I was interested in applying to some "LLM programs" offered in Université Panthéon-Assas and Panthéon-Sorbonne University in Paris/France but I have seen this post on the LLM Guide forum. Someone who has completed an LLM in France wrote:

"The most important point is that if you do an LLM program ( not formally offered as either a M1 or M2 program), you are not undertaking a recognized master degree program in France or anywhere else. LLM is not a recognized masters degree program in France. Simply put, universities can't award their own degrees under French regulatory framework so some French universities exploited a loophole about terminology to confuse applicants and simply called a certificate program an LLM program. These are supposed to be some of the best law faculties in Europe but play cheap tricks on international students.

When we see the abbreviation LLM, we generally believe this stands for Master of Laws but this is absolutely wrong in France. Some French universities are using questionable practices to confuse applicants by promoting their programs as LLM, as a matter of fact, they are only offering you a certificate which provide a course of study called LLM course--but this is not a master of laws degree. This is like offering you a PhD degree, but instead you're doing just a course we named "PhD something" in order to get you to pay us a hefty sum. Imagine paying 3 euros to buy a mango but the seller gives you an apple he calls mango.

In a nutshell, if they charge around Euro 10,000 - 15,000 or more for an "LLM program" which is not a real masters degree, they should at least correctly inform students in advance that after completing such a program, you don't receive a master degree. If your prior degree is LLB, your highest academic qualification is still an undergraduate LLB degree because the certificate you receive in return for your hard work and 15k tuition is held to be lower than an undergraduate degree. This is a substantial disadvantage compared with genuine, legitimate LLMs offered in other countries.

I hope people who are considering French LLM program should look into this and consider its full implications before making an uninformed decision. If a French university promotes an LLM program, but offers to award you either a M1 or M2--that's legitimate and above-abroad practice. You should jump at this opportunity if you desire to do your graduate studies in Law in France."

Having done further research I can confirm that this is true. For example LL.M. IN EUROPEAN LAW programme offered in Université Panthéon-Assas gives you a Diplôme d’Université and this doesn't constitute a master of laws degree and degrees such as this WILL NOT allow you to pursue a doctorate in the future and needless to say it won't allow you to get a job or qualify as a lawyer in France or in anywhere else. It is a total disaster.

Check out the forum threads here:

https://llm-guide.com/board/europe/beware-of-french-llm-program-they-are-not-real-master-degree-program-195724

https://llm-guide.com/board/europe/ll-m-sorbonne-assas-international-law-school-195720

Links proving that the so called "most prestigious law schools in Europe" are scamming people out of their money. Pathetic:

https://www.pantheonsorbonne.fr/ufr/eds-departement-droit-iec/llm-du/sorbonne-llm-business-law-for-foreign-lawyers/

https://www.u-paris2.fr/fr/formations/offre-de-formation/llm-european-law

I understand the controversy, and by all means I think any university offering an LLM in France should make this clear in all of their advertising and other public-facing information.

However, there are still use cases to do an LLM in France, even if it doesn't award an M1 or an M2. This is kinda what an LLM is, in any case - a 1-year, post-graduate diploma that fills in some gaps in a legal education or potentially opens up new fields of law. Unless a job officially requires a 'master' degree - which, in all honesty I don't see a lot of these - an LLM from, say, the Sorbonne could look really good on a CV.