Hey guys,

I am currently studying law at UTS (in Sydney) in my second year. I plan to finish off my degree and then go to a U.S. university to do an LLM to hopefully end up settling there. I've had a look at different uni criterias and I was wondering about the job prospects for such a course of study in the U.S. Would greatly appreciate a response.

Thanks

You would definitely have higher chances for future employment! In Brussels for example, in some top firms this is a requirement. US schools still are the best ones. You should definitely go for it!

Why is this talk here that US law schools are "the best ones" or that certain law schools are "the best in the world"? To my knowledge, and please correct me about that, US law schools teach US law (some exceptions with respect to EU law and "special interest" like Chinese law etc. to a certain extent). Altough some might be inclined to think, due to the designation of certain events as Worldchampionship (or the like), although they are to a large part purely US events (e.g. Baseball), the law schools are better than those in China, Europe, Japan or whereever, I think I am not entirely false in saying that civil law (as opposed to common law) isn't taught in the US. Furthermore, as people from other common law countries tell me, the US common law is somewhat different from other common law systems.

There are US law schools which are the best in the US, but they are certainly not the best with respect to the rest of the world. In fact, read some articles or listen to professors in the US talking about whatever they think "European law" is about - you will find more than one ridiculous comment or opinion. To the extent that a US law school is active in another country (e.g. NYU) - I don't know about that and am happy to learn.

The reason that law firms in Brussels (or elsewhere outside the US) are keen on people with an LLM is that this way they can be sure about the language skills of the lawyer, his ability to response to and understand US clients and US lawyers or authorities and perhaps generally an ability to adapt to a new environment. And, taking the German example, an LLM from the UK won't hurt.

Thanks for your responses guys.

I was actually wondering about job prospects in the U.S. after an LLM from a US university. I read a couple of posts in forums about American employers not placing too much emphasis on LLM. If that is the case, I'd need to weigh up my options before spending so much money to go to the US with my final aim being to settle there. I know it's very early in my degree to be asking such questions but I thought that it'd be good to be informed about the prospects and possibilities.

Thanks in advance.

Hey, just about the American LLMs, the reason they are not necessarilly as valued to American Employers IN the US is because they are not actually specific graduate programs. An LLM student takes courses from the JD curriculum for one year. So if you were to put it into our terms its like someone doing one year of your undergraduate degree and getting a masters degree for it. In most other countries LLM courses are actually different and taught at graduate level, which is why they are given more weight by employers in their own countries. An LLM from a US Law School means more to people outside of the US for this reason also because people assume it is taught same way as other LLMs. That is not to say that an American LLM is in any way inferior by the way, so please don't post vilifying me.
There are some firms in New York that have LLM placement programs (I think Cleary Gottlieb?) but they generally only recruit those who are already qualified lawyers in their home jurisdictions and who have gone to Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Columbia or NYU.
If you are serious about wanting to practice in the US, your best bet is to actually try and get onto the JD program (can do accelerated JD 2yrs if already have law degree from common law country). Some schools (Columbia and Chicago I think) in exceptional circumstances allow the very best LLM students to transfer to the JD after the LLM year, but again only in exceptional circumstances.
I thought I wanted to work in the US so did two internships there and actually found I absolutely hated it! I was even doing classes for the LSAT exam (the most ridiculous test on the planet by the way: which one of the following is the most wrong???? which of the following is the most correct????)
I would recommend trying to get summer internships in US law firms or institutions (some District Courts allow foreign students to do externships with their judges, I did one in LA) just to see whats its like before making any final decisions.

Thanks for your reply irishguy23...it helped a great deal. Just one question though; for one to study a JD (as per most uni sites) preference is given to those who already study for an LLM at that university...so in other words, does an LLM have to be done before one can be considered for a JD? because, if so, it sounds pretty complicated and time consuming.

No, in fact in most las schools if you have an LLM from an American Law School you will be automatically barred from applying for the JD. Basically, there are three things to distill from my post:

1) If you want to do an LLM in a US school, be prepared for the fact that it is not as valued by US law firms as a JD, because as previously mentioned it is the equivalent of taking one year of the JD and no post-JD/Graduate level courses. Some firms take on people for specialised LLM placements, but generally only in New York, only people who are lready qualified in their home jurisdiction and only those people who have gone to a top five sometimes top three LLM program/Law School.

2) Some, though very very few law schools will allow law students to transfer to the JD program after the LLM year (I think Columbia and Chicago) if the person has exceptional grades etc.

3) If you're intention is to actually settle and practice in the US, you should seriously consider applying for the JD rather than the LLM. You do not need an LLM to apply for the JD directly. If you have a law degree from a common law jurisdiction, then you can apply for an accelerated JD (2 yrs instead of the usual 3) at some schools e.g. Harvard. In order to apply for a JD you must have taken the LSAT exam, and for top schools have scored somewhere between 165 and 180 out of a possible 180, have spectacular grades on your undergraduate degree and have an incredibly soppy I'm so fantastic personal statement about why you want to study law in the US and at that particular school and how helping people saving the world an bringing democracy and freedom to all has been a life long ambition. Lots of extracurricular stuff will help too. If for instance you single handedly negotiated peace somewhere while drafting a constitution and helping underprivileged children then you're so in.