council on Legal Education and may need to take classes and jump through some other hoops, but that it can be done, especially with practical experience in a common-law jurisdiction.

I don't necessarily want to work at one of the US firms with an Australian branch practising US law -- I would like to be admitted in AUS and settle there. I suppose my question is whether my US experience would be an enhancement, a detriment, or neutral when looking for jobs.

Personally, i think your experience in the US jurisdiction would be a plus for any prospective employers. However, i think you will need to lower your expecations because the pay you will be receiving as an attorney in Australia will definitely be lower than what you have been receiving in the US.

With that said, i think you would be better off spending the money you intend to spend on an LLM on the various 'hoops' (i.e. additional coursework and/or practical training) you have to jump through to get admitted into Australia. The money would be more well spent that way.

Hope this helps :)

regards
Greg

P.S. there are some Australian universities that will permit you to study these additional coursework you require under the LLM program so you would basically be able to gain admission to Australia and gain a LLM qualification - you will need to make some enquiries and do some research on that though!

Greg,
Thank you very much for your helpful response. Looking at some guides I have seen other people link about the money, I am not sure it will be much less than what I am used to. Attorneys in the Midwest make much less than in the big cities, but our cost of living is also much lower, so it tends to be a wash.
I have also seen a lot about the LLM programs that let you jump through the hoops at the same time.

Would you recommend selecting a university based on the city in which you plan on practising? Obviously, I would like to try for the best I could get into -- I was in top 3% in law school -- but among the top 5 or so is there a big difference?

Hi highway61,

In terms of getting value for money, i am sure you agree that going into the best law schools (rather than your intended practising State) in Australia would be the best option. However, bear in mind that the really elite ones (e.g. Uni of Melbourne etc) would not permit LLM students to incorporate some JD/LLB courses within their study plan.

I would recommend you pick a State which you intend to practise in and then complete your LLM and/or conversion studies there. Personally, I think this is most beneficial because you do not have a full-fledged Australian law degree and it would be best that any conversion studies you undertake is relating to law that is specific to the jurisdiction you are going to practise in. I guess this is the most sensible option. Also, Australia has its own version of 'Ivy League' universities which are within the 'Group of 8'. There is at least one 'Group of 8' University in each Australian State so there is no need for you to specifically travel to another State to attend Law School.

I think you should first decide which part of Australia you would like to settle down in and then send your qualifications to the relevant governing body for assessment. I have heard from my friends in UK and US that the assessment between States may differ so you might want to send your application to more than one State. As far as admission goes, my friend from UK tells me that NSW is the most generous with recognition of prior studies/experience. Thus, if there is a large disparity in assessment results, this might be a reason for you to undertake studies in a State that you do not intend to settle down in. Upon gaining admission there, you can settle for mutual recognition throughout Australia.

Hope this isn't too confusing!

No one in Australia really cares for Australian LLM degrees. Most practicing lawyers just have LLBs. An Australian LLM adds very little value unless you're an academic. One of the reasons being, Australian LLMs aren't very selective even at top schools like USyd, UNSW, UMelb. You only need a 3.0GPA and is not particularly popular with domestic or international students. Those who can, either go to UK/US. Personally, I think it's a waste of time and money.

You may consider doing an MPhil (Law) or LLM (Hon by research) which is more selective and more prestigious, but takes longer (1.5-2 years)

Hello to everyone.
I would like to know if AUS Law firms are interested in any spanish speaking lawyer after doing his LLM in Australia?
Your opinions please......