Hi.

How to choose the LLM Program? What factor do you consider besides tuition and financial assistance? I´m asking this because I believe that a small student/professor ration, for example, is important. The smaller, the more acessible is the professor (I expect).

What are the best sources of information? The U.S. News rankings? Better use the specialized programs rankings (as ADRs) or the general? Or e-mail professors of the area of interest to find one that fits with my academic interests?

I´m asking this because I read that Duke, i.e., is wonderful, but it didn´t appears in the Specialti ranks of International Law and Dispute Resolution.

Thanks for your help.

Gonzalo,
From Brazil

No one?

I think how you choose an LLM program is somewhat a personal choice. I would say that narrowing down which schools to apply to based on what schools offer the specialty you are interested in. If they do not offer the classes in the specialty you are interested in then you are probably not going to get as much out of your LL.M. Beyond that I think there are a lot of factors you might want to take into account based on what you value. You mentioned professor accessibility as something that is important to you, so I would definitely look at what schools are going to give you the type of environment you want. I would caution against using the student to faculty ratio as a measure of accessibility because there are many highly ranked law schools that have really good student to faculty ratios, but their faculty are anything, but accessible. I would try to talk to current students at the schools and see what types of interactions they have with professors at their school. Professor accessibility is a very important factor for me personally, but some students are not as concerned with this. Other factors you might want to consider are: (1) the location of the school because it can affect not only your quality of life, but also the types of internships you can get while getting your LL.M. and where the school can help you get jobs after graduation, (2) the types of jobs the alums from the program have and whether they are the same types of jobs you are interested in, (3) the reputation of the school both in the U.S., but also in your own country if you intend to go back to your own country, and (4) whether they have a number of classes listed in their course catalog that interest you. This is by no means a comprehensive list of the factors you can consider in choosing an LL.M. program, but they may help you narrow down your choices.


Lastly, since you mentioned Dispute Resolution and professor accessibility in your post, I would suggest that you look into Pepperdine University as an option for your LL.M. They offer an LL.M. in Dispute Resolution, and not only has it been ranked #1 in Dispute Resolution for seven consecutive years, but it has also been ranked #1 in professor accessibility for the last 3 years. I admit I am a little biased though, since I am getting my J.D. there, but I can honestly say that you would find it virtually impossible to find a school where the professors are more accessible. I would go there for my LL.M., but sadly they do not have one in my area of interest. But for anyone interested in Dispute Resolution, it is a school you should definitely take the time to look at.

Thank you very much. Best whishes on your carrer. :)

You're welcome. Good luck with your decision!