DPhil in Law.

Great so you are leading the way here too..

What are you going to chose though.. Cantab PhD or Oxon DPhil..?

BTW... Congratulations..

Leaning toward Oxford because of the supervisor I have there, but it might come down to funding.

I'm getting nervous.......

BCL folks, I would try to relax.

I did the BCL in 2006-2007. As I recall, I didn't receive my offer letter (which had academic conditions, since I hadn't graduated) until mid-March (I think around the 20th).

There is still plenty of time! Maybe try not focusing on it so much. I know that might sound impossible, but it is so pointless to stress every day when there is still plenty of time until decisions are likely to be made.

Good luck to everybody!

I did the BCL in 2006-2007. As I recall, I didn't receive my offer letter (which had academic conditions, since I hadn't graduated) until mid-March (I think around the 20th).

I would go back and do it again.

For a few reasons: having the name Oxford (and my college) on my resume transformed it, in both the UK and the US (the two countries I would consider living and working in); the courses I took and the quality of discussion (Oxford has a particular expertise in my field); and the social experience (Oxford, and my college in particular, has a very vibrant social and extracurricular scene).

This is not to say I didn't have criticisms: sometimes I found the substance of the courses a little narrow and parochial; and by the end the bubble-like quality of the town became just too much for me.

As regards other stellar programs, I'm sure the Cambridge LLM is terrific. My reason for not going to Cambridge was its relative lack of expertise in my subject area and what I perceived - and still perceive to be - a different in the prestige of the two degrees. I wouldn't get incredibly hung up over that, but it does exist. After my BCL I did an LLM at Harvard. I would say the contrast between those two programmes was much bigger; and I would urge someone to think a good deal about what they want before choosing a UK v. US LLM.

Hope that helps!

SpecialK - could you please elaborate these differences between HLS and Ox?

Thanks alot!

Sure.

One warning though: everything I have to say about either course is to some degree a generalisation, to which there will inevitably be exceptions (e.g. one course is generally more academic (I'm sure one can find equivalent courses at the other institution which indicate otherwise) etc etc). That said, I think the general conclusions stand. And they are:

Oxford is more academic, by which I mean more demanding in terms of analytical and theoretical sophistication. This is true both of class discussion (because all of the students have First Class Law degrees already, as opposed to American JD students who are sill on their first law degree) and submissions/exams. In my view this makes the BCL a genuine "Masters" degree whereas the Harvard LLM is more 1/3 of a JD. One can of course mitigate for that by making the LLM as academic as possible (writing a thesis for example) but the difference remains.

Harvard is more demanding in terms of time. One is required to attend more classes, submit more (usually small) pieces of work etc etc.

Both have excellent social scenes. They differ in an important respect: whereas at Oxford you will very likely be mixing with students from all manner of disciplines (this is because the focus of ones social life is typically at the college) at Harvard it takes quite a bit of effort to meet non-law students (because the focus is the law school).

Harvard has much more money. This is important for a few reasons. First, it means that it is better resourced: better computers, printers, bigger library (although this never actually affected me). Second, there are numerous opportunities either to travel, or to work abroad after graduation. This applies particularly to those interested in certain fields e.g. human rights. During my year at Harvard I got to travel to the other end of the world through a clinical program), and was offered the chance (which I didn't pursue) to apply for year-long fully funded fellowships for human rights work after graduation.

If you don't have a degree from a common law jurisdiction (I do) only the LLM (from Harvard, or anywhere else in the US) will allow you to work in New York. The BCL is not a pre-requisite for any particular route. That said, it is looked on very highly by the English bar.

One final, rather amorphous point. At Harvard you are very much institutionally at the bottom of the tree. JD's are - quite understandably - the primary focus of the law school. I hadn't realised until I got there how much one would be able to sense this. Most American students generally don't know what an LLM is. And the teaching staff - with some notable exceptions - are focused primarily on JD's. Things are very different at Oxford. The BCL is to some extent a jewel in the crown of Oxford Law. It is a chance for Professors to mix with bright, legally educated students and so they take it seriously. One also senses that the degree and its students attract some respect. That may sound rather silly but I don't think it is. One can sense it all the time, and it makes a difference.

Anyway, I'll stop prattling on!

Thank you, Specialk, for the insightful explanation. This is very helpful. Your experience at Oxford sounds much like my friend's experience in the LLM program at Yale Law School. Another friend earned his LLM at Harvard and hated the program. Different experiences, different perspectives.

As a lawyer in the US, I do not know anyone who completed the BCL or the LLM at Cambridge. However, I know that their respective reputations are viewed very highly in the US....especially within academia.

Specialk and LawyerinUSA,
you have been putting out some insightful points.

Would you mind elaborating the Yale LLM experience (as percieved by anyone in your circles).. How different from or similar is it to the Harvard/Cambridge LLM or Oxford BCL ?

Would you mind elaborating the Yale LLM experience (as percieved by anyone in your circles).. How different from or similar is it to the Harvard/Cambridge LLM or Oxford BCL ?

..

Turns out my only condition is that I graduate.

Thats great...

Congratulations on the unconditional condition..

Thanks. It takes so much stress out of the next 6 months of my life.