Well the Harvard application for 2014 is open, so guys I think it is time to open a separate topic. Harvard is my personal first choice (ok ok I am shure I am not the only one :P ) and I would like to hear from other people that will apply. Maybe we can help each other and talk with our potential future colleagues . So , who is applying ? Where are you from? Ah and feel free to ask me anything about the process. I have been preparing for a while now and maybe I can help.

Dear Friend,

Hope you are doing well. I am going to apply to Harvard too.

I am from Venezuela and my professional qualifications are the following:

J.D. from the Universidad Metropolitana;
Diploma in Regulatory Law from the Universidad Metropolitana; and
Specialization in Corporate Law from the Universidad Metropolitana.

Also, I teach Corporate Law, since March, 2012; at the Universidad Metropolitana.

I work in an international law firm with an office in Caracas since last November.

Regarding the application process I want to ask you some questions:

1. How do you feel about the application?
2. What do you think is the most important aspect when the Law School reviewing applications?

Finally, I just wanted to wish you good luck and hopefully we can by part of Harvard class for next year.

Regards,

Hi!

I think that the focus will be on the personal statement. As far as i could find out they analyze it very carefully. Especially career goals etc. As far as I have heard it is especially important to connect your previous work to your future work. For you that would mean that you describe how the llm would improve your scientific career. For someone who has not a scientific background it would be smarter to explain how he will use the llm for a career as lawyer, judge, or what ever future career would be logical for his background.

Do you have a JD or a PhD? That is a big difference in the USA

Hi all,

Thanks for opening the thread. It was about time!!!

Well, Victor's profile is obviously excelent, from what I have researched from past HLS candidates, I can attest that you have very good changes on getting in.

My profile is similar to yours, as I am also a law professor and I am also doing some corporate work.

Any other Law schools you are interested in?

Regards,
H

My options are Harvard,Yale and Columbia. If I am rejected by all three then I will apply next year to NYU and Berkly. I am still occupied with my PhD thesis so that one year sooner or later will not interrupt my plans. Where are you from? I am from Croatia.

Colleagues,

Hope you are doing well. Regarding your previous query I have a Law Degree from Venezuela equivalent to a J.D..

I am going to apply to several universities including: (i) Columbia; (ii) NYU; (iii) Chicago; (iv) Northwestern; (iv) Gorgetown; (v) BU and (vi) Texas.

As you may imagine, considering I am from Venezuela, my practices concentrates, mostly, on Oil & Gas matters, including regulatory framework, corporate transactions and international arbitration. I have some recognizable work since most of the major players in the Venezuelan natural resources industries are our clients.

In this connection, I am looking for internationally recognized Schools with a strong background on corporate and international investment matters.

If you have any comment or recommendation let me know.

Regards,

Except that I would chose NW over Chicago because of the slightly stronger international reputation I think that your choices are good. I am sure that if your grades are good and you have strong recommendations that you will be accepted at least at one of your top 4 choices..

Colleagues,

Hope you are doing well. Regarding your previous query I have a Law Degree from Venezuela equivalent to a J.D..

I am going to apply to several universities including: (i) Columbia; (ii) NYU; (iii) Chicago; (iv) Northwestern; (iv) Gorgetown; (v) BU and (vi) Texas.

As you may imagine, considering I am from Venezuela, my practices concentrates, mostly, on Oil & Gas matters, including regulatory framework, corporate transactions and international arbitration. I have some recognizable work since most of the major players in the Venezuelan natural resources industries are our clients.

In this connection, I am looking for internationally recognized Schools with a strong background on corporate and international investment matters.

If you have any comment or recommendation let me know.

Regards,

I haven't considered Yale because I think it dosen't fit with my profile. Although, I have an academic vein, which I intend to continue practicing, my future is oriented into private practice.

In this regard, I think that the universities that I inted to apply are more suitable for my interests.

Hello there!

I am also applying to HLS, and I wish everyone good luck!

I live in Turkey, and just graduated, currently working as a legal trainee in my family's law firm.

How many recommendation letters will you be sending? Do you think sending TOEFL records a bit late would seriously effect my chances?

Thanks and hope to see you all there!

Dear friend,

Hope you are doing well. I am going to send 3 LOR. All my recomendors are former students of Harvard.

Regarding your query about the TOEFL I can't give you an accurate answer.

Dear friend,

Hope you are doing well. I am going to send 3 LOR. All my recomendors are former students of Harvard.

Regarding your query about the TOEFL I can't give you an accurate answer.

All former LL.M. students.

If they are all in relevant positions in your home country that should be fine, if you think you can get a letter from someone in a higher position who has no LLM, than you should consider him

They are international partners of one of the leading law firms world wide and recognized, by several publications, as top lawyers in Venezuela and Latin America.

They are international partners of one of the leading law firms world wide and recognized, by several publications, as top lawyers in Venezuela and Latin America.

Any of you guys Fulbright scholars?

H.

Hi everybody, first of all I must say this discussion discussion is extremely interesting.
Like many people here, I am dreaming of taking an LL.M. at a very well known U.S. law school like Harvard.

Right now, this is my situation:

1) I graduated cum laude from the Catholic University of Milan
2) I wrote an article
3) I spent time researching in the U.S. at the Wake Forest University and took their summer program.
4) I am going to work as a legal intern in the NYC office of a big American law firm from 3 to 5 months beginning November 18.
5) I will very soon apply for a Ph.D. at the University of Bologna which is a good law school like the one I took for my Laurea in Giurisrpudenza (J.D. equivalent).

My worst weakness is the TOEFL, I got 99 (27 25 22 25).
Should I take it again? I am not sure if I'd get a better score, may be slightly better. I was thinking to wait and take it right after the NYC internship.

Do you think I have no chance to get accepted this year?

Honestly, I think you could have a chance this year but your chance will be much better after you include some of the mentioned elements in your CV next year. I am in a quite similar situation and therefore I ve decided to apply this year just to my first choice(s) (Harvard and maybe Yale and Columbia) and if I get rejected this year it will be at least easier next year to apply but this way I ll have far less stress than if I would have to chose and accept a offer.

That's exactly what I was thinking. Experiencing the application process could be useful next year.

I have a question though. Are there law school where you can apply just once?