Hello all,

I have completed my bachelor's from India & I am planning on pursuing an LLM from the UK. I have also received unconditional offers from QMUL, Westminster, Durham, Aberdeen and I am yet to receive offers from Edinburgh and Manchester. Before accepting any offer I wanted to know what are the chances of getting employed in the UK post completion of my Masters?

Thanking you.

Regards.

[Edited by IVD7 on May 15, 2021]

None as a lawyer since you need to sit and pass on the SQE1 and SQE2 exams. Further, SQE requires two years of work experience. Since you are not yet qualified as a lawyer in your country, you probably don’t have the qualifying work experience.

I don’t know if the legal clinics you can attend during the LLM is considered as qualifying work experience, but you might try to make yourself marketable.

However, the new student visa allows international students to remain in UK for 2 years after the graduation. Therefore, you can try another jobs to gain this work experience as you will have the work permit (there are paralegals and other legal side-job, although these jobs are higher competitive).

Check on SRA website for requirements. What I read is bachelor’s, SQE preparation course (some universities offer this as LLM Legal Practice), two years of legal work experience, and application with good standards.

[Edited by csaa26 on May 15, 2021]

I have completed my LLB from India. However I am a fresh graduate and have no relevant word experience. Can I not get training contracts with law firms while pursuing LLM?

You can secure a TC with a law firm in the UK and pursuing an LLM will have no detrimental impact on your TC applications. However, as a non-UK student, you will have to take a conversion course and then sit the SQE 

I have completed my LLB from India. However I am a fresh graduate and have no relevant word experience. Can I not get training contracts with law firms while pursuing LLM?

I think it is not that easy as in US where you finish the LLM, pass the bar exam and land to a job as associate. It seems hard to get a TC even for graduates from UK universities (and you will be competing with them).

Like I said, depends on your goals. I know some qualified lawyers from my country who did the LLM in UK and get a job in auditing, compliance and international areas. Just one is studying for the SQE, and the others left UK. However, they had years of legal experience.

Weight the pros and cons, like work permit to stay in UK for 2 years after the LLM, LLM itself is insignificant to get a TC, improve the CV with the LLM to return to your country, mandatory PGDL/conversion course, SQE courses, possibility to take another jobs in the legal field.

Hi! This is very helpful guys. I have been reading a lot about the SQE. Would I be eligible to give it if I took my Honours in Law from a commonwealth country? I have 2 years PQE and a certificate of practice. I am also an incoming candidate for the LLM program at QMUL.

[Edited by nam31 on May 18, 2021]

Hi
I am currently in my final year of Law School in India. I plan to work in UK. So keeping that in mind, should I pursue an LLM from a UK university or should I do a Conversion course from UK and then sit for the SQE?
I was thinking of doing a conversion course because having done my LLB from India, I am not aware of the law of UK that they ask in SQE1.

None as a lawyer since you need to sit and pass on the SQE1 and SQE2 exams. Further, SQE requires two years of work experience. Since you are not yet qualified as a lawyer in your country, you probably don’t have the qualifying work experience.

I don’t know if the legal clinics you can attend during the LLM is considered as qualifying work experience, but you might try to make yourself marketable.

However, the new student visa allows international students to remain in UK for 2 years after the graduation. Therefore, you can try another jobs to gain this work experience as you will have the work permit (there are paralegals and other legal side-job, although these jobs are higher competitive).

Check on SRA website for requirements. What I read is bachelor’s, SQE preparation course (some universities offer this as LLM Legal Practice), two years of legal work experience, and application with good standards.