Hi all. I got accepted into Michigan. However, there's a twist. They said they couldn't offer me a place on the LL.M program but said that they have instead offered me a place on the Master of Advanced Corporations Laws program because it was an "exclusive group" offered to "accomplished lawyers" from around the globe and that it would be more suitable for me as I would be studying amongst the "highest caliber colleagues."
What do you guys make of this?
Either (i) I wasn't good enough for the LL.M program so they offered me something different so they could generate more revenue or (ii) they genuinely thought that due to my experience (I have 6 years PQE as a litigator in Australia, already admitted to the New York Bar) they thought that the Master of Advanced Corporation Laws was more appropriate.
I would much appreciate everyone's thoughts.
Cheers.
Hi Melbourne Atty: Congratulations! Congratulations on your success, CHEERS! :)
To my mind it's the latter more than the former. I assume that they must have seen from your CV and profile, that you are a corporate lawyer (i guess), and that your are a CORPORATE LAWYER and would have less time to spend, and that the LL.M. program might cover subjects that could be too mainstream/basic for a person with a 6-years PQE, and bar admissions in NY and Victoria (and perhaps other Australian jurisdictions, including the High Court of Australia).
While I agree that programs like the M.A.C.L. "MIGHT" have been created and viewed as cash-cows, I would only advise you to write to them in detail and seek more detailed a reply.
Personally I wouldn't think that the M.A.C.L. would be at all a bad experience for you, as you must already have had an LL.M. (? - assuming that an LL.M. was what made you eligible for the NY bar as to my knowledge there ain't a transfer scheme for Aussie attorneys to qualify in NY unlike in E&W), if not, a considerable years of experience so that you wouldn't really need a full-fledged LL.M.
The M.A.C.L. appears to be a 3-month program, unlike the LL.M. which is roughly a 6.5-month to 7-month program (excluding their 3.5 weeks long Christmas Break and Week long Winter Recess, apart from petty holidays like the Thanksgiving Recess).
The reason this makes more sense is that your practice back in Melbourne won't have to suffer for a longer time, especially if you plan to continue your practice in Melbourne even after your LL.M., which I think would still be the case (as having an LL.M. wouldn't really help you much, in my opinion, to set up your practice in the U.S., especially when you already are qualified in New York.)
You'd earn a Master's degree in a summer, and that does sound very cool :) But if you need "equivalence certificates" from your home universities for degrees that are earned from outside of Australia (and New Zealand), you should check if they would "recognize" a 3-months/12-weeks "Master's Degree".
I also assume you must already have checked the M.A.C.L. program's webpage.
Lastly, if you really want to go for the LL.M. program, do write to them, and I believe they will oblige, regardless of the size of the LL.M. program. Do write a few new things which would show/reiterate your motivation to the LL.M. program. :)
- Humble thoughts from a person who's much junior to you, as he qualified in Nepal just a few weeks ago.
Good luck, Melbourne Atty :)
[quote]Hi all. I got accepted into Michigan. However, there's a twist. They said they couldn't offer me a place on the LL.M program but said that they have instead offered me a place on the Master of Advanced Corporations Laws program because it was an "exclusive group" offered to "accomplished lawyers" from around the globe and that it would be more suitable for me as I would be studying amongst the "highest caliber colleagues."
What do you guys make of this?
Either (i) I wasn't good enough for the LL.M program so they offered me something different so they could generate more revenue or (ii) they genuinely thought that due to my experience (I have 6 years PQE as a litigator in Australia, already admitted to the New York Bar) they thought that the Master of Advanced Corporation Laws was more appropriate.
I would much appreciate everyone's thoughts.
Cheers.[/quote]
Hi Melbourne Atty: Congratulations! Congratulations on your success, CHEERS! :)
To my mind it's the latter more than the former. I assume that they must have seen from your CV and profile, that you are a corporate lawyer (i guess), and that your are a CORPORATE LAWYER and would have less time to spend, and that the LL.M. program might cover subjects that could be too mainstream/basic for a person with a 6-years PQE, and bar admissions in NY and Victoria (and perhaps other Australian jurisdictions, including the High Court of Australia).
While I agree that programs like the M.A.C.L. "MIGHT" have been created and viewed as cash-cows, I would only advise you to write to them in detail and seek more detailed a reply.
Personally I wouldn't think that the M.A.C.L. would be at all a bad experience for you, as you must already have had an LL.M. (? - assuming that an LL.M. was what made you eligible for the NY bar as to my knowledge there ain't a transfer scheme for Aussie attorneys to qualify in NY unlike in E&W), if not, a considerable years of experience so that you wouldn't really need a full-fledged LL.M.
The M.A.C.L. appears to be a 3-month program, unlike the LL.M. which is roughly a 6.5-month to 7-month program (excluding their 3.5 weeks long Christmas Break and Week long Winter Recess, apart from petty holidays like the Thanksgiving Recess).
The reason this makes more sense is that your practice back in Melbourne won't have to suffer for a longer time, especially if you plan to continue your practice in Melbourne even after your LL.M., which I think would still be the case (as having an LL.M. wouldn't really help you much, in my opinion, to set up your practice in the U.S., especially when you already are qualified in New York.)
You'd earn a Master's degree in a summer, and that does sound very cool :) But if you need "equivalence certificates" from your home universities for degrees that are earned from outside of Australia (and New Zealand), you should check if they would "recognize" a 3-months/12-weeks "Master's Degree".
I also assume you must already have checked the M.A.C.L. program's webpage.
Lastly, if you really want to go for the LL.M. program, do write to them, and I believe they will oblige, regardless of the size of the LL.M. program. Do write a few new things which would show/reiterate your motivation to the LL.M. program. :)
- Humble thoughts from a person who's much junior to you, as he qualified in Nepal just a few weeks ago.
Good luck, Melbourne Atty :)
