Hi everyone,

I am a U.S. citizen and plan on obtaining my undergraduate degree in New York. Having always wanted to become a lawyer, and finally considering the real cost of such an education, I would like to seek a different option than a Juris Doctorate.

My plan would be to go to a foreign country and obtain the first degree in law, LLB, or what have you for that appropriate country. This would be so I would be able to travel back to the U.S. and earn an LLM. Only, my issue is whether or not I would be considered foreign, if I would have to obtain citizenship from another country?

According to lsac.org regarding the requirements for applying to a LLM program: "A first degree in law is required for admission to most LLM programs. US-educated applicants must have a JD degree before applying. Internationally educated applicants must have a first degree in law from their country of origin."

I am most likely missing something obvious... my main concern is whether or not I would be able to obtain an LLM, granted I have a first degree in law from another country, despite having an undergraduate degree in America.

I'm open to all answers and/or opinions. Thank you for reading (I apologize if anything is confusing), and for any considerations!

Hi everyone,

I am a U.S. citizen and plan on obtaining my undergraduate degree in New York. Having always wanted to become a lawyer, and finally considering the real cost of such an education, I would like to seek a different option than a Juris Doctorate.

My plan would be to go to a foreign country and obtain the first degree in law, LLB, or what have you for that appropriate country. This would be so I would be able to travel back to the U.S. and earn an LLM. Only, my issue is whether or not I would be considered foreign, if I would have to obtain citizenship from another country?

According to lsac.org regarding the requirements for applying to a LLM program: "A first degree in law is required for admission to most LLM programs. US-educated applicants must have a JD degree before applying. Internationally educated applicants must have a first degree in law from their country of origin."

I am most likely missing something obvious... my main concern is whether or not I would be able to obtain an LLM, granted I have a first degree in law from another country, despite having an undergraduate degree in America.

I'm open to all answers and/or opinions. Thank you for reading (I apologize if anything is confusing), and for any considerations!

Why don't you just do your JD here and travel abroad the summer before you classes begin? It sounds like what you're trying to do is not only financially burdensome but it's also going to take you a lot of time. In any event, a JD is given more weight than an LLM if you ultimately want to end up practicing in the US.