Hi everyone, I'm hoping to get people's opinions on something. I'm a 2004 top-tier US law school graduate, New York bar, but I've only been doing legal temp work since I graduated. I want to do an LLM in Europe and settle and work there, but I'm nervous about my post-LLM prospects. Does anyone have a sense of how hard it is for US-trained lawyers to get jobs in Europe after an LLM, and which schools provide the best chance? For example, are the top London schools like Oxbridge, LSE or UCL a near-guarantee of at least a training contract, or is it not that easy? Any feedback, however positive or negative, would be welcome. Thanks.

Please take this reply as a candid and helpful answer.
Newly minted US-educated attorneys (i.e., those in New York or DC doing document review or some other first year associate work) are better advised to remain in the US and get substantive legal experience before pursuing an LLM in Europe. If you head off to Europe without the ability to truly practice like a US lawyer, you will at best end up revising contracts drafted by non-native English speakers. It's not a question of ability, just experience. The young American attorney in my firm with European LLM is nowhere near as developed as the lateral we just hired from the US. (She spent fours in Boston doing nothing but domestic ADR). She's actually now heading off with the partner to do the international arbitration that the attorney prepared for the last year. Both are 1999 grads. The other simply never had the opportunity to grow as a lawyer. Finally, you may have a very difficult time returning to the US without sufficiently developed US skills. I would advise to be sure that this is what you want to do. It's a difficult road to take and could lead to even more dissatisfaction.

Hi Deranwalt, thanks for the candor. That's pretty much the impression I'm getting, although I must say that waiting another two years or so before making the move is not an attractive option esp. since I've had a world of trouble finding an associate job in this market. Are you talking about the entire European market? Any chance things are a little easier if someone like me is looking for work in the UK, since it's common law? Maybe wishful thinking. What do you think?

3rd Man, I will email you- soon!

Alexp

I am talking about the continental European legal market. You're correct about England. Your chances of employment (and for much higher pay) are better in London but the competition is also stiffer. I don't want to beat a dead horse but you really need to have good legal experience to also compete in England. (A good school also helps get the interview.) Sorry to be so down of the LLM thing; I just met so many young American lawyers in Europe who are just unhappy after it didn't work out and cannot find a job they want on either side of the pond. Good luck!