After finishing my first year of an LLB, I decided I wanted to come to the states to practice law preferably New York. I got advised by several lawyers, law schools and recruitment agents that a JD was much more of an asset to have instead of a foreign LLB/and US LLM. I know New York is one of the few states that allows foreign graduates to sit the bar but have been told a much better use of my time was to come here and earn a JD instead of an LLB/LLM. The only other way I got told of having any chance of getting hired in the US legal field if I wasn't going to earn a JD, was to finish a foreign LLB but earn four years experience at a big foreign firm. What are your thoughts on this?

It seems that you have been given good advice. If you actually want to work as a lawyer in the USA, get a JD. The exception (only) might be if you practice tax law.

About your only chance of getting a job in the US is you go to a top-ranked (T14 or better) law school for your LLM. The legal market in the US is terrible even for JDs and far worse for LLMs. Tax is the really only bright spot and you need to go to one of the top 2 schools even in that field.

About your only chance of getting a job in the US is you go to a top-ranked (T14 or better) law school for your LLM. The legal market in the US is terrible even for JDs and far worse for LLMs. Tax is the really only bright spot and you need to go to one of the top 2 schools even in that field.

That is why I went to a top 3 school for my LLM. It does improve my odds. Not all jobs are for overseas offices (non-US). There are about 30-40% that are looking for help in the US.

Another option is to take a position with a good multinational firm outside the US and then try transfer internally once you've proven yourself. I've seen that as an option as well.

My original point being, if you aren't going to a top school, basically no chance at all. Same goes for the JDs as well. There are jobs out there but the best/highest paying ones usually go to the top schools unless you happen to be in a school that is strong regionally. It would likely be better to say, attend a school near the region you want to work in as only a few schools truly have national reach.

About your only chance of getting a job in the US is you go to a top-ranked (T14 or better) law school for your LLM. The legal market in the US is terrible even for JDs and far worse for LLMs. Tax is the really only bright spot and you need to go to one of the top 2 schools even in that field.

LLM is a myth. Most jobs oferred in the LLM job fair are for branch offices by firms in home country of the applicant. There are just a dozen NYC based jobs for international students.

If you want to work in the US you need
1. either a JD from a good law school, or
2. LLM from top 3 and personal contacts

Stanford

Stanford. Stanford is very well connected with all the tech companies. Of course if you go to Columbia people will take you seriously as well.

Of course a LLM in Tax from NYU is the other one that would help greatly.

Again look at it somewhat regionally as well as I mentioned. NYU, Harvard, Yale & Columbia will have a very strong presence in NYC and the surrounding area and have good national reach. Stanford is obviously strong on the West Coast of the US and has national reach. Schools like Georgetown are very well connected in the Washington DC area. If you want to work in Texas, going to UT Austin will improve your odds there.

It is hard to go wrong with the top 5. I went with the top 3 option as it fit my plans better and they had strong programs in the area I wanted to specialize in.

BTW: This old thread still hits the nail on its head quite well:

Foreign lawyer in the US? You don't need an LLM.
http://www.llm-guide.com/board/5074

The job scenario for foreign lawyers was already bleak pre-crisis and has become much worse since.

Stanford. Stanford is very well connected with all the tech companies. Of course if you go to Columbia people will take you seriously as well.

Of course a LLM in Tax from NYU is the other one that would help greatly.

Again look at it somewhat regionally as well as I mentioned. NYU, Harvard, Yale & Columbia will have a very strong presence in NYC and the surrounding area and have good national reach. Stanford is obviously strong on the West Coast of the US and has national reach. Schools like Georgetown are very well connected in the Washington DC area. If you want to work in Texas, going to UT Austin will improve your odds there.

It is hard to go wrong with the top 5. I went with the top 3 option as it fit my plans better and they had strong programs in the area I wanted to specialize in.

I read the old thread. It isn't easy to pass the California bar. I realize a LLM will never replace a JD but at the same time, the US needs the diversity and more and more firms are realizing that as well.

Part of the entire LLM process is also making connections while at school, becoming involved with the alumni network, and more. That is something merely passing the bar won't give you. I realize that even going to one the top schools isn't going to guarantee I have a job but it does improve the odds of my CV actually getting looked at.

I have a significant of experience in my home country and also with several large international companies and have successfully litigated courses in very high profile venues. My hope is that if my resume coming with a "top 3" stamp on it won't just go to the bottom of the pile and they'll actually take the time to see accomplishments and the potential value I can bring to their firm/company.

I always have plan "B" as well. That would be to try and go into private practice.