Hi there,

I'm currently finishing my last year of my undergraduate degree in the university of california system in the US.
I'm taking a year out to consider my law school options and get ready to apply, etc., but I'm wondering whether--if I don't get into my first choice law school here in the states--it'd be worth coming back to england to do an LLM instead of a J.D. (I'd want to go to LSE if I were to come back)

I lived in england for 10 years prior to moving here, and I'm trying to research what my career opportunities would be after graduating with an LLM from LSE would be (given that I haven't completed a J.D. here). I understand that in CA and NY, it is possible to take the bar exam without having a J.D. and I was curious as to whether anyone here has any more information on the subject.

Also, how likely is it that someone without a J.D. get accepted to LSE's LLM program? I've gathered from their website that they prefer US students already acquire a law degree, but that they make special allowances for capable students.

Any thoughts, comments or advice would be greatly appreciated. :)

Cheers,

Kiran.

Unless you have legal experience (or related experience in banking, financial services, possibly international relations etc), you are unlikely to get on a good UK LLM programme without a law degree.

If you want to practice in the US, a JD is always better than an LLM from a foreign country. I've found that even if one passes the NY bar, it's very difficult to get a position without having a JD or at least a US LLM (there was recently another thread on this forum dealing with that issue).

I know two people that graduated from undergrad and attended law school in Boston. They both took the MA bar upon graduation and they both got jobs right away. One of them actually got the best offer in Dubai and moved. You might want to consider working in a foreign country because many times the opportunities are better as a younger person in the legal field.