I was thinking of completing an LL.M from the UOL (External Programme) and later seeing if I could pass the bar in either NY or CA, but thought why not see about physically studying in the U.K. and seek employment there after graduation.

My question is how likely is it for an American LL.M graduate from a U.K. university to find employment amongst a host of British and EU citizens competing for the same jobs? Would it increase my chances for employment if I take an additional year of study to complete the LPC course and become a U.K. solictor?

This is quite difficult to answer in the abstract - as usual, everything depends on your background (i.e., where did you do your law degree, what result did you get, what law firms would you like to work for etc.). You should also not forget that it wouldn't be sufficient to just take the Legal Practice Course to qualify in the UK; rather, you would need to find a training contract with a firm of solicitors as admission to practice as a solicitor only occurs upon completion of a two year period working in a law firm as a trainee solicitor.

Thank you Leo! You were able to answer my question, after all ;-). It would be hard to go through a LPC course and then not get a training contract in the U.K., which would mean I would have studied for something I can't neccesarily use there or in the U.S.