Hi,

I am interested in feminist legal theory, criminal and constitutional law, and have received offers from UMich (55000 USD), NYU (15000 USD) and Columbia (no funding, have applied for reconsideration). I would like to know:

1. Realistically, how often does Columbia give funding after reconsideration?
2. Given my interest, which of these schools make the most sense? Although I might be able to afford Columbia, it will be v financially extractive. I'm also not sure if I will get a corplaw job after my LLM, given that I don't have work experience in it and I am an international student. However, Columbia is v prestigious in my home country.
3. In terms of opportunities after LLM, including funded grants/fellowships, how do these schools rank?
4. Would pursuing an LLM from Columbia give any significant advantages over and above pursuing an LLM from UMich?

Thanks in advance!

Columbia is more prestigious.  Last year, a friend received funding from NYU and some other schools but didn’t receive any funds from Columbia. Upon applying for reconsideration, Columbia offered her funds that matched NYU’s award.

Depending on how you package yourself and sell your story, you may be able to get job from Big Law post LLM from Columbia.  I have seen this happen (although not so common) with some past Columbia LLM attendees who worked in non-corporate law related fields before LLM.

I hope this helps.



 

Hi,



I am interested in feminist legal theory, criminal and constitutional law, and have received offers from UMich (55000 USD), NYU (15000 USD) and Columbia (no funding, have applied for reconsideration). I would like to know:



1. Realistically, how often does Columbia give funding after reconsideration?

2. Given my interest, which of these schools make the most sense? Although I might be able to afford Columbia, it will be v financially extractive. I'm also not sure if I will get a corplaw job after my LLM, given that I don't have work experience in it and I am an international student. However, Columbia is v prestigious in my home country.

3. In terms of opportunities after LLM, including funded grants/fellowships, how do these schools rank?

4. Would pursuing an LLM from Columbia give any significant advantages over and above pursuing an LLM from UMich?



Thanks in advance!

[Edited by Okanich on Mar 21, 2022]

Have you done your research in terms of which professors are available at each institution? Prof. MacKinnon, at Umich, is one of the best in your field of interest: https://michigan.law.umich.edu/faculty-and-scholarship/our-faculty/catharine-mackinnon

Given the amount of money involved, Umich would be a no brainer for me (as it was when I was an LLM student years ago and they offered me more money than any other school). 

I turned down Columbia, NYU, UPenn, Cambridge, and Georgetown for Umich because of $$$. I still managed to get a job in the US afterwards, and have been an attorney in a big law firm for years now. Your lack of pre-LLM job experience will hurt your chances of getting a job way more than your choice of T-14 law school.  

thank you so much for your response. Yes, Catherine MacKinnon is at UMich although she's a radical feminist, and my work belongs to a different philosophy. I should have clarified, I will have 3 years' work experience, just not biglaw work experience. I'm not sure how that's looked upon by firms. 



At NYU I am keen to work with Melissa Murray, Vasuki Nesiah, and Kevin Davis, at Michigan, Christine Chimkin, Victoria McCaskey Burton-Harris, and Margo Schlanger, and at Columbia I want to explore working with Katherine Frank, Suzanne Goldberg, and Kendall Thomas.
Would it make a difference if I'm willing to have some work experience before I go on to pursue a PhD? And if I want to pursue a PhD in the UK, would it make a difference which school I pursue my LLM at? 

I've applied for scholarship reconsideration too, really hope they offer something!!

Columbia is more prestigious.  Last year, a friend received funding from NYU and some other schools but didn’t receive any funds from Columbia. Upon applying for reconsideration, Columbia offered her funds that matched NYU’s award.

Depending on how you package yourself and sell your story, you may be able to get job from Big Law post LLM from Columbia.  I have seen this happen (although not so common) with some past Columbia LLM attendees who worked in non-corporate law related fields before LLM.

I hope this helps.



 

Hi,



I am interested in feminist legal theory, criminal and constitutional law, and have received offers from UMich (55000 USD), NYU (15000 USD) and Columbia (no funding, have applied for reconsideration). I would like to know:



1. Realistically, how often does Columbia give funding after reconsideration?

2. Given my interest, which of these schools make the most sense? Although I might be able to afford Columbia, it will be v financially extractive. I'm also not sure if I will get a corplaw job after my LLM, given that I don't have work experience in it and I am an international student. However, Columbia is v prestigious in my home country.

3. In terms of opportunities after LLM, including funded grants/fellowships, how do these schools rank?

4. Would pursuing an LLM from Columbia give any significant advantages over and above pursuing an LLM from UMich?



Thanks in advance!

thank you so much for your response. Yes, Catherine MacKinnon is at UMich although she's a radical feminist, and my work belongs to a different philosophy. I should have clarified, I will have 3 years' work experience, just not biglaw work experience. I'm not sure how that's looked upon by firms. 



At NYU I am keen to work with Melissa Murray, Vasuki Nesiah, and Kevin Davis, at Michigan, Christine Chimkin, Victoria McCaskey Burton-Harris, and Margo Schlanger, and at Columbia I want to explore working with Katherine Frank, Suzanne Goldberg, and Kendall Thomas.
Would it make a difference if I'm willing to have some work experience before I go on to pursue a PhD? And if I want to pursue a PhD in the UK, would it make a difference which school I pursue my LLM at? 

thank you so much for your response. Yes, Catherine MacKinnon is at UMich although she's a radical feminist, and my work belongs to a different philosophy. I should have clarified, I will have 3 years' work experience, just not biglaw work experience. I'm not sure how that's looked upon by firms. 



At NYU I am keen to work with Melissa Murray, Vasuki Nesiah, and Kevin Davis, at Michigan, Christine Chimkin, Victoria McCaskey Burton-Harris, and Margo Schlanger, and at Columbia I want to explore working with Katherine Frank, Suzanne Goldberg, and Kendall Thomas.
Would it make a difference if I'm willing to have some work experience before I go on to pursue a PhD? And if I want to pursue a PhD in the UK, would it make a difference which school I pursue my LLM at? 

Isn't UMich the best in the exact areas of interest you have mentioned? You have the highest scholarship from there as well. Seems like a straightforward answer to me. 

Sure you'd be able to decide based on the right factors. All the best!

[Edited by lawki on Mar 22, 2022]

Have you done your research in terms of which professors are available at each institution? Prof. MacKinnon, at Umich, is one of the best in your field of interest: https://michigan.law.umich.edu/faculty-and-scholarship/our-faculty/catharine-mackinnon

Given the amount of money involved, Umich would be a no brainer for me (as it was when I was an LLM student years ago and they offered me more money than any other school). 

I turned down Columbia, NYU, UPenn, Cambridge, and Georgetown for Umich because of $$$. I still managed to get a job in the US afterwards, and have been an attorney in a big law firm for years now. Your lack of pre-LLM job experience will hurt your chances of getting a job way more than your choice of T-14 law school.  

[Edited by Sherlocked on Mar 22, 2022]

Have you done your research in terms of which professors are available at each institution? Prof. MacKinnon, at Umich, is one of the best in your field of interest: https://michigan.law.umich.edu/faculty-and-scholarship/our-faculty/catharine-mackinnon

Given the amount of money involved, Umich would be a no brainer for me (as it was when I was an LLM student years ago and they offered me more money than any other school). 

I turned down Columbia, NYU, UPenn, Cambridge, and Georgetown for Umich because of $$$. I still managed to get a job in the US afterwards, and have been an attorney in a big law firm for years now. Your lack of pre-LLM job experience will hurt your chances of getting a job way more than your choice of T-14 law school.  

OMG! I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO EXPLAIN THIS TO PEOPLE SINCE THE LAST HALF A MILLION YEARS. But people are so brand obsessed in today's day that they rarely tend to look beyond and actually evaluate which school is a better fit. 

I understand LLM is also a brand/prestige enhancement endeavour from one perspective, but people expend too much time, money and mental peace in fretting about not having the bigger brand than actually enjoying the experience at a school that could be better for them. A good part of it is due to herd mentality as people see their peers/seniors going to 'XYZ' school and want to "match them". Another is the myth that 'ABC' school leads to better jobs. As you said, once at a T14, leveraging prior work experience is way more important than which brand you have. We love all the theories around LLMs but not ready to accept facts such as these. 

Thanks for putting it out here and I hope people will appreciate this advice, coming from a successful professional.