Hi guys, is there anyone who is applying for Northwestern 2 year JD for international lawyers program? I heard from the Admissions Office that the first wave of decisions will be released in early March. I would like to know you if you are also interested in this program!

This is not a program limited to International Students. It is just an accelerated JD program. In fact, only 4% of the students in the current accelerated JD program are not American. So, if you are an international student, please do not think this is just another cake-walk international-student LLM program that qualifies you to take a US bar exam. You still have to take the LSAT or GMAT, which is scandalous because the LSAT is much more difficult than the GMAT.

This is not a program limited to International Students. It is just an accelerated JD program. In fact, only 4% of the students in the current accelerated JD program are not American. So, if you are an international student, please do not think this is just another cake-walk international-student LLM program that qualifies you to take a US bar exam. You still have to take the LSAT or GMAT, which is scandalous because the LSAT is much more difficult than the GMAT.

If you took the LSAT and are applying to the full 3-year JD programs, then kudos to you. You are doing what should be required of any and all people who want to be able to practice law in the USA. American JD holders all have a 4 year Bachelors already before the 3 year JD. So, allowing foreign-trained attorneys with merely an LLB the ability to take a one-year easy LLM program, or even something like this reduced 2 year JD program, then take the Bar is offensive.

If you took the LSAT and are applying to the full 3-year JD programs, then kudos to you. You are doing what should be required of any and all people who want to be able to practice law in the USA. American JD holders all have a 4 year Bachelors already before the 3 year JD. So, allowing foreign-trained attorneys with merely an LLB the ability to take a one-year easy LLM program, or even something like this reduced 2 year JD program, then take the Bar is offensive.

If you took the LSAT and are applying to the full 3-year JD programs, then kudos to you. You are doing what should be required of any and all people who want to be able to practice law in the USA. American JD holders all have a 4 year Bachelors already before the 3 year JD. So, allowing foreign-trained attorneys with merely an LLB the ability to take a one-year easy LLM program, or even something like this reduced 2 year JD program, then take the Bar is offensive.

Why is that offensive? The fact that they are allowed to take the Bar doesnt grant them anything, considering that such foreign-trained lawyers still have to be approved in the Bar Exam. And if they are qualified to do so, even with a *mere LLB and a one-year easy LLM program*, and some American JD holders are not, what is the problem? Dont they take the same test? What I find offensive is that you think that foreign trained attorneys are worse qualified than American ones. And that you express such opinion in a LLM forum mostly visited by foreign trained attorneys.

I never said one system was better than the other. The US Bar Exam tests theory that can be memorized and applied like a history test. If you come from a civil law country, and are educated in that country's "system," how can you expect a one-year LLM program to prepare you for adequate advocacy in a common law system? I would not feel that I could adequately represent clients in Brazil or Germany by simply taking a test. This is my point. By all means, pay the fees and take the test, but I think this website has proven that foreign-trained LLM grads (even from the best schools) have a tough time getting employed in the US.

I never said one system was better than the other. The US Bar Exam tests theory that can be memorized and applied like a history test. If you come from a civil law country, and are educated in that country's "system," how can you expect a one-year LLM program to prepare you for adequate advocacy in a common law system? I would not feel that I could adequately represent clients in Brazil or Germany by simply taking a test. This is my point. By all means, pay the fees and take the test, but I think this website has proven that foreign-trained LLM grads (even from the best schools) have a tough time getting employed in the US.

I think we are getting there. MY point was with the US legal educational training experienced between a USA JD and a foreign-trained attorney with a 1-year LLM. They are not equivalent US Legal training. This is even truer considering the disparity in rigor between JD and LLM programs, even for US JD holders. Period.

For example, if I go to Brazil and take a 1 year LLM program at the U of Sao Paolo, I did not receive the same legal training as someone who completed a full law degree at the same school.

So, while my language may have seemed pejorative, it is in fact accurate when read literally.

Voice.of.Reason's position is well-argumented and I fully agree with him. Furthermore, I did not read his language as pejorative, but simply objective. No US law school will ever admit this, but the LLM program is a cash cow, even Harvard's LLM :))

A LLM has a lot of value in it, for various reasons, however a LLM is not a full degree that would qualify you to think/act/represent/etc within the same jurisdiction. I know cases where LLMs took classes aimed towards the bar exam (contracts, criminal procedure, constitutional law, etc) and guess what, they still failed the bar. But here's the trick - they failed not because they were stupid (quite the contrary, they were very bright), but because they did not fully understand the particulars of the US legal system. Surely, after failure, they admitted this ...

Even though LLMs can/are "encouraged"/might/etc take classes with the JDs, the rigor, as VoR correctly points out, is far from being equal.

It seems that this thread has gone off the track but I'm still wondering if there is anyone applying for NW 2 year JD program.

Mosquito,
You are right. They didn't get your question or may be they aren't informed about the 2 years J.D
tell me. What was your LSAT score? where are you from? have u taken an LSAT prep course?
Thanks for sharing your experience. Also, if you aren't admitted at NW, are u considering getting into a 3 years J.D school?

Mosquito,
You are right. They didn't get your question or may be they aren't informed about the 2 years J.D
tell me. What was your LSAT score? where are you from? have u taken an LSAT prep course?
Thanks for sharing your experience. Also, if you aren't admitted at NW, are u considering getting into a 3 years J.D school?

Mosquito,
Where are you from? Have you received any good news from Northwestern?
Have you tried Kansas state university?

Mosquito,
Where are you from? Have you received any good news from Northwestern?
Have you tried Kansas state university?

Hi, I am also from China and received LLM ad from NU just a couple of weeks ago.
What do you think a 2y JD for foreign lawyer v.s. LLM at the same school? I am struggling whether to take the LSAT before 14fall...any advice?
BTW, have you checked with the school whether the costs for this program is 2/3 of the regular 3y JD or make no difference, like AJD?
Hope to PM you if dont mind.

Mosquito,
Where are you from? Have you received any good news from Northwestern?
Have you tried Kansas state university?

Hi, I'm from China. So far I haven't received my decision from NU. I heard that the decisions on this program will be released in April. I did not apply to Kansas State University because I was sure I would be accepted by some tire 1 law schools and I indeed have got some good news from top 50 and even top 30 law schools' regular JD program. However, as to NU's 2-year JD program, it's really a long shot and I have little confidence to get in.

Hiii

I am Kelly from Brazil, I am unable to decide out of Accelrated JD or LLM?

Please guide me