Stanford Law School for a foreign student Forum

[omyg8d]

Dear all,

I came across this site by chance and want to take the opportunity to ask my question. I am a French graduate from the University of Panthéon-Assas in Paris, I have two masters' degree respectively in business law and in banking and financial law. I did have honors for my bachelor's degree and my master 1 (this is one year after the bachelor but before what you in the US called the "master's degree" (which is a master 2 for us in France) but not for ma two last years. After graduating, I had the opportunity to make internships in Corporate/M&A at Skadden in Paris (3 months), then Davis Polk (6 months) and now, I am at Kirkland & Ellis but still in Paris (for 5 or 8 months, it is to be determined further). I plan now to take the Paris bar exam and then to enroll into it for one year and a half, with two more internships (maybe Clifford Chance because they already offered for 2022 but still I need to think and to send my applications to other law firms like Latham & Watkins, Weil Gotshal or Cleary Gottlieb, am not sure yet). In total, it would mean more than two years of internship (2 years and 4 months exactly).

I am very interested by the master of laws program of Stanford Law School. Without talking about my grades at my University (honors are given if you have above 13 out of 20), I know they require that their applicants have 2 years of professional experience. In France, people who usually become associates in a law firm do not leave for a master's degree even abroad, that's why they would rather go to Columbia or NYU, or Harvard (Harvard requires 2 years of experience but they may relatively easily make exceptions to people, which does not seem the case for Stanford). So I do not really see myself giving up my position of associate for a Master of laws in the United States.

I also speak French and Chinese bilingual, a bit of German. I plan to go to Beijing next year for one internship of 6 months.

Do you think, given my profile, I may have a chance to be admitted into SLS?

Thank you for all of those who will reply and sorry if there are some mistakes in English here.

Best,

C.

[crazywafflez]

Truthfully, can't tell ya. Is it a LLM you're going for or a regular masters degree? I'm gonna guess an LLM, and if so, probs yeah. Nothing is for sure at some of these tiptop schools but seems like you've got a strong chance. I think it is such a small pool that most of us won't really know (we are all more focused on JDs and tax llms). Maybe try contacting the department and see what they say. Just from gazing at what you've put here, I'd say you've got a real shot.
Best of luck.

[omyg8d]

Yes, sorry I did not precise but for an LLM. Thank you for your answer. I heard though that 2 years of internship are not equal to 2 years of professional experience to them and I'm afraid that this would not work.

When you say "contact the department", do you mean that in the US, they could tell before my application?

[crazywafflez]

I mean in the US, and before your application, yeah. When I was doing PhD and Masters applications I reached out to department members beforehand to ask about dissertations, fit, and what I needed to accomplish before starting/setting my path there. An LLM is different so I have no idea if this is the go to plan.
I have no clue if those two years are interchangeable- this may be a question better suited to the office of admissions at Stanford law. At least worth a shot to contact them.
I realize none of my answers have really helped you, my apologies. I think trying to contact someone there- either the LLM head, or the office of admissions, may be worth your time.