Penn's JD/LLM Program with HKU Forum

[bobbyflayed]

What's the benefit of the JD/LLM Program? Any downsides?

It seems like it doesnt extend schooling at all since the LLM studies are done in Hong Kong during your 3L.

http://www.law.upenn.edu/international/studyabroad.html

[twenty]

There's a similar program at Harvard, JD/LLM in 3.5 years with Cambridge. My guess is that a lot of people don't do it because it will almost undoubtedly screw around with your summers. But that's entirely a guess.

[hopper123]

There's a similar program at Harvard, JD/LLM in 3.5 years with Cambridge. My guess is that a lot of people don't do it because it will almost undoubtedly screw around with your summers. But that's entirely a guess.

[bobbyflayed]

I speak Cantonese which is the main language in HK and I am interested in working there.

[hopper123]

I speak Cantonese which is the main language in HK and I am interested in working there.

Sorry, didn't know cantonese was the main language of HK--I made the assumption that mandarin is the most popular in China and extended that to HK. Then I say "yes, it's worth it." I'm part of an ivy league club overseas and that club has helped me in landing interviews at jobs that are often inaccessible to many people, so here is my best advice: check to see if the Penn alum base is strong in HK. If so, then contact some of these people ahead of time and see if there are any lawyers in the mix. If not, then see if there is a Harvard/Yale/Princeton base that you can contact somehow. The point of the LLM would be networking more than anything else.

[bobbyflayed]

I speak Cantonese which is the main language in HK and I am interested in working there.

Sorry, didn't know cantonese was the main language of HK--I made the assumption that mandarin is the most popular in China and extended that to HK. Then I say "yes, it's worth it." I'm part of an ivy league club overseas and that club has helped me in landing interviews at jobs that are often inaccessible to many people, so here is my best advice: check to see if the Penn alum base is strong in HK. If so, then contact some of these people ahead of time and see if there are any lawyers in the mix. If not, then see if there is a Harvard/Yale/Princeton base that you can contact somehow. The point of the LLM would be networking more than anything else.

thanks! so there's really no professional benefit of the LLM besides networking?

[CanadianWolf]

If you plan on practicing law in Honk Kong, then it should make interviewing much easier. Plus, anything that gets a law student excited about the third year of law school is worth investigating.

[hopper123]

I speak Cantonese which is the main language in HK and I am interested in working there.

Sorry, didn't know cantonese was the main language of HK--I made the assumption that mandarin is the most popular in China and extended that to HK. Then I say "yes, it's worth it." I'm part of an ivy league club overseas and that club has helped me in landing interviews at jobs that are often inaccessible to many people, so here is my best advice: check to see if the Penn alum base is strong in HK. If so, then contact some of these people ahead of time and see if there are any lawyers in the mix. If not, then see if there is a Harvard/Yale/Princeton base that you can contact somehow. The point of the LLM would be networking more than anything else.

thanks! so there's really no professional benefit of the LLM besides networking?

That would be my assumption; though, I could be very wrong. If you were from HK and did an llm at Penn, I think that would be of more use. But for a US citizen to do an LLM in HK...I don't know if the costs are worth the benefits. Ask penn if they have any alums of that particular program that you could talk to and then ask them what they thought of their experience. That will be your best resource.