Swedish Univeristies can not offer LL.M. degrees anymore after a decision of the National Agency of Higher Education. The degrees will now be called "Master of Legal Science".

I am accepted to a Swedish University but I am unsure whether I should go there now..

Does anyone have any idea about the implications of this?

kind regards

Hi Joh,

I do have the same problem. I am a young lawyer from Germany thinking of going to sweden taking part in a master programm. Now I have to answer the question, if it make sense to get the Master of Legal Science.

Right now I think that the Master of Legal Science is not very pupular and that there will be some problems with applying for a job later. Nobody knows what a MLS realy is.

I have read that the Master of Legal Service is designed for graduates in a discipline other than Law who wish to obtain a Law degree for professional practice or in aid of other career goals. That is what the University of Belfast is saying about their programme....Let me know, if you got annything new, please.

Are you looking forward taking part at a Programme in Stockholm starting in January 2011?

Kind Regards

Tim

Hey,

I've consulted some people, among them some of my professors in the Netherlands and the Dutch bar association.

Most of them told me that, however it is a weird decision, there are not so many problems if the content of the program is still the same and on a high level.

I still hope they turn it back though, has somebody more information about this?

I have spoken to another person today who told me quiet the same. She said most important might be the content of the programme. She even told me, that thei MLS might be a higher level than the LL.M. This relates to the fact that the IP Master even deals with patent law.

bear in mind though that with such a qualification you will face a problem of how it is perceived by others. a master of legal science is not as recognisable as an llm, even if the content is the same.

@ Good Gosh

But you can still stay that you have a Master in European Law from a well-known university. You don't have to put LL.M. in your CV per sé for example...

Besides people told me that you can always add information, like a letter we received, which explains the situation.

Anyway, still hoping they change it... no one knows anything about it?

@ Good Gosh

I think your opinion is not wrong. It was mine too till I have spoken to someone who knows the master programmes very well. She told me what I have posted before.

There still will be the question what kind of Master you made. But you even have to bear in mind that there are a lot of different masters you can make with their different abbreviations.As far as I know the rigt abbreviation will be MLS or MLegSc. I do not know if it might be a changing in the bologna process and if the todays LL.M. will turn into MLS or different Masters. Could it be that lots of the master degrees and their abbreviations will change in the future?

It is not an easy decision to answer the question of taking part at a programme like this....

I would worry about the problem that the reputation of swedish programmes may fall to a very low level, because there must be any reason, why they aren't able to provide LL.M. degrees any longer. (Maybe there is a lack of quality ?)

And even if not, then it is a risk for you, because a rumour doesn't care for the content of the programme itself, it just cares for the general gossip.

There are so many other countries offering highly regarded LL.M. programmes, so why do you especially want to go to sweden ? Another disadvantage of going to sweden is, that the first spoken language there is swedish. Therefore i would only go to this country, if i were interested in learning swedish.

Another point is, that i would not ask a professor about doing a program or not - i would ask a lawyer / employer - in the area i'm going to work after my postgraduate studies.

@Floris

Yes, I have to say that you made me laugh so hard that I almost fell from the chair I'm sitting in.
Swedish universities reputation falling because of what??!!??!!
Because of not being able to provide LL.M. degree?What do you think they are doing?Giving away candy instead of a degree?
Where have you met these potential employers that care about rumors more than they care about facts?
Disadvantage of going to Sweden being Swedish language?What do you suggest he should do, learn Swahili?

@Floris

It has nothing to do with the quality of the programs in Sweden. It is just some (weird) decison by the National Agency of Higher Education.

Anyone any news about this?