Just how helpful is an LLM in Taxation for a career in a US law firm? Is it really worth the money?

Do you think there really is a better chance to get a job at a top law firm with an LLM in Tax from NYU, Levin or Georgetown? Thanks for your comments!

If you hope that an LL.M. from a âbig-nameâ school will be your ticket to practicing law at a âbig-nameâ law firm you should know, that an LL.M. does not erase your underlying law school record. Law firms look back to where you went to law school and how well you performed, and they give it great weight. If you have been unsuccessful thus far in securing a position at a âbig-nameâ firm, an LL.M. will probably not make a difference.

This does not mean that an LL.M. is never a good idea. For example, it is especially useful for individuals in a tax-related practice, as well as those who are pursuing an academic career. Under the right circumstances, it could even be helpful in providing background in an area of law for attorneys who are seeking to refocus their practice. Whether it is an appropriate route has to be considered on a case-by-case basis.

http://www.nylawyer.com/crossroads/02/122402.html

Do you think, there is a realistic chance for a European law graduate (top 5 percent in France) to work in an big name law firm in New York City after completing a Tax Law LLM at NYU?

what about LLM in anything other than Tax, I know it is useful in tax, but useful in anything else?

An LLM is generally useful for foreign lawyers planning to work in an international law firm in their home country, the main reason for this being that law firms believe that applicants holding an LLM are able to work in English (not so much because they think that the LLM has made them an expert in a particular field of law). For US lawyers planning to work in a US law firm the main reason for doing an LLM is to become a specialist in a particlar field of law.