Michigan vs Berkeley


akg

Hi everyone,
I know that Berkeley decisions are not out yet but I was wondering which one you think is the best choice with regards to its international reputation (I am from Europe) and the assistance provided to find a job after the LLM. I am mostly interested in public and environmental law. To tell you the truth I used to put Berkeley over Michigan, however after receiving the admissions package from Michigan I feel very confused.
Thanks for the help!

Hi everyone,
I know that Berkeley decisions are not out yet but I was wondering which one you think is the best choice with regards to its international reputation (I am from Europe) and the assistance provided to find a job after the LLM. I am mostly interested in public and environmental law. To tell you the truth I used to put Berkeley over Michigan, however after receiving the admissions package from Michigan I feel very confused.
Thanks for the help!
quote
ipsefixit

Hi Akg, I understand your doubts.. in any case I would choose Michigan, I think you can "use" it better in the European market. I know that the East cost universities are generally more appreciated than the west ones in Europe (excluding SLS, of course).
Hope this helps.
Best

Hi Akg, I understand your doubts.. in any case I would choose Michigan, I think you can "use" it better in the European market. I know that the East cost universities are generally more appreciated than the west ones in Europe (excluding SLS, of course).
Hope this helps.
Best
quote
akg

Thanks ipsefixit!

Thanks ipsefixit!
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L&E-pil

After carefully going through the information included in the admissions package that Michigan sent us, I formed the impression that the #8 rank place that Michigan has doesn't do justice to this School. I think that the quality of education provided at Michigan is extremely high. I don't know much about your chosen field of study but as far as career prospects are concerned I think Michigan is a better choice than Berkeley because Michigan is one of the 7 Law Schools (the others being Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Chicago, Stanford and Virginia) that participate to the "Columbia's Overseas Trained Lawyers Job Fair" which is considered to be the most prestigious job fair for LL.M. students (when compared to the other job fair that NYU organises for LLM students of many other US Law Schools).

After carefully going through the information included in the admissions package that Michigan sent us, I formed the impression that the #8 rank place that Michigan has doesn't do justice to this School. I think that the quality of education provided at Michigan is extremely high. I don't know much about your chosen field of study but as far as career prospects are concerned I think Michigan is a better choice than Berkeley because Michigan is one of the 7 Law Schools (the others being Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Chicago, Stanford and Virginia) that participate to the "Columbia's Overseas Trained Lawyers Job Fair" which is considered to be the most prestigious job fair for LL.M. students (when compared to the other job fair that NYU organises for LLM students of many other US Law Schools).
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wolverine

As a current Michigan LL.M. from Europe I concur with L&E-pil. Michigan is regarded as a more prestigious school among recruiters and the legal profession in the US in general.

I know that rankings do not matter that much - however I know for the fact that recruiters DO consider the US NEWS rankings when reviewing applications- but Michigan has always been ranked right after YLS-HLS-SLS-CLS-NYU-CHICAGO (and this is how it is regarded in the profession). Berkeley had its ups and downs...

I also know that the small size of the LL.M. class, the personal attention from professors/staff and the vibrant campus life gives you a pretty good package. (Certainly from the academic point of view the program is AMAZING!)

Nevertheless, I can also understand personal preferences (weather, nearby relatives) or the desire to work with specific professors at another school like Berkeley.

In terms of job prospects, you have to think about two issues. 1. Where do you want to work? (If you would like to work in California, chances are better that you get a job by attending Berkeley as employers there like to see some previous connection to Cali. --NOTE: This does not apply to people from Asia as the majority of business relations and hence work comes from there on the west coast /generally/.) 2. How much effort are you willing to put in your job search? (It does not really matter which top 10 school you go to, but you gonna have to work VERY hard to get a job in the US with an LL.M. -- networking and so on...)

In conclusion: YOU CANNOT GO WRONG BY EITHER ONE!!!

As a current Michigan LL.M. from Europe I concur with L&E-pil. Michigan is regarded as a more prestigious school among recruiters and the legal profession in the US in general.

I know that rankings do not matter that much - however I know for the fact that recruiters DO consider the US NEWS rankings when reviewing applications- but Michigan has always been ranked right after YLS-HLS-SLS-CLS-NYU-CHICAGO (and this is how it is regarded in the profession). Berkeley had its ups and downs...

I also know that the small size of the LL.M. class, the personal attention from professors/staff and the vibrant campus life gives you a pretty good package. (Certainly from the academic point of view the program is AMAZING!)

Nevertheless, I can also understand personal preferences (weather, nearby relatives) or the desire to work with specific professors at another school like Berkeley.

In terms of job prospects, you have to think about two issues. 1. Where do you want to work? (If you would like to work in California, chances are better that you get a job by attending Berkeley as employers there like to see some previous connection to Cali. --NOTE: This does not apply to people from Asia as the majority of business relations and hence work comes from there on the west coast /generally/.) 2. How much effort are you willing to put in your job search? (It does not really matter which top 10 school you go to, but you gonna have to work VERY hard to get a job in the US with an LL.M. -- networking and so on...)

In conclusion: YOU CANNOT GO WRONG BY EITHER ONE!!!




quote
akg

Thanks for the response guys! Wolverine, if I am not intruding too much could you please tell us what your plans are after the LLM? Did you attend the Job Fair at Columbia? I am asking because after the LLM I would like to find a job in a US company but in Europe (I am a Fulbright scholar so I have to return to Europe for 2 years). Do you think such a thing is possible (either from personal experience or from what you have heard from your friends and classmates)?
Thanks again!

Thanks for the response guys! Wolverine, if I am not intruding too much could you please tell us what your plans are after the LLM? Did you attend the Job Fair at Columbia? I am asking because after the LLM I would like to find a job in a US company but in Europe (I am a Fulbright scholar so I have to return to Europe for 2 years). Do you think such a thing is possible (either from personal experience or from what you have heard from your friends and classmates)?
Thanks again!
quote
Oak

As a current Michigan LL.M. from Europe I concur with L&E-pil. Michigan is regarded as a more prestigious school among recruiters and the legal profession in the US in general.

I know that rankings do not matter that much - however I know for the fact that recruiters DO consider the US NEWS rankings when reviewing applications- but Michigan has always been ranked right after YLS-HLS-SLS-CLS-NYU-CHICAGO (and this is how it is regarded in the profession). Berkeley had its ups and downs...

I also know that the small size of the LL.M. class, the personal attention from professors/staff and the vibrant campus life gives you a pretty good package. (Certainly from the academic point of view the program is AMAZING!)

Nevertheless, I can also understand personal preferences (weather, nearby relatives) or the desire to work with specific professors at another school like Berkeley.

In terms of job prospects, you have to think about two issues. 1. Where do you want to work? (If you would like to work in California, chances are better that you get a job by attending Berkeley as employers there like to see some previous connection to Cali. --NOTE: This does not apply to people from Asia as the majority of business relations and hence work comes from there on the west coast /generally/.) 2. How much effort are you willing to put in your job search? (It does not really matter which top 10 school you go to, but you gonna have to work VERY hard to get a job in the US with an LL.M. -- networking and so on...)

In conclusion: YOU CANNOT GO WRONG BY EITHER ONE!!!



Thanks a lot! now thinking of going to Michigan.

<blockquote>As a current Michigan LL.M. from Europe I concur with L&E-pil. Michigan is regarded as a more prestigious school among recruiters and the legal profession in the US in general.

I know that rankings do not matter that much - however I know for the fact that recruiters DO consider the US NEWS rankings when reviewing applications- but Michigan has always been ranked right after YLS-HLS-SLS-CLS-NYU-CHICAGO (and this is how it is regarded in the profession). Berkeley had its ups and downs...

I also know that the small size of the LL.M. class, the personal attention from professors/staff and the vibrant campus life gives you a pretty good package. (Certainly from the academic point of view the program is AMAZING!)

Nevertheless, I can also understand personal preferences (weather, nearby relatives) or the desire to work with specific professors at another school like Berkeley.

In terms of job prospects, you have to think about two issues. 1. Where do you want to work? (If you would like to work in California, chances are better that you get a job by attending Berkeley as employers there like to see some previous connection to Cali. --NOTE: This does not apply to people from Asia as the majority of business relations and hence work comes from there on the west coast /generally/.) 2. How much effort are you willing to put in your job search? (It does not really matter which top 10 school you go to, but you gonna have to work VERY hard to get a job in the US with an LL.M. -- networking and so on...)

In conclusion: YOU CANNOT GO WRONG BY EITHER ONE!!!




</blockquote>
Thanks a lot! now thinking of going to Michigan.
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L&E-pil

Hey akg. I'm also a Fulbrighter and also have the 2 years restriction. I've heard that Columbia's Job Fair attracts many law firms from Europe and especially from the UK. What country are you from? I am from Greece.

Hey akg. I'm also a Fulbrighter and also have the 2 years restriction. I've heard that Columbia's Job Fair attracts many law firms from Europe and especially from the UK. What country are you from? I am from Greece.
quote
akg

Well, L&E-pil I am also from Greece! I understand that you are not thinking of going to Michigan, you tend towards Chicago (so far, let's wait for Columbia and Harvard!). As far as I am concerned, I think that after reading all the information Michigan sent us and what wolverine had to say, Michigan sounds very promising with regards to the education provided and the attention each LLM student is given. From Berkeley's website I cannot understand if Boalt Hall has the same approach towards LLM students.

Well, L&E-pil I am also from Greece! I understand that you are not thinking of going to Michigan, you tend towards Chicago (so far, let's wait for Columbia and Harvard!). As far as I am concerned, I think that after reading all the information Michigan sent us and what wolverine had to say, Michigan sounds very promising with regards to the education provided and the attention each LLM student is given. From Berkeley's website I cannot understand if Boalt Hall has the same approach towards LLM students.
quote
L&E-pil

Well, L&E-pil I am also from Greece! I understand that you are not thinking of going to Michigan, you tend towards Chicago (so far, let's wait for Columbia and Harvard!). As far as I am concerned, I think that after reading all the information Michigan sent us and what wolverine had to say, Michigan sounds very promising with regards to the education provided and the attention each LLM student is given. From Berkeley's website I cannot understand if Boalt Hall has the same approach towards LLM students.


In my opinion the attention that each LLM student is given is a decisive criterion that one should take into consideration within the scope of his/her decision. Since you're from Greece, you are already aware that we, Greek students, are in dire need of receiving some attention from our professors due to the fact that during our undergradute education we were used in attending lectures along with 200-300 other students. The intrinsic problem of this system was that we were most times "strangers" to our professors and there were not many chances for personal discussion with them even during their office hours. Chicago and Michigan seem to be the kind of schools were you're sure that as a student you will receive personal attention from the members of the faculty. They are both very small schools. Chicago's total student body (J.D.s + LLMs) is about 640 persons, which is actually less than the average number of law students in just one year at a Greek law school!
I hope you make the best choice and in any case, as a Fulbrighter, you know, who can give you the best advice.

I've also sent you a PM

<blockquote>Well, L&E-pil I am also from Greece! I understand that you are not thinking of going to Michigan, you tend towards Chicago (so far, let's wait for Columbia and Harvard!). As far as I am concerned, I think that after reading all the information Michigan sent us and what wolverine had to say, Michigan sounds very promising with regards to the education provided and the attention each LLM student is given. From Berkeley's website I cannot understand if Boalt Hall has the same approach towards LLM students. </blockquote>

In my opinion the attention that each LLM student is given is a decisive criterion that one should take into consideration within the scope of his/her decision. Since you're from Greece, you are already aware that we, Greek students, are in dire need of receiving some attention from our professors due to the fact that during our undergradute education we were used in attending lectures along with 200-300 other students. The intrinsic problem of this system was that we were most times "strangers" to our professors and there were not many chances for personal discussion with them even during their office hours. Chicago and Michigan seem to be the kind of schools were you're sure that as a student you will receive personal attention from the members of the faculty. They are both very small schools. Chicago's total student body (J.D.s + LLMs) is about 640 persons, which is actually less than the average number of law students in just one year at a Greek law school!
I hope you make the best choice and in any case, as a Fulbrighter, you know, who can give you the best advice.

I've also sent you a PM
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akg

To L&E-pil,
I've sent you a PM.

To L&E-pil,
I've sent you a PM.
quote

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