Hi,

Am a law student i Norway and am thinking of an LL.M in the US fall 2006. Have a few questions and will do them all at once and hope i will get at least some answers and insight.

I know that if I get an LL.M I'm eligible to sit for the NY bar exam, but does anyone know what the rules are for Massachusets? haven't been able to find it anywhere. What about Connecticut?

Have also read on this board that with a foreign law degree and LL.M it can be difficult to get a job. I'm asking the people who have experience if that is because of their education which is not sufficient or because of all the hassle concerning Visa/Green Card and immigration? I am an American Citizen, will that help me at all?

Regarding the question above I have also contemplated going for a JD to better my position in the job market, but another three years of law school doesn't really appeal to me as I will have done 5 by next summer. Have read somewhere that some law schools offer a two-year JD for foreign trained lawyers who are finished. Does anyone know which schools?

That was it for now. Sorry about the blank post, pushed the wrong button.

As far as I know Northwestern (Chicago) offers a 2 year JD program for foreign trained lawyers. Just take a look on their brochure that can be downloaded from their website.

Good look for your applications

hi guys.......
Can any one tell which UNiversities offer the 2 year JD program for international lawyers, besides Northwestern and does it have the same weightage as the 3 yr JD?

Well, the University of Kansas also has a two year JD program for foreign law graduates. OP, because you are a US citizen, you have the absolute right to live and work in the US, even if you lived in Norway your entire life. If you are serious about practicing law and living in the US permanently, I strongly recommend that you get a JD as opposed to an LL.M. With an LL.M you can only take the bar exam in a few states (California and New York included) whereas with a JD you can take the bar exam in all 50 states. Also, you ability to find a job will be much improved. A two year JD from Northwestern is only one year longer than an LL.M program and, in my opinion, a much better credential. There also many schools, including my alma mater, the University of Texas at Austin, that will allow you to earn the JD in two and a half years if you attend summer school. That is what I did.

Thanx richard....that is very helpfull.
by the way, iam an indian citizen and a qualified lawyer currently practising in Mumbai, India and am definitely positive about staying in the US indefinitely.
Were u not working part time then? Because i will try to work and pay off my living and miscellaneous expenses as it will be a very expensive affair, no doubt.
How did u manage to finish your program in 2 half years....In that case, do you get a fee waiver for the half year?
Also, wud u recommend the 2 yr JD for a foreign lawyer as i hav heard that employers prefer full 3 yr JD to 2 yr JDs

Lakshya,

In my opinion, a JD is a JD, 2 or 3 year, especially from a highly ranked school like Northwestern. I could be wrong, and there may be some employers who might want a 3 year JD over a 2 year JD, but it is definitely something to consider given the fact that law school with living expenses can cost 40K to 50K per year.

If you study in the US on a student visa you can only work on campus no more than 20 hours per week during the school session, which makes it hard to work for a law firm part-time to make a decent salary. During the summer months you might be able to work for a law firm full-time.

I guess the question I have for you is how do you plan to remain in the US after you receive your JD or LL.M? After you graduate you can get a work visa for 1 year. After that you will need to get another work visa via a law firm that is willing to sponsor you or be eligible to receive a green card, which is not that easy. If you were a nurse, you could hired by a US hospital tomorrow, obtain a work visa and be working in the US as a nurse in a month. Because there is not a shortage of lawyers as there is nurses, it is not easy to get a long term work visa as a lawyer.

Did you know that because you are a licensed attorney you are eligible to take the California bar exam without any further legal education. I was talking to a lawyer in a similar situation as yours. He is a lawyer in Europe (civil law education, not common law like you) who wanted to move to California. This lawyer, although eligible to take the California Bar, decided to get an LL.M in California (he recieved a substantial scholarship for the LL.M). While in school he was going to try to find a job. If the LL.M was not going to get him a job, only then would he consider applying for a JD.

I graduated in 2 1/2 years by attending summer school between year 1 and 2, and year 2 and 3. I had to pay tuition for the 2 sessions of summer school I attended, but not the last semester. As such, tuition ended up at the same cost, but I was able to save on a semester of living expenses and become a lawyer 6 months earlier. Good luck.