1. Well, it can't be right to turn down HLS just because it has a big name.

2. HLS (or we say Harvard) has a big name not due to those trust-fund babies but its reputable faculty, enormous resources and the most important, its smart students.

3. It could be true that HLS is not ranked NO.1 in any field or aspect, but, just keep in mind it is almost always ranked in top5 in any area.

4. To get admission to HLS is always not easy. If there is really something you can only pursue from somewhere out of HLS, you should go without any hesitation. But why you apply for HLS now that it cannot give you what you want?

5. An llm program won't help you too...oo much just within 9 months, even it is in HLS, YLS, SLS, CLS or NYU. The key is, particularly for those foreign applicants, is the experience. For SJD or JSD program, you may draw a different conclusion. But here, we are talking a short term llm program.

To: gar33

I am in a similar situation as you and I made the same decision.

For those foreign students on the board who chose HLS I wish you the best of luck. Just bear in mind that the program is not geared toward Americans. If you want to work in the US you should be going for a JD (to practice) or SJD (for teaching purposes only).
If you are from another country and want the experience Harvard (or any top 5) is suited for you well. By the way, the highest employment rates and salaries in the US come from NYU and Columbia, not Harvard. Yet, that may be different in your own particular country. Good luck all

I agree with coco. You just need to look at threads related to work opportunities in the US with a LLM to realize that the brand name Harvard is not all important to get a job. Employers are rather looking for the top students who obtainted awards and distinctions, which is why RA positions and scholarships are highly sought after. Of course it is true that the money might be reimbursed quite quickly, but this implies that you actually land a job at a top law firm, which is far from easy if you do not have a JD.

I believe that even back at home employers are more interested in students getting distinctions like scholarships and RA positions than just a brand name university

It is my understanding that if one wants to work for a law firm, harvard is the best choice. Coco, were did you get your information from? The Leiter ranking suggests something different.
http://www.calvin.edu/admin/csr/students/sullivan/law/results.htm
Also, the people I consulted suggested that Harvard is the obvious choice if one wants to practice law. And actually Harvard (and Chicago) is one of the only schools that allows LL.M students to participate in the on-campus job interviews. I emailed a guy on the board who turned down the Hauser last year and he told me that at this stage already 50% of his fellow students had obtained a job offer.
However, things are less straight forward if one wants to be in academia, which is my case. Than, what matters the most are the people you want to learn from. And of course the possibilities for continuing academic research. Also, especially in academia prices and scholarships count a lot. However, I added up the pro's and con's and decided to go for Harvard. After all, it all comes down to your own capacities and it won't be of crucial importance where you obtained your degree. A Harvard law degree without any publications won't get your far. But neither will a NYU scholarship in such a scenario. So my main consideration was which environment would offer me the best opportunities for personal development.

Hi Mila,

I think coco got the information from here http://www.ilrg.com/schools/salary/

Harvard seems like a good choice for you.
What people on this board are trying to say is that among American JD's and big firm partners Harvard is not as impressive as it is for overseas interests.

It is obvious that NY pays the highest and has the most job opportunities as it is a major hub for international and American business. Most NY firms perfer to hire NY graduates (mainly JD's). Just check out the top US fims rosters on their websites - nearly all are from NY based law schools.

If you are going for purely academic reasons and plan to work overseas, then your choice is a good one.

"go for Harvard"

with all due respect your post seems a bit fishy. "I just talked to 10 lawyers and 3 partners". That's a bit over the top my friend. If you want to go Harvard then go, but there is no need for outlandish claims. 10 lawyers and 3 partners would never say something so ridiculous. It all depends where you want to work and what you want to study. If you want to stay in the US get a JD from a tier 1 school. If you want big $$ you should work in New York, in which case NYU and Columbia are without a doubt your picks. As another poster mentioned earlier, just go to the websites of all the top US firms and check out where they all went to law school - that is concrete evidence. If you want to teach or work in government/policy making or the judiciary then perhaps Harvard and Yale are the way to go.