Hi guys,
I am an African Lawyer with about 3 years practice experience. I am looking to doing an LL.M at one of the top tier firms in the UK (UCL or LSE) next year but considering the costs, I am concerned as to whether this is a good investment.
Please I would appreciate any advice from anyone as to whether it is easy for African lawyers with UK LLMs to get absorbed into the UK system. Do top-tier firms like Clifford Chance, Norton Rose, etc hire people in my shoes or do they have a preference for people with UK LLBs?
Apart from the Law firms, what is the UK job market like generally for an African lawyer with a good UK LL.M? Is it bright or bleak?
Thanks for your honest contributions.

Btw, my background is in Corporate Finance. If make it to UCL, I intend to take courses like: Legal aspects of International Finance and International & Comparative Secured Transactions.

In Scotland:

http://www.lawscot.org.uk/

Lawyers from non EU jurisdictions wishing to requalify in Scotland should email to janmcalister@lawscot.org.uk for guidance about requirements.

For most foreign lawyers, and for other UK lawyers,
the Qualified
Lawyers Transfer Test remains the main route to re-qualification
as a solicitor in England and Wales.
However, the Law Society in May 2000 implemented
the European Lawyers Establishment Directive. As a result, European
lawyers may re-qualify as a solicitor in England and Wales after three
years of established practice of UK law within the United Kingdom.
See the Law Societys Registered
European Lawyers information pack.
Re-qualification procedures for lawyers outside the jurisdiction
are periodically notified.

Dear C Miller,
Thanks for your post.
However, I already know about the Qualified Lawyers Transfer Test. What I was concerned about is primarily the fact that most City Law firms only hire undergraduates straight from school. For eg. Most LL.B Year 2 students in the UK who want to pursue careers as Solicitors already have training contracts with firms like Norton Rose, White & Case, Clifford Chance, etc - the combined philosophy appears to be - catch them young!
On my part, I did my LL.B in Africa where I made good grades. I also have commercial law practice experience in one of the biggest markets in Africa.
So my question is, if I undertake an LL.M in a top tier UK school like LSE, UCL or Imperial and pass the QLTT - would those give me good prospects of getting into one of the City Firms or would I suffer limitations on account of the fact that:
I. I did not do undergrad education in the U.K.; and
II. I am above entry level and generally older than most of the fresh recruits for these training contracts?

To be honest, what I am truly interested in is some sort of 1-year internship in a big City Firm (sort of like what White & Case in the U.S. does for US schools postgrads from Africa). After the one year, I hope to take such City Firm experience (if I can get it) and UK LLM education back to Africa!
I hope you are able to make some sense out of all this babbling! Thanks.

Is there a UK alternative to this?


How to Apply for the Experience of a Lifetime
Youve worked hard. Excelled academically. Earned the respect and trust of clients and colleagues. Still you dream of more. You imagine yourself working at the cutting edge of law, using its power to transform a company, a person in need, even a nation. You thirst for knowledge, to conquer new challenges, to find answers to complex business and legal issues. Which is why, perhaps at no small sacrifice for you and your family, you made the decision to pursue a LLM, JSD or MCJ at an American law school. And perhaps why you now seek the chance to apply what you have learned to real situations working with experienced, innovative U.S. lawyers at a firm that has been named among the Top Five Global Law Firms three years in a row by Global Counsel 3000. The sort of experience you can gain through White & Cases International Lawyers Program (ILP).


Each year, we invite up to 10 lawyers from around the globe to participate in our nine-month salaried internship, which runs from September to May, and is based in our New York office. You are quickly immersed in the inner workings of our large, highly successful, international law firm and introduced to the substantive aspects of U.S. law. Program participants work under the direct supervision of our lawyers in activities ranging from drafting and negotiating transaction documents to client counseling, litigation, and research. We also encourage ILP participants to contribute to pro bono projects other White & Case lawyers are involved. We emphasize development of practical legal skills and conduct a series of in-house seminars designed to train ILP participants in the basics of the U.S. and international practice of law.

Upon completion of the ILP, most participants resume working for their prior employer or use their new knowledge and skills to explore new opportunities in their home country. The ILP is not designed as an associate recruitment program and rarely leads to full-time or permanent work at White & Case.

Are You Whom Were Looking For
For more than 30 years, weve enjoyed meeting and selecting ILP interns from a large pool of extremely qualified applicants. Admission to the program is highly selective, but the best candidates are those that can answer yes to the following questions:

Have you distinguished yourself academically?
Do you possess a law degree from an accredited institution in your home country?
Have you had substantial legal work experience in your home country?
Will you have completed a LLM, JSD or MCJ program at a U.S. law school by August 31, 2005?
Do you speak, read and write English fluently? Can you demonstrate that fluency during a personal interview and with a writing sample in English?
Your country of origin is also an important factor in our hiring decision, as we strive to choose candidates from a diversity of countries and to vary those countries, represented from year to year. However, we welcome applicants from all countries providing you have the appropriate credentials and work experience.

Interviews are conducted at the invitation of the Firm in February, and we make our selections for the upcoming ILP class in early March.

How To Apply
If you meet our qualifications and possess the talent, ambition, and persistence to deliver excellent results despite often long hours and challenging work, we encourage you to apply for the 2005-2006 International Lawyers Program. Please e-mail your current resume and cover letter to Ms. Tricia Basta at internationallawyersprogram@whitecase.com, or mail to: Tricia Basta Attorney Recruiting and Development Coordinator, White & Case LLP, 1155 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036-2787. Applications are only accepted October 1 through November 26, 2004.

Interviews will be conducted in January 2005, either at one of the annual job fairs sponsored by New York University and Columbia University law schools or at the Firm itself. But regardless of whether you will be attending one of these job fairs, all applications must be received by November 26th. Your academic transcripts and references, along with a writing sample in English, are required in advance of a scheduled interview.

White & Case is proud of all its International Lawyers Program participants. Below are some of the countries and institutions from which our ILP members have been drawn in the past two years:


Countries
Argentina
Brazil
China
Finland
France
Germany
Ghana
India
Indonesia
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Korea
Lebanon
Palestine
Poland
Senegal
Slovakia
South Africa
Switzerland

Hi,

I'm not in a situation to offer sound advice regarding the recruitment policies of London Law firms. Perhaps there are others here who would.

Your question seems more to do with employment than the actuall LL.M which I'm sure you'll have no trouble securing. Perhaps you could find something more helpful elsewhere on the web such as:

http://www.workgateways.com/job-legal.html
http://legal.monster.co.uk/

You could also perhaps consider approaching a recruitment consultancy specialising in employing law professionals to seek their advice.

Best of luck!