Hi all.

I'm currently a second year LLB student from Hasselt University, Belgium.
You probably won't know the university or the programme. That's because it's brand new. It's joinly organised by the KULeuven, Hasselt University and Maastricht University, the latter being a Dutch university, the other two are Belgian.

I'm very interested in pursuing an LLM degree in the UK after I graduate in Belgium, and I would like to ask your opinions about which programmes could be suitable for me.

Here's a short version of my resume:

- Finished my first and (very likely) my second year magna cum laude ( > 77.5%).

- For this summer I've been admitted to LSE Summer School. (course on International law)

- Last year I was delegation leader for the Harvard World Model United Nations in The Hague.

- I'm a member of the board in a Ltd Company.

- I was a founding member and member of the board in a "student corporation" (don't really know an English term for it) that organises debates and lectures and invites various politicians, businessmen, etc.. to our university to speak about contemporary subjects.

- I did an internship in law firm last summer.

As things are now, I'll be pursuing an LLM Degree in general International and European law or International and European business/trade law.

Since I'm not very familiar with the workings and the criteria which UK universities use, I would like to ask you all: which programmes would be good for me and, evenly important, are realistic options for me.

Thanks in advance !

LL.M. programs are quite diverse both in terms of their offerings and their students, even in the U.K., and you should be sure to do your research on them. You're in a good position to apply, as you are doing well in your LL.B. I don't think the relative obscurity of your current program will be a hindrance to you, especially in light of the other important aspects of your qualifications (and, I hope, your application) which you have listed.

Make sure to get organized now, to submit your application early with a good explanation not just of your qualifications but, importantly, of why you want to do an LL.M. (and, at that, that particular LL.M. program), and, last, make sure to apply to a diverse list of programs you would be happy attending.

Certainly, take a wide view of programs and their locations, and you will surely find a great program to attend. Hopefully this will not be the case for you, but, in my experience, the reference letters were the most important part of the application, though getting them written was also the most frustrating part of it. Again, make sure to start early. As for the programs which would be a good fit for you, it's a bit difficult to say. Take a shot at Oxbridge, LSE, UCL and others. Those are difficult for any applicant, but it seems that you might have the marks to be successful if you put together a good application. Applying can't hurt. Make sure to look at so-called "lower-ranked" programs as well, as everyone must. Again, from my own experience, by the time September ended, I had developed a list of 4 or 5 programs which I felt were pretty likely "admits" for me. They were not my top choices, but I would have attended and would likely have had a great year. While I never applied because I was admitted to another program, ILF Institute for Law and Finance in Frankfurt was on my list, and, given the recession, may have actually worked out better for me because a mandatory part of that program is an internship, which proved difficult to get back home. Of course, I could have hated it, too. That's also possible, but, at the time, it was a really exciting opportunity, and I'm sure I would have made the most of it, as I ultimately did in London.

The programs are really diverse, as I say. And, while it's difficult to give an opinion with any accuracy about how admissions teams will view your particular application, hopefully it is still helpful to say that your LL.B. program, even if brand new, will not be an enormous problem for you and that you should be able to research a list of great programs that will give you a really good chance of success.

Last, about "student corporation": I'm American (and the U.K. may be different), but I think it would be "student government" here. I mention it because it's obviously something you would want to include on your applications.

Good luck!

P. Martini

Thanks for the comment !

Oxbridge really would be my dream (especially Cambridge), but I was wondering in how far they accept people with "just" an LLB, since it seems that (at least here in Belgium) the few people who go to Oxbridge/Harvard/Yale/etc... do it when they already have obtained a Belgian master's degree and even then they spend the year there mostly to work on their Ph.D.

But I don't really want to wait for either of those two.
I hope that won't ruin my chances of succes..

Oxbridge really would be my dream (especially Cambridge), but I was wondering in how far they accept people with "just" an LLB, since it seems that (at least here in Belgium) the few people who go to Oxbridge/Harvard/Yale/etc... do it when they already have obtained a Belgian master's degree and even then they spend the year there mostly to work on their Ph.D.

Hi! seems like you have rather good achievements already, way to go!
At the same time, I don't quite understand why you want to study European law in a common law country? I mean, you might find courses with visiting lecturers from the Continent or english professors who teach european continental law, but by this you are not taking advantages of the curriculum that offers subjects based on common law.

P_Martini's comment is one of the most accurate and true comments I've read on llm-guide so far. It absolutely hits the bull's eye: Grades are the most important factor for nearly all LL.M.-programs, especially in the UK. There are always people who try to tell you that a good statement can make up any bad marks - ignore them. It's simply not true.
That is not to say that a good personal statement etc. isn't necessary, but please be aware of the fact that for most programmes, your grade will be the first and often decisive point of your application that an admissions office will take a look at.

Hello Baziel,

If you want to do a LLM in the UK, you should first get a Master degree in Belgium. All my friends (and myself too) were required to get a Master degree (5 years of studies).

You should also think about the fact that to be qualified as a lawyer in Belgian, you need to have a Master degree. I do not think that you will be admitted at the Bar after 3 years of studies. Thus you should start applying when you will be at Master 1st year.

As far as your resume is concerned, it seems to be very good :-) Magna cum laude qualifies for Oxbridge, but you must get magna cum laude almost each year.

Good luck!

Thanks for the comments and for pointing out that I'll still need a master's degree before I can apply.
I guess the UK will have to wait then :-)