I'm a Columbia University graduate student, and I'm contemplating applying to Oxford. I believe, since I have yet to obtain a JD, I would only be eligible for a BA in Law. Oxford has a BA program for students with "senior status" that allows students to complete the degree in three rather than two years. I assume that since I already have two degrees, I would be a perfect fit for senior status. My first question is: does anyone know about this program? Are there any Oxford graduates who went this route or know someone who did?

Also, after the two/three years of law school, are students required to sit for a bar exam? If so, do firms hire post grads while they study of the bar or are you only hired after passing the bar?

I'm also curious how lawyers in private firms are paid in London? Are the median salaries for Oxford graduates similar to those who graduate from Harvard, Yale, or Columbia?

Finally, I am interested in international law, but I want to know if anyone thinks I'm crazy, if accepted, for attending law school in the UK. Does this make sense or would I be more marketable obtaining a JD in the US? I figure if I ever want to practice in the US, I could just obtain an LLM from a US law school.

Thanks,
Jason

You are correct - if you don't already have a law degree then the BA in law with senior status is the best programme for you. I think it is a fairly intense programme, though, but it would be a terrific opportunity.

In the UK, if you have a law degree you need to do an additional course, which is different depending on whether you want to be a barrister (advocate) or solicitor (law firm commercial kind of person) [please excuse generalisations]. Firms do hire students while they study to be solicitors and top chambers of barristers will often give awards that provide you with some funding while you study for the BVC if you take that path.

Private lawyers in London are paid well but not quite at the rate of top New York lawyers (but then they are not expected to do the crippling hours that NY lawyers are either). The US firms in London pay very close to US rates. You can get an idea of the range of rates at www.rollonfriday.com - an excellent resource. (Don't forget to convert pounds into dollars).

In terms of UK v US, it really depends on where you want to practice. To the best of my knowledge, Americans are far more insular than anyone else in the world and you would be much better off with a JD than an Oxford BA + an LLM. That being said, once you have a couple of years experience in London, you will likely be very employable in New York.

If you like the idea of studying at Oxford and working in London then it is a great career choice but if you mainly want to practice in the US then there would not be much point in getting an English degree. If you're not sure, ring the recruitment staff at the big NY firms and talk to them about it.