A year ago I was working at law firm located in Oakland, California as a paralegal. I soon realized that I wanted to move my professional skills to a higher level. It is very difficult to come to the U.S. with a foreign law degree and try to compete with so many talented attorneys who have graduated from the best schools in this country. Aware of this reality, I decided to go back to school. Looking for a good school was not easy. I wanted a flexible LL.M program that would allow me to prepare for the bar examination while getting an overview of the U.S. legal system. In addition, an LL.M is an important financial investment in your education, so you should take your time to research the program that fits you and your future plans best.

I had numerous reasons for applying to University of California, Hastings College of the Law. First of all, as a resident of the Bay Area I knew of Hastings prestige. Hastings is one of the best law schools in the west coast, known for the excellency of its faculty and its competitive alums. Second, I was lucky enough to work for two amazing attorneys who happen to be Hastings alumni. In addition, Hastings fit perfectly with my future plans because it has a very flexible program (at Hastings you can get an LL.M in U.S. Legal studies, or you can get different specialties, such as family law, international law, ADR) that allowed me to take all the classes I needed for the bar examination.

Something I really liked about Hastings, is that the program is small compared to other schools which made the relationship between the LL.M students closer than I expected. Moreover, the school organized marvelous social activities for the LL.M students, such as sightseeing trips, pizza parties, and dinners that allowed the students to bond before classes started.

Academically speaking, Hastings is going to be hard! I dont know about other countries, but I found studying law in the U.S. substantially different from back home. For starters, I didnt have a code with me at all times, I had to read cases and learn how to get the rules out of them which is not that simple, and had to get comfortable enough to be ready to participate in class. I was kind of hoping that professors would be like back home, by giving me the rule applicable to particular cases. Here, it will not be like that. Most of the time, do not expect your professor to give you a straight answer on anything! You will have to figure it out by yourself. Sometimes not even the book will give you the answer. I frequently felt while reading and attending class at Hastings that everything was a constant and endless inquiry. As you can imagine, getting used to this new system was hard - you know, doing all this in a language that is not yours is going to be a challenge! However, you will manage to take control of the situation after two or three weeks from the first day of class, so be concerned, pay attention, but dont be stressed out too much because you will be an expert by the end of the first semester!

Looking back, I have to say that the LL.M program at Hastings wanted us to do well in school. I had a two-week orientation where I had the chance to have an overview of the U.S Legal System and how law is taught in the U.S., so before classes started, I sort of knew what I was supposed to do with the text books, which student aids to buy, and what I was expected to do during class (which was a total mystery to me before orientation). In addition, the program organizes workshops for you before finals, so you know how to organize your analysis during exams which is extremely helpful.

I have three pieces of advice for you if you allow me. First, before coming to the U.S. read, talk, listen and even dream in English if you can. Your command of the language will be crucial, so start by getting a subscription to the Economist, or the New York Times! Second, once you get admitted and you are trying to get your schedule together, DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT ask a professor which professors you should choose. Thats a VERY bad idea because whatever advice they can give you will be based on a professor perspective which is NOT what you need. Go to ratemyprofessor.com and find out about your prospective professor by students that took the class before you. This website will give you the information you need in order to make a well-informed decision (I used it last semester and it was pretty accurate). Finally, many people will try to give advice on how to study in law school. What I would advise you is to keep on doing whatever you have been doing so far. If you have come this far and you are planning to do an LL.M in another country it is because you like a challenge, you know how to study and you are willing to take risks to be better. So, do not change your method of studying. If you are well organized and do not leave things for the last minute, you will do just fine.

If you are still looking for an LL.M and you are hoping you will find an answer to your questions in this forum, I recommend that you to come to Hastings without reservation. Hastings is really a great school, and I am certain that the LL.M program will open many doors not only when you go back home, but also in the U.S.

Good luck to you!

C