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This might be naive, but I'm wondering if anyone has insight into the added value of an LLM or Masters degree post-JD for pursuing a desirable fellowship or other academic placement at a law school. To be specific, I have a top law degree and I'm completing a federal COA clerkship, but I am concerned that my profile is still a little light and that I need more time to be taken seriously (Yes I have consulted my former professors about this). I am not quite qualified for a SCOTUS clerkship. Moreover, I have several publications in law journals and extensive research experience but no articles that gained much traction outside my law school or that have been widely cited. I think I could benefit in this regard from 6-9 months of sustained research and supervision. That being said, I don't want to waste time and resources on a worthless degree and/or experience.

I was looking mostly at the Gates or Clarendon fellowships for an LLM, with a research fulbright as a secondary option; I would not attend if I had to take out additional loans. Of course I am not presuming that I would necessarily receive these fellowships, but I have strong undergraduate and law school academics in line with the credentials of previous fellows. Would these one-two year degrees be a complete waste or could they boost my chances at academic positions in the US?

Thanks.

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