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Cooley Grad considering an LLM from a decent School
Posted: Mon Sep 09, 2013 2:45 am
by Cooleytruthsayer
Has any TTT grads considered going to a real law school to get an LLM to try to be able to say "yes I went to (school whatever)"
Any practicing attorneys have any feedback on it too?
Re: Cooley Grad considering an LLM from a decent School
Posted: Mon Sep 09, 2013 3:03 am
by Mick Haller
Nope, won't help. Tax is the only LLM worth anything and even there you'd need NYU or Georgetown.
Just cut your losses and find another career if your Cooley JD won't get you a lawyer job.
Re: Cooley Grad considering an LLM from a decent School
Posted: Mon Sep 09, 2013 12:05 pm
by A. Nony Mouse
I've seen people discussing this elsewhere on the web and the consensus in those conversations was that people still look at the JD and where you earned it, not the LLM - that you can't wipe away a crappy JD by getting an LLM at a top school. The only argument I've seen for an LLM (besides tax from Georgetown/NYU - and then you have to practice tax law) is if you're going into academia, and you can use the LLM year to 1) publish in good law reviews and 2) make connections with important faculty in your research field. You'd probably have to have a pretty good idea of a research agenda going into the program, though. And people still debated whether it was worth it. Also, the person I knew who did this was trying to mitigate the "stain" of a T30-40 law school (where he did extremely well academically), and got his LLM at Harvard (also had an additional grad degree from a very good school in that field).
Re: Cooley Grad considering an LLM from a decent School
Posted: Mon Sep 09, 2013 8:15 pm
by Cooleytruthsayer
I've even thought about going as far as getting a PhD just to say "I am Dr so and so from 'not-cooley' "
But I am guessing that if the LLM isn't worth it, that wouldn't be worth it either.
Re: Cooley Grad considering an LLM from a decent School
Posted: Mon Sep 09, 2013 8:25 pm
by Mick Haller
Putting money and years into education can only go so far in furthering your career. PhDs and LLMs aren't the answer to getting a middle class job. If anything, go pick up some hard skills at a university extension. Accounting, programming, something.
Above all else start thinking more about where you are going to work, rather than the next piece of paper you'll hang on your wall.
Re: Cooley Grad considering an LLM from a decent School
Posted: Mon Sep 09, 2013 8:27 pm
by Cooleytruthsayer
Mick Haller wrote:Putting money and years into education can only go so far in furthering your career. PhDs and LLMs aren't the answer to getting a middle class job. If anything, go pick up some hard skills at a university extension. Accounting, programming, something.
Above all else start thinking more about where you are going to work, rather than the next piece of paper you'll hang on your wall.
To be fair, I don't really want a middle class job as my terminal goal
It may be aiming a bit high, but even a Cooley grad can dream.
Re: Cooley Grad considering an LLM from a decent School
Posted: Mon Sep 09, 2013 8:28 pm
by prezidentv8
Obligatory:

Re: Cooley Grad considering an LLM from a decent School
Posted: Mon Sep 09, 2013 8:55 pm
by A. Nony Mouse
Cooleytruthsayer wrote:I've even thought about going as far as getting a PhD just to say "I am Dr so and so from 'not-cooley' "
If that's the reason you want it, you'd never make it through a PhD program.
Re: Cooley Grad considering an LLM from a decent School
Posted: Mon Sep 09, 2013 8:58 pm
by Cooleytruthsayer
A. Nony Mouse wrote:Cooleytruthsayer wrote:I've even thought about going as far as getting a PhD just to say "I am Dr so and so from 'not-cooley' "
If that's the reason you want it, you'd never make it through a PhD program.
How do you figure?
Re: Cooley Grad considering an LLM from a decent School
Posted: Mon Sep 09, 2013 9:32 pm
by A. Nony Mouse
Because they're hard and long programs and wanting a title isn't going to get you through writing a dissertation.
Re: Cooley Grad considering an LLM from a decent School
Posted: Mon Sep 09, 2013 9:43 pm
by rad lulz
Dude pay a fee and become an online minister so you can say you are Father Cooleytruthsayer
Re: Cooley Grad considering an LLM from a decent School
Posted: Mon Sep 09, 2013 9:48 pm
by akg144
rad lulz wrote:Dude pay a fee and become an online minister so you can say you are Father Cooleytruthsayer
lolol
Re: Cooley Grad considering an LLM from a decent School
Posted: Mon Sep 09, 2013 9:54 pm
by Cooleytruthsayer
rad lulz wrote:Dude pay a fee and become an online minister so you can say you are Father Cooleytruthsayer
Eh, if I wanted to do that I'd get one of those phony papermill degrees like Novus.
Re: Cooley Grad considering an LLM from a decent School
Posted: Mon Sep 09, 2013 9:54 pm
by Cooleytruthsayer
A. Nony Mouse wrote:Because they're hard and long programs and wanting a title isn't going to get you through writing a dissertation.
Depends on how much you want it I guess. I have known people who managed to get a JD with less motivation than that.
Re: Cooley Grad considering an LLM from a decent School
Posted: Mon Sep 09, 2013 9:59 pm
by midwest17
Cooleytruthsayer wrote:A. Nony Mouse wrote:Because they're hard and long programs and wanting a title isn't going to get you through writing a dissertation.
Depends on how much you want it I guess. I have known people who managed to get a JD with less motivation than that.
PhDs are much, much, much, much harder to get than JDs.
Re: Cooley Grad considering an LLM from a decent School
Posted: Mon Sep 09, 2013 10:01 pm
by Cooleytruthsayer
midwest17 wrote:Cooleytruthsayer wrote:A. Nony Mouse wrote:Because they're hard and long programs and wanting a title isn't going to get you through writing a dissertation.
Depends on how much you want it I guess. I have known people who managed to get a JD with less motivation than that.
PhDs are much, much, much, much harder to get than JDs.
Not saying that isn't true.