Top Law Schools

Hello all,

I am a foreign student going to study a masters at a law school in the US (first degree was in law and I have studied other subjects as well). I have read extensively on the topic all over the internet and found that it is pretty useless. However, I am solely doing because its 1 year and therefore quicker than a traditional masters and also because I will have a qualification that US employers can relate to. I do not plan to work in a law firm but use my degree to work in other industries etc. There is also the advantage of doing course work outside the law school which makes it appealing.

I have been mainly targeting schools outside NY or California, but after looking at some of the posts here, I realize that there are regional and national schools. The reason I apply to regional schools is because of the aid that some of these schools provide, some of them a full tuition and others around 30,000-20,000 a year and also to experience a college town.

Taking these issues into account and were I to attend a school such as Texas Austin, Minnesota or University of Washington, is this an issue when working in a state other than where these schools are located?

Are any of these school national and do they place well nationally?

Many thanks

I don't know about how employment works coming out of an LLM program, but those are all solid law schools. Conventional wisdom is that Texas would be the fanciest on that list, and their grads do well out of the JD program. Also, the "regional/national school" trope may not be as relevant for an LLM.

ETA- I went to Texas for my undergrad, and Austin is *not* a college town. It's a large city (but a great one).

Thanks very much, that's what I figured. And thanks for the clarification re Texas. I did think masters degrees in terms of the school being regional or not would not matter.

I am leaning towards Texas followed by Minnesota but still waiting for news on aid. I am not intending to work in law but just do undertake some interesting courses in Environment and Energy at and the law school and outside and work in another industry. It's purely academic interest. I hear UT is pretty strong for the energy industry?

What why are you concerned with placement ability if you're not going to use the JD at all?

I'd recommend pursuing a masters in the industry you're interested in or maybe getting an MBA if you want a credential that will resonate with American employers. Even though that takes a little more time, it's a much better investment than spending 1 year getting an LLM.

If you're trying to establish a longterm career in the US, you should consider another degree program that is in line with your professional field. If you want to study and work in the USA for a short period, maybe your plan makes sense depending on your existing professional experience, career goals, connections, age, and financial status.

GreatBraffsby wrote:I'd recommend pursuing a masters in the industry you're interested in or maybe getting an MBA if you want a credential that will resonate with American employers. Even though that takes a little more time, it's a much better investment than spending 1 year getting an LLM.

If you're trying to establish a longterm career in the US, you should consider another degree program that is in line with your professional field. If you want to study and work in the USA for a short period, maybe your plan makes sense depending on your existing professional experience, career goals, connections, age, and financial status.

Thanks for the insightful opinion. I think you may well be right. I did also apply for programs outside law schools, but I am in my mid thirties. I do intend to work and live in the US for a long time, so probably it would be a better option, i.e. the two year program. However, funding comes to play and time as well. It really depends also if I get into the programs and what they will offer.

BigZuck wrote:What why are you concerned with placement ability if you're not going to use the JD at all?

it's not a JD, its a masters. I just wanted to know if there is the same issue for Masters, i.e, the regional vs national on law schools.

flyhigh_ wrote:

BigZuck wrote:What why are you concerned with placement ability if you're not going to use the JD at all?

it's not a JD, its a masters. I just wanted to know if there is the same issue for Masters, i.e, the regional vs national on law schools.

My understanding is that non-Americans get LLMs in order to return to their home country and work there, whereas the only Americans (or non-Americans hoping to live and work in the U.S.) that really get LLMs are those who already have JDs and are practicing tax law. I don't think getting an LLM in order to work in the U.S. is your best option as it's not really a well-recognized degree here. I guess what I mean is that there isn't really a particular job market for LLMs in the U.S. unless you are a tax lawyer, so I don't think there's really much to say about the regional vs. national transportability. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong here, though.

blueapple wrote:

flyhigh_ wrote:

BigZuck wrote:What why are you concerned with placement ability if you're not going to use the JD at all?

it's not a JD, its a masters. I just wanted to know if there is the same issue for Masters, i.e, the regional vs national on law schools.

My understanding is that non-Americans get LLMs in order to return to their home country and work there, whereas the only Americans (or non-Americans hoping to live and work in the U.S.) that really get LLMs are those who already have JDs and are practicing tax law. I don't think getting an LLM in order to work in the U.S. is your best option as it's not really a well-recognized degree here. I guess what I mean is that there isn't really a particular job market for LLMs in the U.S. unless you are a tax lawyer, so I don't think there's really much to say about the regional vs. national transportability. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong here, though.

I think you are absolutely right. LLM's do go home after the degree. I would study it just to have a qualification from a US university but I intend to work on a non legal role. The fact that I can do coursework outside the law school would be an advantage but I see where you are coming from. I would do it to save time instead of enrolling in a full time MA for 2 years. I am in my mid thirties and this would potentially take a while. The Law school option is quicker in that I could end up with something relatively useful for a start. It's a pain that graduate school is 2 years in the US! It takes forever and you need to have a bit of money to sustain yourself for that period of time I guess. But the investment on a degree this long is also a good option I guess. The advantage of the LLM would be to be cheaper due to aid available from the schools. Thanks for your point re transportability. I guess if I am interested in energy and environment, UT is probably the best option