Hi everyone

I am about to turn down my LLM offers after speaking to the careers people at a couple of good universities who have said the chances of getting work in the US after an LLM is negligible (even in times of economic growth).

I am now looking at doing a JD instead so I have a couple of questions:

1) Is a two year JD considered as good as a three year one (from a comparable law school)?

2) In an average year (not a horrendous recession year) how likley is a practising UK lawyer to find work in the US after taking a JD?

Any thoughts greatly appreciated.

To answer your questions, your JD is as valuable whether it is 2 or 3 years. The difference might come from what schools you received your degree from. Getting you 2 year JD from Northwestern for example would definitely open doors for you into top law firms easily...

Thank you for your response. I am only considering the Northwestern JD because other universities offering a 2 yr JD are Tier 3 or 4. I'm currently trying to ascertain whether UTexas will allow me to convert an LLM into the first year of a JD because I have my heart set on going there. How do you think a JD from UTexas, Boston Uni or George Washington fare in the job Market?

Those 3 schools are great schools. I would say that UTexas probably has the best prospects of the 3 nationally, followed by Boston Univ and then George Washington. If I had such option, I'll be going to Texas without thinking twice. I live in Houston Texas so I know Texas grads are perceived very well here..

Thanks again for the advice.

I got some welcome news from the Dean of the University of Texas Law School so I'm hoping to spend 3 years in Austin now!

As I am only studying law in the US to make me more employable there I am hoping the global economy picks up in the next few years as $50k on an LLM was a comfortable amount to spend but, on realising the LLM is not a guaranteed employment door-opener, $150K is a HUGE investment if I still can't get an H1B sponsor in 3 years' time. Hopefully 3 years in Texas will take the edge off my English accent so I won't sound so 'foreign'!

I've been to Houston, Austin, Kemah, Fort Worth and Dallas on my travels and, if I end up spending the rest of my life there, I'll be very happy.