I wanted to create this post for anyone who wants updates regarding admissions for UCLA. They stated in their post-application email that they will be releasing decisions late January.

Did anyone apply to any specialisations and know how long it takes to hear back for these additional admissions?

I wanted to create this post for anyone who wants updates regarding admissions for UCLA. They stated in their post-application email that they will be releasing decisions late January.

Did anyone apply to any specialisations and know how long it takes to hear back for these additional admissions?

I wanted to create this post for anyone who wants updates regarding admissions for UCLA. They stated in their post-application email that they will be releasing decisions late January.

Did anyone apply to any specialisations and know how long it takes to hear back for these additional admissions?

Hi emily717,

I applied to UCLA about two days ago, however I haven't received any e-mail from them yet. It does not look a fast process to me so far, unfortunately.

Last year they lost my application so to speak even though it had been submitted through LSAC. I never did hear from them and since I got much better offers I didn't worry about it.

Last year they lost my application so to speak even though it had been submitted through LSAC. I never did hear from them and since I got much better offers I didn't worry about it.

I wanted to create this post for anyone who wants updates regarding admissions for UCLA. They stated in their post-application email that they will be releasing decisions late January.

Did anyone apply to any specialisations and know how long it takes to hear back for these additional admissions?

Hi emily717,

I applied to UCLA about two days ago, however I haven't received any e-mail from them yet. It does not look a fast process to me so far, unfortunately.

Whether or not one offer is better than another is completely subjective for each applicant. I have already rejected an offer from Berkeley because I would prefer to take a place at UCLA due to the course selection available and the faculty for my field of law. So I don't know how you decided you got 'much better offers', but I presume it was determined from a comparison of university rankings?

I wanted to create this post for anyone who wants updates regarding admissions for UCLA. They stated in their post-application email that they will be releasing decisions late January.

Did anyone apply to any specialisations and know how long it takes to hear back for these additional admissions?

Hi emily717,

I applied to UCLA about two days ago, however I haven't received any e-mail from them yet. It does not look a fast process to me so far, unfortunately.

Hello Noble2014,

I assume you are also from Turkey. It took them 3 weeks to send me an email. If you don't hear from them in a week or so, I suggest you to send an email to Vic Telesino.

Whether or not one offer is better than another is completely subjective for each applicant. I have already rejected an offer from Berkeley because I would prefer to take a place at UCLA due to the course selection available and the faculty for my field of law. So I don't know how you decided you got 'much better offers', but I presume it was determined from a comparison of university rankings?

"Better" can be both subject & objective. In this case it was both. I realize now that I clearly made the right choice. The school program, as well as the school ranking, were better than UCLA. As much as I hate to say it, school pedigree makes a huge difference in the US market if you want any chance of getting a job after your degree completion.

Going to certain schools may not get you a job on their own but it does open doors for you to be considered when you might not otherwise be. I didn't realize how important this was until after I started attending school.

At the same time I have to deal with a lot of elitist and snobbish people as well. This gets quite wearisome as well. Couple that with the outright disdain of JD students towards LLMs and it isn't always the best atmosphere. Apparently it is the price I have to pay to have a chance at getting a job in the US market.

Practical US law experience will help me quite a bit in my home country and if it is a good opportunity here, I may avail myself of it long-term.

As for program/school ranking, I've only seen a few areas where program ranking trumps school ranking. That would specifically be Tax. Most employers I've spoken with are more focused on your school ranking than where your program ranks among others. Obviously if your school is very strong in a local market, such as UCLA or USC for Los Angeles, that will help. All other things being equal the LA employer would likely choose the Stanford grad over UCLA or USC if he doesn't have particularly close ties to either USC or UCLA even though they are both fine school.

Most governmental offices won't hire anyone without either US citizenship or legal permanent residency. Of course it depends on the state & entity. But many openings I looked at required at least permanent residency.

With a one year LLM, all your are really going to be able to show is just an "interest" in any field. Compared to a JD student, you are at a huge disadvantage. There are other ways to show "interest" than just through your class work. That is one of the ways I differentiate myself from my peers.

One thing to keep in mind is that not all schools get invited to the LLM job fairs. This is one of the best options for finding employment. I can tell you from the job fairs I am attending, I don't recall a single employer looking for anyone with criminal law experience. The vast majority of them were looking for people with ties to China or South America.

If you have a personal/professional connection, then it is best if you can leverage that. Keep in mind that people promise a lot and often deliver little. Advice is one thing, but seriously helping with a job is quite another. Start networking from the day you arrive. If you go to Berkeley, hopefully your political views will coincide with the school's.

There is one thing I've learned already about California. The people who claim to be liberal and tolerant are usually the exact opposite of that. They tend to be hypocrites. They talk how they are open to everyone, from every where, and then are the first people to discriminate against you based on where you came from.

Most governmental offices won't hire anyone without either US citizenship or legal permanent residency. Of course it depends on the state & entity. But many openings I looked at required at least permanent residency.

With a one year LLM, all your are really going to be able to show is just an "interest" in any field. Compared to a JD student, you are at a huge disadvantage. There are other ways to show "interest" than just through your class work. That is one of the ways I differentiate myself from my peers.

One thing to keep in mind is that not all schools get invited to the LLM job fairs. This is one of the best options for finding employment. I can tell you from the job fairs I am attending, I don't recall a single employer looking for anyone with criminal law experience. The vast majority of them were looking for people with ties to China or South America.

If you have a personal/professional connection, then it is best if you can leverage that. Keep in mind that people promise a lot and often deliver little. Advice is one thing, but seriously helping with a job is quite another. Start networking from the day you arrive. If you go to Berkeley, hopefully your political views will coincide with the school's.

There is one thing I've learned already about California. The people who claim to be liberal and tolerant are usually the exact opposite of that. They tend to be hypocrites. They talk how they are open to everyone, from every where, and then are the first people to discriminate against you based on where you came from.

Emily you seem to be well credentialed so it is unclear why you seek approval from fellow applicants. The replies to your posts have been helpful and Wavshdr offers good insight into the realities of the situation.
Having read many of your posts on this forum, I am surprised at how much detailed information you provide about yourself, making it very easy for schools and employers to identify you, a law degree does not make you a lawyer so you may not realise how important professionalism and confidentiality are, example is posting the amount of tuition discount that USC offer to you, they would have requested you keep the details to yourself, that you didn't is a surprise when you say you want to work in criminal law.

Emily you seem to be well credentialed so it is unclear why you seek approval from fellow applicants. The replies to your posts have been helpful and Wavshdr offers good insight into the realities of the situation.
Having read many of your posts on this forum, I am surprised at how much detailed information you provide about yourself, making it very easy for schools and employers to identify you, a law degree does not make you a lawyer so you may not realise how important professionalism and confidentiality are, example is posting the amount of tuition discount that USC offer to you, they would have requested you keep the details to yourself, that you didn't is a surprise when you say you want to work in criminal law.

Hi there!

Changing of subject, I'd like to know what do you think about this thread:http://www.llm-guide.com/board/150682
Is it true? Because, I'm thinking about applying to UCLA but I'm not sure.
Thanks in advance!

I think there is a lot of value in what was said in that post. To transfer from an LLM program into a JD program is difficult almost anywhere.

In some ways I think the LLM programs are all about the universities making money. The emphasis is clearly on the JD programs and where you attend class with the JD students you, as an LLM, typically are not treated the same way.

I think there is a lot of value in what was said in that post. To transfer from an LLM program into a JD program is difficult almost anywhere.

In some ways I think the LLM programs are all about the universities making money. The emphasis is clearly on the JD programs and where you attend class with the JD students you, as an LLM, typically are not treated the same way.

Do you plan on trying to get into the JD program? Don't focus on just the scholarships. I had several offers where it was basically free for me to go other than living expenses. Even if if costs you more, make sure the school aligns with your professional and personal goals. Their isn't a huge difference in rankings at a school level.

I will say that the UCLA campus and location is much nicer than USC. It is also a more expensive area to live in. I would see how the programs match up to your interests. All things being equal though, and USC offered a lot more scholarship money, I'd definitely be tempted to go with USC if the difference is 5-10k cheaper at USC. Both have excellent alumni networks.

Regarding LLM programs, I think almost all universities that have an LLM program (other than Tax) are in it mostly for the revenue. Sure there a few other specialized ones but in many ways they are trying to "sell" foreign students on the dream of possibly working in the US.

Of course not all LLM students want to come to the US to work. For them going to a prestigious school can often help them at home.

I will work in the US, I have no doubt about it but I am more interested in the practical training aspect and to leverage this experience back home. Having worked for a very high profile firm at home, I'll have even more opportunities when I complete my LLM. I am tired of the rat-race of firms and likely will go into some sort of public service.

Emily you seem to be well credentialed so it is unclear why you seek approval from fellow applicants. The replies to your posts have been helpful and Wavshdr offers good insight into the realities of the situation.
Having read many of your posts on this forum, I am surprised at how much detailed information you provide about yourself, making it very easy for schools and employers to identify you, a law degree does not make you a lawyer so you may not realise how important professionalism and confidentiality are, example is posting the amount of tuition discount that USC offer to you, they would have requested you keep the details to yourself, that you didn't is a surprise when you say you want to work in criminal law.

Emily you seem to be well credentialed so it is unclear why you seek approval from fellow applicants. The replies to your posts have been helpful and Wavshdr offers good insight into the realities of the situation.
Having read many of your posts on this forum, I am surprised at how much detailed information you provide about yourself, making it very easy for schools and employers to identify you, a law degree does not make you a lawyer so you may not realise how important professionalism and confidentiality are, example is posting the amount of tuition discount that USC offer to you, they would have requested you keep the details to yourself, that you didn't is a surprise when you say you want to work in criminal law.

I generally write so as to help MORE than just the person I may be responding to. My intent is to share knowledge that may be helpful to anyone reading the thread where I post. A lot of the other people who are considering different types of law would and want to practice law in the US really need to pay attention to these things.

With your somewhat condescending attitude you'll fit right in with a lot of the other LLM students I've met. Berkeley would be a good place for you. From what I've seen from students form the former British Empire, the Aussies and New Zealanders are the best liked and are generally collegial. The ones from Great Britain tend to be more pompous. The Irish are pretty down to earth and the Scotts have a good sense of humor.

Good luck with your pending marriage. Until it happens, the paperwork is filed, affidavit of support, interview and ultimately the conditional permanent residency received, a lot of things can go wrong but I hope the best for you.

Just for the record, I did just see some postings for criminal law lawyers at a job fair later this year. They were for a county prosecutors office. One thing I learned in life, we never know what we don't know and we can always learn. Sometimes we learn from the most unlikely of people.

Good luck in your studies, wherever you end up. Others reading this post I'll strongly encourage you to look into the political atmosphere at whatever school you plan to attend. If your political views don't align with the school's then the atmosphere can be somewhat hostile and the teachers will quickly try and shut down any dissenting opinion. For those spoon-fed pablum by the BBC from an early age- Berkeley is a great choice.

Emily you seem to be well credentialed so it is unclear why you seek approval from fellow applicants. The replies to your posts have been helpful and Wavshdr offers good insight into the realities of the situation.
Having read many of your posts on this forum, I am surprised at how much detailed information you provide about yourself, making it very easy for schools and employers to identify you, a law degree does not make you a lawyer so you may not realise how important professionalism and confidentiality are, example is posting the amount of tuition discount that USC offer to you, they would have requested you keep the details to yourself, that you didn't is a surprise when you say you want to work in criminal law.

I generally write so as to help MORE than just the person I may be responding to. My intent is to share knowledge that may be helpful to anyone reading the thread where I post. A lot of the other people who are considering different types of law would and want to practice law in the US really need to pay attention to these things.

With your somewhat condescending attitude you'll fit right in with a lot of the other LLM students I've met. Berkeley would be a good place for you. From what I've seen from students form the former British Empire, the Aussies and New Zealanders are the best liked and are generally collegial. The ones from Great Britain tend to be more pompous. The Irish are pretty down to earth and the Scotts have a good sense of humor.

Good luck with your pending marriage. Until it happens, the paperwork is filed, affidavit of support, interview and ultimately the conditional permanent residency received, a lot of things can go wrong but I hope the best for you.

Just for the record, I did just see some postings for criminal law lawyers at a job fair later this year. They were for a county prosecutors office. One thing I learned in life, we never know what we don't know and we can always learn. Sometimes we learn from the most unlikely of people.

Good luck in your studies, wherever you end up. Others reading this post I'll strongly encourage you to look into the political atmosphere at whatever school you plan to attend. If your political views don't align with the school's then the atmosphere can be somewhat hostile and the teachers will quickly try and shut down any dissenting opinion. For those spoon-fed pablum by the BBC from an early age- Berkeley is a great choice.

The only reason I was replying in such a condescending fashion is because I am tired of reading you do the exact same thing. I understand that you are trying to be a realist and make people aware of the decision that they are making, but often you are just being quite plainly rude. You actually upset me last year when you told me if I got into Stanford you would buy a lottery ticket. I'm sorry but that doesn't seem like advice which is out there to help more than one person. That's just harsh.

I replied to your post to show that I have researched the realism of my prospects and I'm hoping that others may read it and decide that it is worth their time pursuing an LLM. I wasn't being pompous by discussing my English qualifications, I'm hoping other English students will see this and read what I have been told by others; that it is a good idea for us to pursue a career in the US.

I can happily say that I wasn't 'spoon-fed pablum', nor would I presume that anyone else in England has either, that seems like a rather condescending sweeping generalisation. As would also be your characterisations of my neighbouring countries. Moreover, you seem to have an unnecessary loathing of Berkeley, are you influenced by the school rivalry with Stanford or did they also not admit you like UCLA? Because either way if you want to provide impartial advice, you should probably let it go.