I have a UK LLB (2.1/top20%) from a good UK uni., an LLM and a JD from a first tier US law school (3.24/top40%), and have passed the bar first time round w/out bar bri or any other course (I did self study) in 3 US states (incl. CAL and NY), as well as England & Wales (solicitor via qualified lawyers' transfer test). I graduated w/ my JD from US law school in 2002 and have been working for a solo practitioner for the past 4 years in a small rural US town doing mostly commercial litigation and some corporate transactional work. I am a UK citizen and speak 2 EU languages with relative fluency.

Cannot find a decent job in the US, UK or EU (I'm not too fussy where) to save my life!

Am considering doing another LLM, but this time back in the UK - am thinking EU law at LSE, UCL or King's.

Is this a good way of changing practice area and moving to a firm which specializes in this type of work? Would concentrate in EU competition law with a view to working for a firm in London or Brussels, or perhaps for one of the institutions of the EU.

Is it my age? I'm 34.

Cannot figure out what it is - I don't desire 100K per year, but am having a hard time making ends meet on $30,000 per year, which I earn now after 4 yrs and with all these qualifications.

Anyone else been in the same hole and dug themselves out of it? I'm thinking a UK LLM is the way to do it.

I have a UK LLB (2.1/top20%) from a good UK uni., an LLM and a JD from a first tier US law school (3.24/top40%), and have passed the bar first time round w/out bar bri or any other course (I did self study) in 3 US states (incl. CAL and NY), as well as England & Wales (solicitor via qualified lawyers' transfer test). I graduated w/ my JD from US law school in 2002 and have been working for a solo practitioner for the past 4 years in a small rural US town doing mostly commercial litigation and some corporate transactional work. I am a UK citizen and speak 2 EU languages with relative fluency.

I know European LLMs who simply considered taking the New York Bar and joining the New York branch of a Magic Circle firm. Freshfields, for example, picked up a number of LLMs this year for New York.

I have a UK LLB (2.1/top20%) from a good UK uni., an LLM and a JD from a first tier US law school (3.24/top40%), and have passed the bar first time round w/out bar bri or any other course (I did self study) in 3 US states (incl. CAL and NY), as well as England & Wales (solicitor via qualified lawyers' transfer test). I graduated w/ my JD from US law school in 2002 and have been working for a solo practitioner for the past 4 years in a small rural US town doing mostly commercial litigation and some corporate transactional work. I am a UK citizen and speak 2 EU languages with relative fluency.

Cannot find a decent job in the US, UK or EU (I'm not too fussy where) to save my life!

Am considering doing another LLM, but this time back in the UK - am thinking EU law at LSE, UCL or King's.

Is this a good way of changing practice area and moving to a firm which specializes in this type of work? Would concentrate in EU competition law with a view to working for a firm in London or Brussels, or perhaps for one of the institutions of the EU.

Is it my age? I'm 34.

Cannot figure out what it is - I don't desire 100K per year, but am having a hard time making ends meet on $30,000 per year, which I earn now after 4 yrs and with all these qualifications.

Anyone else been in the same hole and dug themselves out of it? I'm thinking a UK LLM is the way to do it.

Why weird?

During my second semester I had about 11 on campus interviews, most with firms from NYC and LA (LeBoeuf, Brobeck, Allen & Overy etc). I'd made about 100 + applications. Out of 11 on campus interviews I got 2 callbacks and 0 offers, and that was that.

My problem now is that having graduated in the class of 2002 (a difficult employment market that year) with no offer, I had to take the first thing going. Out of desparation (to pay bills etc), I accepted a job working for a solo in a rural area. I continued to look for work during this time, but to no avail.

The response I'm getting from firms now that the market has picked up since '02 is that while they have no problem with my academics, they won't hire me because I don't have the right experience. catch 22?

I'm thinking an LLM in EU/competition law in the UK might give me an edge to get an entry level position in a firm with a significant competition and EU regulatory (or dispute resolution) practice? I am worried about my age - having done all this legal education with little hands-on experience to show for it, as well as the ever growing debt which I'm am close to defaulting on and won't be able to ever pay off if I go work a normal job.

Applications are pointless. They're from the only way to get jobs.