Hi,

I am an Indonesian currently studying in the best law school in Indonesia (3rd semester). I am going to represent Indonesia in International Law Moot Court Competition in March 2007 in Hong Kong held by ICRC. I am planning after my graduation to study master of laws in international business in US. After that, work in US Law Firm. What do you think? Is foreign law firm needs foreign fresh grad who do not have JD but have LLM? or Is it better to take 2 year LLB after my graduation?

Thank you. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Hi! In my opinion, you should definately work for at least 2 years in an ILF. It makes you a better LL.M applicant, allows for more benefit from LL.M program and makes your chances for further employment higher. Indeed, LL.M is designed as advance studies program and requires some understanding of the practical aspect of law. Again, 2-3 y of experience would give you much more chances during admission, except for Yale, probably (I'm not discussing 2nd tier law schools here).

Good like on the Moot.
V

Hi,I am an Indonesian currently studying in the best law school in Indonesia (3rd semester). I am going to represent Indonesia in International Law Moot Court Competition in March 2007 in Hong Kong held by ICRC. I am planning after my graduation to study master of laws in international business in US. After that, work in US Law Firm. What do you think? Is foreign law firm needs foreign fresh grad who do not have JD but have LLM? or Is it better to take 2 year LLB after my graduation?Thank you. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Hi! In my opinion, you should definately work for at least 2 years in an ILF. It makes you a better LL.M applicant, allows for more benefit from LL.M program and makes your chances for further employment higher. Indeed, LL.M is designed as advance studies program and requires some understanding of the practical aspect of law. Again, 2-3 y of experience would give you much more chances during admission, except for Yale, probably (I'm not discussing 2nd tier law schools here).

Good like on the Moot.
V

Hmm... maybe... not first 30-40, but first 20-30, but you get the idea :)

I think that he might try. If he does not get in the "place of his dreams" :))) - he might try another year.

A costly exercise, by the way.... 4 schools costed me around $1,200 (time not included))). A factor to be considered when "trying"))).

I think that he might try. If he does not get in the "place of his dreams" :))) - he might try another year.

A costly exercise, by the way.... 4 schools costed me around $1,200 (time not included))). A factor to be considered when "trying"))).

:) look into the future and not current expenses. Besides... you could have saved... say 100$ a month in the prior year for about 12 months. Not too much I guess. Especially for current ILF employee ;)

Thank you for your replies...

May I know what is ILF stands for?

Thank you for your replies...

May I know what is ILF stands for?

i don't have an opinion. all i can relate is my own experience. with a UK LLB (2.1) from a good (old) UK uni i was accepted into an LLM program at a top 30-40 US law school within the top tier i.e., top 50. even with the LLB and LLM and fluency in 2 western EU languages, i was unable to land a job in either the US,UK, or EU. so i did another 2 yrs and obtained the JD (graduated in the top 1/3). i was still unable to land a job in even a half decent law firm in the US or UK, so i worked for a small US firm in a nondescript US state for 2 yrs doing mostly civil litigation, during which time i clocked up bar admissions to now 3 US states (incl. NY and CAL) as well as England & Wales. I'm now a quadruple qualified lawyer (3 US states and the UK), with three law degrees (LLB, LLM & JD), 2 EU languages, and a few years experience (albeit at a small irrelevant firm).

i have never earned over $30,000/yr and am still unable to find a better job. Recruiters in the US have told me to forget ever working for even a medium sized city firm in the US, and that my chances of getting a jop as any type of half decent l paid awyer in the UK or EU are virtually nil.

like i said, not an opinion, just my subjective experience.

Getting a job in the US is also a product of networking, legwork and self-marketing. An LLM from Harvard, Yale, Stanford, NYU or Columbia, or language skills, or significant prior experience, etc., all help but you are never tied to these.

Also, the job market in 2001-2003 is probably very different from the one next year.

Thank you for the replies. Btw, Is there any law school (LLM) in US that offer internship programme in law firm? and I am planning to work for 1 or 2 years before going back to Indonesia. Is finding permanent job in US has the same difficulties in finding internship programme?

I don't think any law school has that kind of arrangement. You will have difficulty because very few US firms have business in Indonesia, and I don't think any of them have offices there. Thus, you would have to give them a good reason why they would shoulder training you for one to two years when they could hire someone else with a more ambiguous exit plan.

It's not impossible, but you have to have a clear plan.

Is there any 2 year USA Juris Doctor or 2 year UK Bachelor of Laws programme for Indonesian law grads?

Thank u...

Thank you for the replies. Btw, Is there any law school (LLM) in US that offer internship programme in law firm? and I am planning to work for 1 or 2 years before going back to Indonesia. Is finding permanent job in US has the same difficulties in finding internship programme?