Top Law Schools

Hey everyone,

So, I've been admitted to UCLA and Cardozo for my LL.M., but only the latter has offered me a bit of a scholarship.

I'm planning on studying entertainment law at UCLA (which is basically the best school in the U.S. for that) and at Cardozo, I'd be studying IP; the school is ranked #5 in the U.S. for that subject.

So, my dilemma mainly lies in the fact that Cardozo is #50 overall and UCLA is like, #16!

...Any advice on which school I should choose?!

One of the main reasons I find Cardozo so attractive for general IP is because they offer an amazing externship program with really cool companies!

Ugh, I don't know what to do! Please help!

Avoid LLM programs like the plague.

UCLA for sure, since it seems like Cardozo barely offered you any $

Why are you thinking of going into two programs that are so different for an LLM? That doesn't make any sense

Why on earth are you getting an LLM?

I'm not american and have a foreign degree. The LL.M. opens the NY and Cali. bars to me...

Plus, I want to specialize

Curry wrote:Why on earth are you getting an LLM?

Very true...for Americans. But for foreign educated lawyers who want to practice in the U.S. ....not so much.

Don't fool yourself. The rule holds true for foreign lawyers just as much as for Americans. Its the same old story: the jobs don't exist, the schools lie about placement, the students think "it won't happen to me." If you go to a top program like Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, you might have a shot at a job but employers already have a stack of resumes from American grads, what on earth are they going to do with the resume of a foreigner? That said, if you must go, don't go to Cardozo. its a world apart from UCLA.

MrAnon wrote:Don't fool yourself. The rule holds true for foreign lawyers just as much as for Americans.

You seem to be forgetting the fact that I wouldn't be able to work in the U.S. at all without an LL.M.

So, the usefulness of an LL.M. differs greatly between foreign educated and U.S. educated lawyers, job prospects aside.

guys - this guy knows he wants LLM, he needs to know which program.
Don't "get lawyerly" with him and argue over non-issues.

Just answer which school if you have advice...
which I don't

I am facing similar choice (schoraship vs better school) and I have all the reasons and rationalizations.
In the end, some choices are made at the intuitive level
good luck

ranks and ratings are composites, they don't guarantee your life/job/expectations - they are insurance charts

Every J.D. needs the J.D. in order to work as a lawyer in the U.S. I still say if you have to do this do not go to Cardozo. The school doesnt get any respect in NY, except from its own graduates.

MrAnon wrote:Every J.D. needs the J.D. in order to work as a lawyer in the U.S. I still say if you have to do this do not go to Cardozo. The school doesnt get any respect in NY, except from its own graduates.

I'd imagine every JD needs a JD...

Foreign educated lawyers with an LLB however, only need an LLM to practice law, at least in California and New York.

To the OP:
Have you visited New York and California yet? That'd be the first step as these are very different areas, so you need to figure out where you want to work.
There are only a handful of posters who might actually have some knowledge of LLM hiring for foreign educated lawers (none of which have posted yet in case you couldn't tell), the only thing we can say is to go where you want to work.

Sure you can take the bar, but very very few foreign educated LLMs get jobs in the US, especially at the moment. If you're planning on just going back to your home country then that may be a different story as I imagine it can be an added plus in certain jobs, but probably not that many.