I graduated from a T-14 with good grades (top third) but couldn't find a job. I have spent two years looking with no luck. It's been f-ing ridiculous! I've applied to 300 jobs over two years with no bites.

To improve my prospects, I am thinking of applying for a general LLM even though I am not a foreign student. Everybody talks about tax LLMs, but I have no background (or interest) in that, which is why I am considering doing a general LLM. But I keep hearing that a general LLM doesn't do much to jump start a career; it's basically just an extra year of law school. Hell, I've heard that tax LLMs may be an iffy investment in this stinking economy, so a general LLM seems worse. But what else am I supposed to do?????????

What I'm wondering is whether I will actually make my job hunt harder (since employers won't give it any weight and may not understand what it is) by doing an LLM without a specific focus which is designed for non-US grads or if I'm better off with a blank space on my resume and doing pro bono work. I don't want to flush $50 G down the toilet and still not improve my employment prospects. Can anyone come up with a scenario where a general LLM is a good step forward for a US law grad? Is it time to just get an MBA or MPA?

I don't think it will make your job search harder, but I doubt it will be a silver bullet. I suppose that having a second "name brand" on your resume would help, not to mention a second network.

Many people in your position actually take a specialized LLM in a subject they are interested in - doesn't have to be tax law - to give them a bit more fodder during their job search. If you have a depth of knowledge in a field where your target law firms want to expand, this could come in handy.

In the spirit of being honest, if you have top 1/3 grades from a T-14 and cannot get an offer, then adding an LLM is not going to improve much. Sounds like you need to just start networking rather than adding more paper to the wall. It takes time and you need to be patient. Have you passed the Bar exam yet?