Hello everybody,
Nice postings.
A few questions.
1) A 3 year LLB grad from a common law system qualifies to take NY bar. Does a 3 year LLB student from India ( a commonwealth country having a law system based on British Common Law ) qualify to take the NY bar?
2) Withh 1 year US LLM and a 3 year LLB degree, how many other states allow to take the bar besides NY and CA?
Thanks a lot.

hi nandita,

this is good info about LLM students. i am a law graduate from india and have a work-ex of three yeras. now planning to do masters. what is my position in the job market,

hi nandita,

I am planning to join Washington college of law soon to do my LLm, so I am really worried about job-prospectus and stuff.

Really sorry to disturb u, but since u seem to have a better view about the position of jobs for Indian LLM students in USA.., so I request you to answer these:

1. If JD students can get a job without passing their BAR Exam, why is it difficult for LLm studnets to get a job (eitehr be it legal associate, para-legal, reasearch -assistant)?????

2. Also I dont get one thing: I presume that not all JD or LLM students pass tehir Bar Exam, but still they end up getting some jobs in law-firms???? and most of these students prepare for tehir BAr Exam while they are working in Law-firms....So I would liek to know as to what kind of legal jobs do tehy get into and their salary and stuff????

3. Is it difficult to get into mediocre-law firm or small-law firm ....coz atleast I am not expecting big-gains out of my LLM degree...but a legal-aassociate job in a small-firm would also do??

4. Also what are the important areas of laws that the firms would look for???

so these r my major queries...if anybody has answers to this..plz do post it.......i am sure it would be helpul to many otehr students...

Hi Nandita, this is Joey from NUJS Calcutta. I am in the final year of law school, and placed in the top tenpercent of my class, with a number of good internships. However, I have a question. I am applying for a number of llm courses this year namely, LSE, UC Berkley etc. My area of interest is International Business Law /International Economic Law.
However most of the US Law School grad forms keep referring to past employment experience. Now, I will be graduating in 2006. Do you suggest that I get a years work experience before applying or try directly. Moreover, I intend to work abroad for a few years before returning. Would that be tough?
Do let me know
Regards
Joey

From what I know about foreign students who have their basic law degree from their respective countries and are now pursuing LLM at US law schools:
They face tough problems finding a job after the completion of their LLMs because most US law firms do not recognize anyone without a JD from US law schools and the career centers at most law schools do not allow these foreign LLMs to participate in on-campus interviews.
In addition, many of the states in the US do not allow foreign LLMs without an American JD to sit for the bar exam.
(But I have also heard that some of the states including NY, MA and CA allow foreign LLMs to sit for their bar exams)

I also have my own question:
What about somone who is a citizen of a different country (in my case, India) but wants to get a JD from a US law school?

(1). What are his/her chances in getting a job at the end of the JD program? (I am talking about ALL types of job - conventional big/mid-size/small US law firms, public organizations in US - American or International, I understand that due to citizenship requirements such a person will be ineligible for any job positions in the US Federal or State Govt)
(2). And also will there be any restrictions on him/her being eligible to sit for bar exam in any of the states?

Thanks and will appreciate any helpful response...

ps: I am not sure if you guys have read this article but this is the abstract of the article by a Northwestern Law Professor Carole Silver - http://www.law.northwestern.edu/faculty/fulltime/silver/documents/case_foreign_lawyer.pdf

While I cannot locate the full article on the web, i have read the whole 40-something page long article and the conclusion of the author is that - if you are a foreign LLM (a term she defines as - someone who is not a US citizen and whose primary law degree is from a university outside US and is now pursuing his/her LLM in a US law school), you do not have much hope of getting a job after the completion of your LLM. In fact, most law schools in US treat foreign LLMs as another source of revenue and an easy way to 'internationalize' or 'globalize' themselves and boast about it in their publicity materials. Some schools like NYU and Columbia ( and probably UVA but I am not sure) do organize a 'specialized' career fair in NYC for their foreign LLMs exclusively but that fair isn't anything even remotely helpful or significant when compared to the OCIs (On campus interviews) that the career centers organize for the JD students.

Since I am not originally from a law background, I cannot claim to be an expert on all this but I am exploring the option of pursuing a JD in US and I was doing a research on all these issues.

To "gur" and your question:
1. If JD students can get a job without passing their BAR Exam, why is it difficult for LLm studnets to get a job (eitehr be it legal associate, para-legal, reasearch -assistant)?????

From what I know - one of the big reasons is this -
"Even where LL.M.s are permitted to participate in on-campus interviews, the timing of this activity is suboptimal; the fall recruiting season occurs before LL.M. students have a record of achievement at their U.S. law schools. Since U.S. employers are accustomed to assessing law students on the basis of their academic achievements, the fact that LL.M. students do not have U.S. law school grades during the fall interviewing season decreases the chances that firms will seriously consider them at that time."

(Please note that I am quoting the author of the article "Winners and Losers in the Globalization of Legal Services: Offshoring the Market for Foreign Lawyers" by Carole Silver)

hey all....

this seems to have become a thread for indian students. thats gr8 coz only we can understand the actual trauma other indians face over admissions. have just joined this site. am a 4th yr student froma reputed college. have still some time to go, but u guys seem to be really experienced. i wanna possibly go in for fall 2007.

since i still have about 2 yrs of law school left, i would love to get some advice from u folks as to what all i should do to make the best of it. i mean, what should i look to get into my cv? my grades arent brilliant. have a few internships, but seriously ppl... help me, i wanna make sure i get it right.

P.S: joey.. r u plannin to do a JD ?

hi
I am Amol from Mumbai and am right now in Georgetown. Will be pursuing my LLM beginning Fall 2005. Nandita you have been a great source of information. I suppose by now you must have appeared for you California Bar Exam. How was it? I am sure you will crack it. From the job search point of view are there any particular courses which you feel will increase my chances of getting a job. What would you say about International Trade combined with intellectual Property? Was there any specific reason you chose to give the Cal Bar instead of the NY Bar?
Anyone else who is willing to answer my questions is welcome to do so.
Nandaita wish you all the best with your job search.
amol

Hi Nandita,
i am a trained attirney from india and have a work experience of three years. i am consdering to take the Bar exam of NY or california as i do not need to have JD from the US. leant about the Barbri. is it advisable to head straight to take the bar or one should study LLM before taking the Bar exam in order to get to know about the US law. how much time it takes to prepare for cal bar . for a foreign attorney.no experience in US law. i mean how tough is this? do you know anyone (foreign attorney) who has taken the bar exam without doing LLM here and with the hepl of Barbri. one more question : is it ok to study the barbri books on cal bar of the previous years. like last year or so. or one should always but the new books coz tha patter of exam changes or something lik ethat.

any word from you would be really heplful

thanks

hey..thats great news..i'm surprised actually..I'm an ILS Grdauate too...good for us. Congratulations on getting admiited to Washington University and LSE. ..LSE is definitely a better choice unless u want to be in US. Well the job hunt is going on....but I'm currently focussing on the bar exam as it is very intensive and super hectic..LLM is not enough for u to take the bar...i'm taking the barbri..the bar prep course. The bar exam is really difficult to pass specially for foreigh attorneys..

not necessarily, virtue - one could do an LLM in a completely unrelated specialty area such as I.P. law and then take the bar - which means there is no subject in the curriculum that will be tested on the bar exam. its all a matter of individual effort, this exam, and since NY and CA are two of the toughest bar exams to pass in the entire U.S., you'll need 8-10 weeks of rigorous studying. bar bri or any other bar prep course definitely helps, because its not just rote memorization or reading/studying the substantive law that matters, you must also be very well conversant with exam taking skills before you attempt this test, or else its a waste of money and time. books from the previous year are o.k. law doesn't change all that much with respect to bar exam syllabus, and if it ever does, the state bar's website will have updates (or your bar prep program will tell you.)

good luck!

Hi Virtue- I dont think you can do the NY Bar with just an Indian LLB- the Bar Rules state that the Bar will decide whether your education qualifies or not for taking the Bar- after you send them your transcipts etc. I know someone who had an Indian and British LLB and really good scores and was told that he'd have to do the 20 additional credits to qualify. Its probably applicable only to very restricted common law jurisdictions and schools.

Hi,

I am a law graduate from India presently in the US on a H4 visa. I gather that most ll.m students dont easily find a job here. I would be happy if anyone could tell me what kind of jobs do ll.m students expect? Do they also look for paralegal jobs? Most Paralegal jobs pay about 40-50K. How about doing ll.m and then working as paralegal during the optional trianing period and then convincing your employer to get you a H1 visa?

I feel I am misisng out on something because even with my Indian degree I have had 2 offers in 1 month so far to work as paralegal.

well, I just want to know why ll.m students dont take up jobs as paralegals.

hello all my indian frends nice to get plenty of knowledge from u all
first of all i wud like to wish u all the best for ur future.
by the way i;m prateek doin 5 yrs integerated law from gurgaon {near delhi} and currently in 4th year,
and planning to go abroad for l.l.m so jst want 2 get assistance from u people for ths as u get it for urself time 2 time.u also can mail me at
prateek85@gmail.com