Wondering if anyone is doing an LLM by reserach, a MPhil, MRes, MLitt, or any other research degree.

How do these compare to the LLM for a career as an academic or public servant?

Are they good for people who like writing essays and articles more than sitting exams?

Cheers ~

Broadly I would recommend a research degree if you are going to be an academic and a taught programme if you are going to be a practitioner.

However, if you totally enthusiastic about some area of law that has practical relevance, and intend to practice in that field later, then specialising in that subject as a research LLM, MPhil or PhD could help in practice-this is particularly true if the field you are interested in is very complex-for example pensions law, tax or my field competition law (there are quite a few competition law PhDs in private practice).

If you do decide you want to do a research degree and intend to practice later I would recommend ensuring you keep in touch with practice-make links with practitioners in your chosen field-get them interested in your research project-perhaps arrange the odd internship whilst doing the research degree with a view to then going on to a firm to specialise in that field after.

My word of warning if you are going to take that route is that you really have to be sure you like the subject.

Dr. Alan Riley
Director LLM Programme
City Law School, London.