Are there any students out there with JDs that are going to get their LLMs? I got accepted to Berkeley and want to teach, but I am not sure whether the cost is worth it. I went to a mid-range law school, but I have published a few articles in good journals. What are my chances of landing a teaching job with an LLM from Berkeley? Also, I only applied to Berkeley, Harvard, and Yale. I got rejected from the other two, but I have only been out of school for one year. Is there a chance I could get in next year?

Hi,
I've also considered pursuing a teaching career too. Based on two Professor's feedbacks (from two different lawschools), they said that an LLM can help, but it is no gaurantee. You are definately on the right track though, they said that things that help are 1. lots of publications, (write and try to publish as many "legal" articles as possible) 2. Judicial clerkships 3. Your J.D. class ranking 4. willingness to teach at a lower ranked law school or at an unpopular location -region. 5. some law practice experience may be helpful, but not necessary. 6. an LLM or JSD might be helpful. Although this is the opinion of only 2 professors, I hope it helps you a little.

I personally think it's also political, so try to get your name thrown out there to law schools.

I think an LLM is a great experience, and Berkeley is an awesome school. Of course Harvard and Yale have great "branding" , but my guess is when it comes to academia, Berkeley is pretty up there.... and it will probably boil down to your intellectual, research, writing, and teaching abilities.

Thanks for the advice. That helps.

Any other comments out there?

Where did you get your J.D.? And where did you finish in your class?

If you want to research and teach, publish, publish, publish. In fact, if school is your thing, go and spend a year studying statistics and incorporate quantitative methodology into your research - that will get more attention than a generic LLM from law school faculty.

The problem with the LLM is that it's totally obvious what candidates from lower-ranked schools are trying to do - get a resume booster. So unless you are going for specialized training (i.e., tax, etc.), I think it's a waste.

And yes, it's HIGHLY POLITICAL!

As a side note, the new trend for law professors is joint JD/PhDs. Crazy, huh?