Did you include your transcript and diploma from undergrad in your application?

I INCLUDED MY TRANSCRIPT, BUT NOT MY DIPLOMA. 

I'm asking this in line with the TOEFL requirement. Just wondering if there needed to be like official certification that we earned our first law degree entirely in English in an English-speaking country. Or did you take the TOEFL or get a waiver?

 I GOT A WAIVER. 

There is a strong suggestion to include only two letters of recommendation. Did you follow that suggestion? :)

INITIALLY I SUBMITTED JUST TWO. BUT I LATER IN THE PROCESS (AND THIS WAS AROUND APRIL) GOT A RECOMMENDATION LETTER FROM THE UNITED NATIONS, AND I FORWARDED IT TO THEM. THEY SAID THEY WOULD INCLUDE IT IN MY FILE. (IT WAS SCANNED AND EMAILED TO THEM.)

The Columbia Early Review got back to me and said my application is incomplete as I have not sent them ORIGINAL documents (ie transcripts, diplomas)?! I understood it should be enough with certified copies? 

YOU SHOULD CALL THEM UP. I REMEMBER INCLUDING  JUST CERTIFIED TRUE COPIES. 

Are you enjoying it in CLS?

NO.

KIDDING, YES.

How worthwhile or valuable is the Corporate Law LLM for a US law student? I've heard that for US law students, the Tax LLM is the only LLM worth the time and money and even then only from a select few schools. 

--- not really sure. you should take a look at this post from ATL:

http://abovethelaw.com/2008/07/the_value_of_an_llm_degree_rev.php

--- see also the responses in this thread:

http://abovethelaw.com/2008/01/open_thread_on_llm_degrees.php

Does Columbia have an LLM specifically in Business/Corporate Law? From what I have uncovered from my research, I thought they do not.

they do not. there's no specialized LLM in cls.

Did you apply to other schools and were you admitted?

YES, I APPLIED TO OTHER SCHOOLS AND I WAS ADMITTED.

Where are you from?

I’M FROM ASIA. 

The structure of this module is all over the place, we range from having 1 lecturer in a 2 hour lecture to having 3 with an assistant as well. All three of them seem to have different views of the topic and they disagree all the time...its fantastic. 

Have you ever been in a lecture where the lecturer is saying the exact same thing that you read in the text book written by him/her (which also just happens to be the recommended text for the course, what a coincidence ?), all you ever get is one view of the subject. This helps no one and just doesn't mirror the reality of the legal scene. Not this module.

Anyway this module is just so interesting and it really sounds like something I would love to do as a career but and there always seems to be a 'but' with law, this is a profession that seems very hard to get into and i keep hearing what seems to be turning into everybody's mantra 'it's really competitive'.

But that does not detract from the actual substance of the module, to be fair there is a lot and i mean A LOT of reading that you have to do by yourself and we never finish covering what we are supposed to in class but hey this is masters right, just suck it up and move on. I do have to make a special mention though, Toby Landau who sort of heads the course this semester is awesome, he really makes you analyse what he is teaching you both theoretically and practically.

Which brings me to one final point that i have about the LLM course at King's in general, as much as i moan and whinge about it one thing that i appreciate above all is that all the lecturers approach the modules from a practical realistic angle. So they will teach you all the heavy theory but then they will qualify it by saying something like you do need to know the theory but in modern practice nobody really refers to this anymore. As far as i am concerned anything that makes my course more relevant works for me.

One thing I would say to anyone who is considering doing a LLM, it is something you have to be prepared to committ a lot of time to in order to do it well. I thought that once I got into the swing of things with my academics, I would be able to get a part-time job to save for that scary time otherwise known as 'looking for a job after you graduate'. But I have had to rethink that slightly as I just don't have the time. I'm not saying it can't be done but I really do think that if you can possibly afford not to work and study you should.

 I am having a few sleepless nights about my future job prospects as the deadlines for internships and work placements are fast approaching. The faint echoes of whether this LLM is really going to be worth it have been bouncing around in my head. Some people keep telling me that there is no way a person who gets a decent LLM from a place like Kings could ever not get a job afterwards. But people used to say that Lehman Bros would never go bankrupt and well we all know how that ended...

But anyway, I suppose these are questions that depend on me and how much advantage I can take of the opportunities I have been given.

Well on that note, I had better get back to the books.

Im taking International Human Rights Law, International Criminal Law (Im writing my dissertation on this subject), International Law of the Sea and Law and Policity of International Courts and Tribunals.

I have classes from Monday to Thursday. So one subject per day and the class lasts 2 hours.  Your timetable will sure vary depending on the subjects you take. You might end up having to go to uni 5 times per week or more if you are taking two or more 22.5 credit courses and maybe less if you have 2 subjects per day. It all depends on the subjects you choose.

 I was reallt sick this week so its was a very good week but also a bad one because i was not 100% into my studies but well i did my best.That usually happens to me when i move to a new country,,and well it rains a lot in london and its very cold already in October (12°C). In my country the temperature is between 28 and 35 degrees celsious the whole year so that gives you an idea how cold im feeling,,,,and its not even late November or December hehe but well whatever i can take it!

My impression so far its simply great,,,the teachers are nice, the courses are very well structured,,this is a very well organized uni and Im really happy to be here. Its only the 2nd week so i feel very positive and i intend to stay this way. No uni its perfect but it also depends on how positive or negative you want your experience to be. If its up to me i will make this the best year possible!

So far many people from the llm have gathered together two or three times. On Saturday i went to a lebanese restaurant and it was so crowded,,,it was very nice there and i had a lot of fun. I met a lot of people as well. They also went out yesterday night but i was too sick and i decided to stay home and rest. So yes its a nice and friendly environment here in UCL!

Well guys no more week to week thing,,,i might only write once per month and summarize my experience so far,,cause like i said we dont have much time,,and i want to complete my reading list, do some volunteering, take mandarin classes (oh yes) and have some fun why not?

But i will do my best to do a good summary so you can all know what it feels like ti be a llm student at UCL.

Bye bye everybody and good luck to those starting to make their applications for 2010/2011. I wish you the best and i hope this blog helps both people applying to UCL and people considering to apply there..and why not? people from other unis so they dont feel so lonely and find a place to read about being an llm student,,unis and people are different but we all got the same purpose,,,we are all in the same situation,,,its a lot of work but we can do it believe me!

I hope you enjoyed it and sorry for the manyyy mistakes,,,i write too fast sorry!

Registration with university. Go early so dont you end up like me in a long line for almost 2 hours! That same day you get your student id card and your user id and password so you can use the computers, access moodle, portico and use the internet from your hall in case you live in one.

Yes i guess you are like,,moodle,,portico,,what is that? well moodle is a little and very fun place where you can find many details about the courses you choose, such as venue, time, the teachers, THE READING LIST :((

 OHHH THE READING LIST ITS HUGE FOR EVERY COURSE! Thanks Gods you can only take 180 credits that means four subjects if you choose 45 credit courses. But dont worry we can handle it,,other people did why wouldnt you ??

Just do the reading before every class and youll be fine really,,,its a lot but im sure you can all do it. its very well organized believe me so you can see exactly what you are expected to read for the first class, the second class etc.  Most books are on the library but i recommend you to buy the books the professors says are important,,its always better to have your own thing,,,like i said thats only my opinion. the rest of the articles and reading will be posted on moodle and teachers usually give a link or a pdf documents so they help you find the documents they ask you to read,,,some other times just go to the library or access it online.

Oh then Portico is where you can find per example your invoces, your main contact details, your next of kin details, they also inform you here if you have to pay for something such as residence fees, course fees, bedding pack or anything else) and this is where you select the subjects you are actually going to take,,this is the real thing,,here you can only choose the subjects you are going to take for sure,,on moodle you can select the courses as well but they are not recorded as formal registration,,on portico yes,,,so be sure about what you decide,,,,more info will be given to you by the graduate tutor and also on handbooks and leaflets you will have to read so you dont miss anything,,there are deadlines so make sure you do things on time. Feel free to ask your classmates or people from staff if you are not sure,,they are willing to help you at all times.

MM what else,,on Tuesday 29 September 09 i registered at the faculty of law,,only took one minute and they have my student pack with timetables, induction dates etc etc etc

this first week its only for you to learn more about ucl services, go to inductions in the subjects you might be interested on taking (this week we have no formal lectures,,its like a taster of some of the subjects you can take so you decide if you like the sound of it, the teacher etc and then make your decision).

there is a lot of info to process, so take your time, organize yourself and breath!

Oh and the classmates are simply great,,,the ones ive met so far are very very nice, very intelligent of course and i must admit that at the beginning i was feeling a little bit shy but then i was likee no no i have to talk more to people so i can make some friends and enjoy my stay here. People are nice so dont be shy ir scared,,,,you are all in the same boat!

So well thats its for the first week,,,second week now!

Im staying at James Lighthill House Halls of Residence and the closest tube station is this one. So if you are staying here next year dont worry its excellent at least in my opinion!

Its only a 25 minute walk to UCL main campus and around 15 to 18 to UCL Faculty of Laws (depending on how fast your walk but Im not that fast i must admit). I love the area its so full of live, lots of shops, restaurants, banks and supermarkets around. And the accommodation its only around a 5 minute walk from King Cross/St. Pancrass station, isnt that great? You can travel from there to a lot of places in UK (scotland, ireland, etc), Paris, Brussels and other places in Europe if you find some time to travel that is of course hehe!

The halls are really nice and I love my room. Not that big but not small either. I have my bed of course, desk and chair, another chair for visitors :), wardrove and bedside table and my own shower, washbasin and WC. To me thats was very important cause i feel more confortable thay way and the common kitchen its big enough. We are 7 room per flat and my building has only 3 floor,,,all the people living are postgraduates but the people in the building in front of us and across are both postgraduates and undergraduates so you might heard a litttlee noise but nothing to worry about,,its actually good because believe me this postgrad building its really quiet which is perfect to study but its also nice to know some people of having fun out there hehe.

Dont get me wrong, we can have fun but not as much as undergraduates of course. Our llm is only one year so that means we have to work harder than everyone else.  The people in my building its very nice and i feel at home here.

So well to conclude about the accommodation thing we also have a common room, laundry room (you have to ask for a laundry card which you top up online) and a nice garden. Security its everything here so you need a card to access every single place so dont worry you are very very safe here and the staff its very helpfull and friendly. Supermarket,,please go to iceland or sainsbury´s, the rest are quite expensive. Those two are only a 10 minute walk away and there are many convenience stores in that same road as well as restaurants. Like i said before king cross is just 5 minutes from there so you can go there if you dont feel like cooking or eating a frozen meal just go there and you will find several chinese, indian and international food restaurants, mac donalds, KFC, burguer king and much more.

I know i talk and give to many details but this is what i wanted to find out before moving to london so i hope you find all these details helpfull!

Mmm lets see what else..oh i order a bedding pack before here,,it was 50 pounds and it contained a duvet, duvet cover, pillow, pillow cover, another cover for the bed, hand towel and bath towel. Please bear this in mind. You can also bring or buy yours here, its up to you. OH no toilet paper in the rooms so if you have ensuite accomodation for gods sake bring your own, at least that what i did.

Ok then that was Saturday night when i arrived, then Sunday I simply walked around and found out about all the above places i mentioned and YES i went to the uni as well. GREAT AND AMAZING! i was so excited i couldnt contain myself,,,i was finally here!

I took a walk around the main campus, the student union and the faculty of law because i wanted to make sure i was going to find my way on the registration day. You could enroll that Sunday but i decided to wait until Monday.

Oh yes you can also do it during the international students orientation program which i missed due to my visa issued but its ok you are not missing aaa lotttt and you can always rely on facebook to check what happened there. Its good for you to contact some of your classmates before you come so you know somebody at least because ucl llm class was hugeeeeee almost 400 people i was like wow i cannot believe this,,,but yessss,,,but then the classes are smaller of course because we then all split and divide according to our specialization and the subjects we are interested in taking.

Ok thats all for this 2 first days lets move on to the interesting part,,registration etc etc

It all began on 24 October last year when i submitted my application! Yes, i tried to apply as early as possible since many people in the llm forum suggested it was the best thing to do. Im amazed how fast times passes by. I still remember when I was all nervous trying to collect all my paper in order to submit my applications.

I applied to 5 universities in total. 4 in London and one in Scotland. My first choice was London. I always knew I wanted to study there because I had other things in mind such as internships, volunteering opportunities and much much more and in my opinion London was the place to do that.

So then after I collected all my documents i submitted my applications and hoped for the best. I applied to Kings College London (KCL), University College London (UCL), London School of Economics (LSE), Queen mary, University of London (QMUL) and University of Edinburgh. The ones i liked the most were LSE and UCL.

Around 10 November 08, all this unis acknowledged my application and KCL was the first to say NOOOO. Of course i felt very sad because I was thinking oh lord maybe this is a bad sign but i had nothing else to than wait.

Around 20 December 08 Edinburgh informed me i had an unconditional offer. I was very excited because i also liked this uni a lot and after doing some research was considering that maybe this was the best idea. It was cheaper and it seemed like a very good uni.

Then on January UCL sent me a letter informing me I had a conditional offer from them. The condition was nothing important. I studying at the time another degree at Uni and they told me they wanted me to send them a letter confirming that I was not going to be enroll during 2009/2010 in that university. Since of course this wasnt my intention i obtained the letter that same week and the following month they sent me my unconditional offer. OHHH WHAT A HAPPY DAYYYYYYY   :)

On March 09 Queen Mary also informed me I had an unconditional offer. I was like oh yes 3 unis already,,,lets see what the last uni says.

Finally on April 09 (yes almost 5 months after submitting my application) LSE rejected me and I was like ok no problem. Got a little bit sad but by this time i had made up my mind about UCL and that same say I confirmed my place there :)

An LLM from UCL wow i was really excited!! i had checked the rankings (yes i admit i did) and UCL position was simply excellent. I kept checking their website all the time hehe and could not stop smiling and dreaming about me going there.

I decided i was going to specialize in Public International Law since my main goal and ultimate dream isto work at the United Nations or any other international organization. I love what they do, i believe in what they do and truly consider I can also do something positive for the world and also my country: Panama.

Around March i decided it was a good idea to do something before starting my LLM. Something interesting and related to the LLM. I then decided to apply to do an internship at the United nations in Vienna,,why not? it was going to be a great opportunity to make sure i liked that international environment, get to know more about the UN and simply obtain some extra knowledge.

So I applied and was accepted. Oh such a happy day as well. I left to Vienna around May 2st and started my 4 month internship on September 4 at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). MY experience there was memorable and im really happy i made the decision to go there!

But then my visa nightmare began!!! oh yessssss. Not gonna tell the whole story here cause everyone on the llm site knows it i think hehehe,,for further information please visit http://www.llm-guide.com/board/63688/4 . Please the visa its very important! please please and please really look at the requirements and dont think they british embassy will not be strict cause they will,,any mistake counts so please do your best so you dont rejected like me,,,orrrr PLEASE DONT apply in a country that its not your home country if you don have your residence permit. Maybe this is obvious now but i was misinformed and i wouldnt like you to feel the same i did,,,sad, depressed and about to have a heart attack!

So well when i finally got my visa on 25 September 2009 (Please notice this was the same day i had my flight to London) i left and started my journed in London! UCL LLM 2009/2010 here I come   :)))))))))))))))))

I get questions from prospective Columbia Law School LLM applicants, and I thought it might be useful to put down the questions here, and my answers. 

Q. What do they require among applicants?
A. Columbia generally requires you to be an honors graduate and to have at least one year work experience. This work experience requirement can vary. i heard that they don't require dutch candidates to have any work experience, because no one from the netherlands does an llm after they start working, so their pool of applicants from the netherlands will not have any work experience. but i guess most folks here all have some work experience, so I suspect they will require work experience in general. Of course, publication, law review experience, Nobel peace prize awards all help.

Q. I checked out Columbia's website, and it says that the LLM program is generally restricted to honor graduates of their respective law program. Do you know of any students that were admitted despite not having those grades?

A. Of course, admissions are very competitive; there were 1600+ applicants for 220+ seats, so just try anyway, and show that you have done something special apart from school.

Q. How is the scholarship and financial aid situation in Columbia?
A. Columbia does provide financial aid in the form of partial discounts to tuition.
There are other funding opportunities you can explore, such as Fulbright.  

Q. How helpful is Columbia when it comes to helping students look for other financial resources?
A. If you look at Columbia's website, they have information on other sources of funding that you can look at. Apart from that, Columbia will not look for funding sources for you, you'll have to go hunting on your own.

Q. What did you put down in your personal statement?
A. My pre-LLM background is a bit fragmented. BS and JD, worked for 2.5 years in corporate firm, LLM in an exotic city for a year, 6 months UN internship, so my PS had a lot to do with explaining why I made those jumps in my career! I also indicated my post-LLM plans, how a Columbia LLM fits into that, and the classes I wanted to take.

Q. It would be REALLY helpful for me to see a copy of your personal statement. Can I take a look at it?

A. Sigh. Okay, see below:

What the fuck people! I need a motherfuckin LLM, and I have a resume that says I am fucking fit to be your goddamn commencement speaker of the graduating class. I have applied to a ton of LLMs in here, and not one of them responded (not even an “application complete email”), WHAT THE FUCK?!

Personal statement? Here's my fucking personal statement!

Now, I'm really low on financial aid now, and I'll suck a dick if I have to...that's right!

Got a bear in your backyard that keeps eating your garbage? I'll fight that motherfucker and I'll win! Can any other prospective LLM candidate say that?! FUCK NO! What'd you say? You lost your keys to the school? FUCK IT! I'll shoot the goddamn lock off your door with my laser eyes! That's how bad I need a motherfuckin LLM! Your brother is gay and you're not cool with that? I'll de-gay him with reverse buttsex. Don't believe me?! Then accept me (with financial aid) and I'll fucking show you!

OBJECTIVE

I need a motherfuckin LLM.

SHIT I HAVE DONE

-I invented the moon.

-Atlantis was around til 1988, but sunk when I shot out of my mom's vagina like a silver bullet into a wolverine.

-I am also a wolverine.

-Had sex with the Spice Girls.

-The Socratic method was originally my idea until that bastard Roscoe Pound stole it.

-I have prophetic visions of the apocolypse.

-Watched the movie "Legally Blonde" at least 18 times.

-Created a new genre of dance in which people get so into it that radiation waves pulsate off of them, I like to call this the microrave.

-I reverse engineered a door, I now know how it works.

-When I was 8, a frisbee flew into my backyard and I blew it up with my mind.

-My brother is the Eiffel Tower

-Direct descendant of Edward Cooke and William Blackstone

-Can make weapons out of anything, very useful in the classroom

-Beat my pornography addiction when I was 19

-Proficient in Microsoft Office and Photoshop

RELEVANT WORK EXPERIENCE

GlomGlom Corporation of Evil Doing

POSITION: Legal intern

DUTIES: Setting up sex scandals in which to blackmail wealthy politicians, forwarding email, burning down the houses of the poor, loan sharking, answering phones, greeting clients in a manner that would frighten most people

PUBLICATIONS

Corporate Law, 1986 (fucking Robert Clark stole my draft)

Little Brown & Co.

REFERENCES

Glomgor Evil

GlomGlom Corporation of Evil Doings

gorlock@peanutbutternipples.com

Sloblor the Muck Monster

GreenHate Enterprises

sloblor@greenhate.com

So, now that you know the real me, are you gonna get me into class of 2009-2010 or not? I would like to remind you that I can make weapons out of anything.

Sincerely,

michaelcorleone

remember.....anything.

Good luck to all applicants (I know we are in the middle of the application season). See you soon!