Hello everyone,

My problem is one that many U.S. LL.M.s have: what happens after graduation, if one needs to remain in the U.S.? I have to build a career in this country because my husbands profession keeps us here. I could not find enough useful answers on the Internet, so I am turning to this forum.

Here is my background:

- I graduated from law school in 2004, from top university in native Romania (2004), where I am also a lawyer. Practiced law there for about 6 months.
- I am also an LL.M. graduate (2007) from a top 40 U.S. Law Schools (so the school is fair, but not impressive). I did not consider a JD, due to financial reasons (boy, I wish I had!).
- After graduation I interned for one summer for a federal appellate judge. He is considered a very important judge in his circuit, but unfortunately this did not help me boost my career afterwards.
- This year (2008) I passed the NY bar exam and I will likely be sworn into the legal profession this fall.

Ever since I graduated as an LL.M., I have struggled to find a position, with absolutely no luck (starting from associate positions in NY and New England law firms, to paralegal and legal secretary). I am on an F2 dependent visa, so that is another big drawback. It is close to impossible to convince a law firm to hire you and support you in getting a working visa (which is rarely offered to people acting in the legal profession). Most of my LL.M. fellows either returned to their countries, or pursued JDs, MBAs, or yet another LL.M. (why would you do that again !?!).

Ideally, I am seeking a position as an associate in any size law firm (large, medium or small) whose practice would be in corporate matters (e.g., business transactions), civil matters, or IP (trademarks and copyright). I have a certificate in IP from the LL.M. program. However, I do not have a technical background, which I know is a problem in the U.S., even when you are not interested in patents.

The geographical areas I am mainly interested in are NY (now that I passed the bar), the Boston Providence area and Connecticut. It is quite possible that we will move to California (Bay Area) next year, due to my husbands professional development. If that happens, then I will have to sit for the CA bar exam as well.

To make a long story short, I have the feeling that unless you have a good connection, or you are a JD benefitting from the many recruiting programs that law schools offer, you have minimal chances of succeeding.

Any suggestions? What am I missing? I vaguely considered an MBA, but would that really help? Any other career re-orientation advice? If one eventually wants to hire you, how do you prove the embassy that no other American citizen in suitable for that position? Does anyone have a similar experience with mine, but with a happy ending? My spirits are very low after almost 2 unsuccessful years! Not only that I did not enhance my skills, but I feel that I am losing them. Not to mention the gap in the resume!

Your opinions would be greatly appreciated and I think many other people could benefit from your good advice too. Thank you!

Congratulations on getting through the NY Bar exam. that is a big achievement. Since your husband is already here in USA, you have no visa problems. The Bar enrolment will increase your employability manifolds;
alterantive suggestions : (a) instead of looking for jobs in US Law firms, you may start your own law practice in USA;
(b) you may also consider joining a law school as an Adjunct Faculty
(c) a few schools have "Faculty Fellowship" programs of one year which increases chances of a candidate to be accepted in law schools as full time faculty.

(d) there are several other options; nothing to feel dejected.

Thank you very much for your suggestions. To be honest, I have never really considered academia (I have always been eager to use my advocacy skills outside the law school). However, I must thank you for reminding me about this option, because I have completely ignored it lately.

There is actually a huge visa problem. I'm on an F2, which is a dependent visa (my husband is on F1 as a PhD.) This means that I am not allowed to do any paid /self-employed activity in the U.S. To be able to get a working visa, the employer and I would have to convince the U.S. embassy that my employer could not find a U.S. citizen/ perm. resident qualifying for the position that I applied for. This process is seldomly successful in the legal field (i.e., you don't get the working visa), because there are plenty of good, qualifying lawyers in the U.S. Therefore, employers are not eager to spend so much time, effort and money to help you get your visa.

I feel really sad for you, it must be hard not to be able to practice in the country of your choice.
I'm myself thinking of going to the US, and want to work there permanently. Having this in mind I started looking for a school program that will suit my needs. I've been searching for a long time, and finally think that the llm/JD of Northwestern U is the best one. You should consider entering a program like this one or a JD program (some law school take into account the LLM already taken and allow you to get directly into the second year or third, which means less money to spend) and apply for a green card. These are the best and most realistic alternatives.
You can also try to find a firm where people coming from your country work or are owners, by this I mean that you should put forward your advantages which are proficiency in 2 law cultures. Look for firms (small) that work alot with civil law countries.
I dont know if this helps but I think you should keep on looking and not give up !
I wish you the best of luck :)