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LL.M. Discussion Board > USA > LL.M Graduates 
LL.M Graduates
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Nandita  
Joined: 27 May 2005 Posts: 10 |
LL.M Graduates
hey...this is for all the recent LL.M grads in US. Now that we graduated , what next??Pls post all the issues we are facing with the bar exam, job offers, visa status, etc...any questions or information, suggestions will be of great help...it will be nice if we could read about how each LL.M grad is handling all these challenges.Sun May 29, 2005 04:29 AM thanks.. |
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| Nandita
Joined: 27 May 2005 Posts: 10 |
Re: LL.M Graduates
how many ppl here have passed the bar exam so far?
Mon May 30, 2005 06:39 PM |
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| peggyw77 Joined: 22 Feb 2005 Posts: 67 |
Re: LL.M Graduates
At Cornell's LLM class, it was about 50% last year.
Mon May 30, 2005 07:55 PM |
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| Nandita
Joined: 27 May 2005 Posts: 10 |
Re: LL.M Graduates
wow..sounds good. This must be the NY Bar? I'm currently preparing for the california bar. ..so i was just wondering what are our chances...neway what r u doing peggy?
Mon May 30, 2005 09:21 PM |
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| Anurag
Joined: 22 Mar 2005 Posts: 21 |
Re: LL.M Graduates
Hi Nandita,Tue May 31, 2005 10:09 AM Your name tells me that you're from India. If yes, could you please answer a few questions: 1) Which law school did you go to and which course did you take up? 2) How has your experience of a US LLM been? 3) What sort of job are you hoping to find? 4) Are you expecting any sort of trouble on the visa issue? 5) What do you think are the prospects of Indian LLB students with a US LLM in US? I myself am contemplating applying for a US LLM and your advice shall be extremely helpful. If you wish to e-mail me, my id is anurag_14@hotmail.com.Thanks a lot. |
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| RituM
Joined: 30 May 2005 Posts: 6 |
Re: LL.M Graduates
Hello Nandita and Anurag,Tue May 31, 2005 05:01 PM I am also from India and hold a LL.B degree from University of delhi. Nandita I have the same questions as Anurag and am particularly interested in knowing the job prospects in USA for us after puring an LL.M. Thanks a lot and I look forward to hearing back from you. Also my email id is ritumalhotra@hotmail.com, if you prefer to reply there. |
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| Nandita
Joined: 27 May 2005 Posts: 10 |
Re: LL.M Graduates
Hi guys...now i see ur in the same boat i was in 2 yrs back....i will try to answer ur qsns ..Wed Jun 01, 2005 03:03 AM 1) I graduated from UC Hastings..LL.M in US Law..concentrated on corporate law 2) Experience..well it was definitey a great experience tobe in law school here...the teaching is veryyyyyy different from india. I dunno about the rest but my law school life for one yr was totally stressful. U cant be doing much apart from ur daily reading and if ur invlolved in other stuff going on in campus...basically there was not much life outside law school for me. Now looking back, I really liked my classes and my professors and i feel i learnt a lot in a short period. 3) job prospects...sucks...i havent found any so far...I graduated just 2 weeks back. I'm currently preparing for the california bar exam. Havent got any offers so far. 4) visa is the main issue for not getting job offers...nobody wants the headache to sponser visa for foreign attorneys when there are already enough US attorneys here. It can happen in very rare cases..and i'm still hoping that some miracle would happen...if i do get lucky will let u know 5) To conclude, the job scene is really bad..specially with the visa issue. If ur interested in doing ur LL.M and do ur trainiing here for 1 yr...i recommend u to pls work in India for a yr ot two and then pursue ur LL.M . U may have better chances with ur job...hope this helps..:) |
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| N Sharma
Joined: 24 May 2005 Posts: 11 |
Re: LL.M Graduates
Hi everyone.Wed Jun 01, 2005 08:09 AM Its really nice to hear from fellow Indians on this thread. Nandita, wish you good luck for your job search. Cheers, Namrata |
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| RituM
Joined: 30 May 2005 Posts: 6 |
Re: LL.M Graduates
Hi Nandita,Wed Jun 01, 2005 04:34 PM Thanks a lot for your very frank opinion on various issues. Good luck with your job hunt! I had couple of more questions for you based on your reply: 1) Were there any foreign attorneys in your class who did not have a visa issue? Like they already had Green Card or something, is the statistics for getting a job for those people better than the rest who have a visa issue? 2) Did you have any work experience in India before you came here for your LL.M or you came directly after your LL.B? Thanks! Ritu |
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| Nandita
Joined: 27 May 2005 Posts: 10 |
Re: LL.M Graduates
Ritu:Thu Jun 02, 2005 12:10 AM I dont see so much problem with you pursuing LL.M Yes, there were ppl with no visa issues in my class. Some of them on greencard and some spouses of H1-B. If u have work experience in any field so far..it will be of great value to u. I would recommend u to go ahead and apply for the program. P.S I didnt have work experience except for my internships |
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| Anurag
Joined: 22 Mar 2005 Posts: 21 |
Re: LL.M Graduates
Hi Nandita,Thu Jun 02, 2005 02:59 PM Thanks a ton for your long reply. Are you expecting things to change after cracking the Cal Bar or would it not make much of a differnce as far as the job search goes? Cheers! |
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| Nandita
Joined: 27 May 2005 Posts: 10 |
Re: LL.M Graduates
it does make a difference
Thu Jun 02, 2005 03:46 PM |
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| jai
Joined: 01 Jun 2005 Posts: 7 |
Re: LL.M Graduates
Hello! Thu Jun 02, 2005 04:47 PM Nandita & others, This is Jai from India. Firstly Good Luck for the job. one of my friend at boston university has a similar response. great about law school but so-so regarding job. He has got an interview call from a law firm. Nandita would you like to tell me what type of experience is helpful in getting job? At present i am in a publishing house(law), would you like to suggest some changes like joining a law firm etc? My plan is for next session with best wishes jai |
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shil_aditya
 Joined: 25 Feb 2005 Posts: 46 |
Re: LL.M Graduates
Hi all,Fri Jun 03, 2005 09:14 AM Great to come across this discussion. Had a couple of queries regarding qualifying in the US and more importantly working in the US on qualification. First, allow me to introduce myself. I am Shiladitya from India. I have just completed my LLB from the UK (awaiting final results). My queries - 1. How difficult is it to get a job in the US AFTER qualifying in a state (either NYC or California)? 2. Having done my LLB in the UK, I can directly appear for the NYC Bar without doing an LLM in the US. Should I still do the LLM to increase my employability or is an LLM regarded as purely an academic degree? 3. If I were to clear the NYC Bar without a US LLM, how would I go about in looking for a job? (Bear in mind without a student visa, I will be able to stay in the US as a tourist and would such a visa make it more difficult for me to apply to firms? Look forward to hearing from you. Regards. |
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| dudely
Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 9 |
Re: LL.M Graduates
hey nandita,Sun Jun 05, 2005 10:12 AM hows the job hunt goin? i just graduated from ILS, pune (ranked No. 1 in this weeks india today!!!! awesome research they ve done man!!!lol) and have been admitted to geroge washington university and LSE. on the wait-list of cornell but im not too hopeful about getting admission there. dont have any experience either except the usual internships. im quite disturbed to hear that you re having a tough time finding a job. is it really all that difficult? did u intern in some firm there during your holidays? how re you preparing for the bar exam? is the LLM enough prep or are you going for one of those prep programs? why did you choose to sit for the cal bar instead of the NY bar? arent the job opps on the east coast better? cheers Parveet |
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| Nandita
Joined: 27 May 2005 Posts: 10 |
Re: LL.M Graduates
hey..thats great news..i'm surprised actually..I'm an ILS Grdauate too...good for us. Congratulations on getting admiited to Washington University and LSE. ..LSE is definitely a better choice unless u want to be in US. Well the job hunt is going on....but I'm currently focussing on the bar exam as it is very intensive and super hectic..LLM is not enough for u to take the bar...i'm taking the barbri..the bar prep course. The bar exam is really difficult to pass specially for foreigh attorneys..
Wed Jun 08, 2005 06:10 PM |
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| dudely
Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 9 |
Re: LL.M Graduates
hey nandita,Wed Jun 08, 2005 07:56 PM hows it going? i ve already sent you a msg seperately asking for your opinion on taking up admission at the George Washington uni in the states or LSE in the UK. ppl i ve spoken to seem to be of the opinion that the scope for foreign lawyers in the US is definately more than the UK. i dont want to finish the LLM and come straight back! just thought i should get the opinion of all who read this. what say ppl? LLM in the US vs. an LLM in the UK? where do you see more opportunity, more scope, more money, more prestige...? Pl let me know. i need to decide within a week. my areas of interest are Coporate law, all kinds of civil litigations and international commercial arbitration. cheers Parveet |
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| Anurag
Joined: 22 Mar 2005 Posts: 21 |
Re: LL.M Graduates
Hi dudely,Thu Jun 09, 2005 07:28 AM From whatever information I have been able to gather UK isn't a great option for you as you intend to work for sometime before you come back. I have also heard about some racism issues in the UK. But then, I am no expert. I may be wrong. As for your interest in civil litigation, I would seriously request you to check with someone in the US. Maybe, Nandita can provide some info. From what I have heard it is rather impossible to make a mark in litigation in the US. You can expect to find work as as a solicitor but to work as a attorney is really difficult. As I said earlier this is just hearsy and needs to be checked up. Nandita, are you listening? |
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| Nandita
Joined: 27 May 2005 Posts: 10 |
Re: LL.M Graduates
hi guys.. . It depends what ur goal is. As i said its not easy to start with ur career in the US with a law degree unlike the techies. Now i dont mean to discourage ppl here. O yea , it is very challenging to get into litigation here..but its not impossible. U'll blend into the law system here after some years. So it might seem hard in the beginning but u'll get used to the way things are expected from u here. If u get lucky with get getting job offers, i think US is good and u could grow more...u need to do a lot of networking with the ppl here and be good at marketing urself....the starting point is the problem.Sun Jun 12, 2005 01:08 AM Jai: I'm sorry i'm missed ur qsn earlier..any kind of prior legal experience before LL.M will be useful . It will be nice if u focussed on the practice area that interests u. good luck everyone.. bar exam prepartion sucks!..cant wait to be done with this!! |
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| Anurag
Joined: 22 Mar 2005 Posts: 21 |
Re: LL.M Graduates
Hi Nandita,Sun Jun 12, 2005 05:27 AM Thanks for replying. We're sure you'll crack the bar. Just keep going. Do you have any idea as to which are the hot practice areas in litigation? The reason I'm asking this question is it might act as a pointer for me in choosing my LLM subjects. Also, do you think it makes a lot of difference if I don't go to one of the top 10 law schools (as regards job oppurtunities)? Cheers, Anurag. |
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| IntLaw Joined: 22 Jun 2005 Posts: 62 |
Re: Re: LL.M Graduates
Hello everybody, Fri Jun 24, 2005 01:19 PM Nice postings. A few questions. 1) A 3 year LLB grad from a common law system qualifies to take NY bar. Does a 3 year LLB student from India ( a commonwealth country having a law system based on British Common Law ) qualify to take the NY bar? 2) Withh 1 year US LLM and a 3 year LLB degree, how many other states allow to take the bar besides NY and CA? Thanks a lot. |
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| priyaksaxena
Joined: 12 Jul 2005 Posts: 9 |
Re: Re: LL.M Graduates
hi nandita,Wed Jul 13, 2005 06:22 PM this is good info about LLM students. i am a law graduate from india and have a work-ex of three yeras. now planning to do masters. what is my position in the job market, |
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| gur
Joined: 14 Jun 2005 Posts: 9 |
Re: Re: Re: LL.M Graduates
hi nandita,Mon Jul 18, 2005 06:48 PM I am planning to join Washington college of law soon to do my LLm, so I am really worried about job-prospectus and stuff. Really sorry to disturb u, but since u seem to have a better view about the position of jobs for Indian LLM students in USA.., so I request you to answer these: 1. If JD students can get a job without passing their BAR Exam, why is it difficult for LLm studnets to get a job (eitehr be it legal associate, para-legal, reasearch -assistant)????? 2. Also I dont get one thing: I presume that not all JD or LLM students pass tehir Bar Exam, but still they end up getting some jobs in law-firms???? and most of these students prepare for tehir BAr Exam while they are working in Law-firms....So I would liek to know as to what kind of legal jobs do tehy get into and their salary and stuff???? 3. Is it difficult to get into mediocre-law firm or small-law firm ....coz atleast I am not expecting big-gains out of my LLM degree...but a legal-aassociate job in a small-firm would also do?? 4. Also what are the important areas of laws that the firms would look for??? so these r my major queries...if anybody has answers to this..plz do post it.......i am sure it would be helpul to many otehr students... |
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| Joey
Joined: 07 Jun 2005 Posts: 2 |
Re: Re: Re: Re: LL.M Graduates
Hi Nandita, this is Joey from NUJS Calcutta. I am in the final year of law school, and placed in the top tenpercent of my class, with a number of good internships. However, I have a question. I am applying for a number of llm courses this year namely, LSE, UC Berkley etc. My area of interest is International Business Law /International Economic Law. Fri Jul 22, 2005 06:53 PM However most of the US Law School grad forms keep referring to past employment experience. Now, I will be graduating in 2006. Do you suggest that I get a years work experience before applying or try directly. Moreover, I intend to work abroad for a few years before returning. Would that be tough? Do let me know Regards Joey |
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| beautravail
Joined: 25 Jul 2005 Posts: 6 |
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: LL.M Graduates
Tue Jul 26, 2005 04:40 PM From what I know about foreign students who have their basic law degree from their respective countries and are now pursuing LLM at US law schools: They face tough problems finding a job after the completion of their LLMs because most US law firms do not recognize anyone without a JD from US law schools and the career centers at most law schools do not allow these foreign LLMs to participate in on-campus interviews. In addition, many of the states in the US do not allow foreign LLMs without an American JD to sit for the bar exam. (But I have also heard that some of the states including NY, MA and CA allow foreign LLMs to sit for their bar exams) I also have my own question: What about somone who is a citizen of a different country (in my case, India) but wants to get a JD from a US law school? (1). What are his/her chances in getting a job at the end of the JD program? (I am talking about ALL types of job - conventional big/mid-size/small US law firms, public organizations in US - American or International, I understand that due to citizenship requirements such a person will be ineligible for any job positions in the US Federal or State Govt) (2). And also will there be any restrictions on him/her being eligible to sit for bar exam in any of the states? Thanks and will appreciate any helpful response... ps: I am not sure if you guys have read this article but this is the abstract of the article by a Northwestern Law Professor Carole Silver - www.law.northwestern.edu/faculty/fulltime/silver/d… While I cannot locate the full article on the web, i have read the whole 40-something page long article and the conclusion of the author is that - if you are a foreign LLM (a term she defines as - someone who is not a US citizen and whose primary law degree is from a university outside US and is now pursuing his/her LLM in a US law school), you do not have much hope of getting a job after the completion of your LLM. In fact, most law schools in US treat foreign LLMs as another source of revenue and an easy way to 'internationalize' or 'globalize' themselves and boast about it in their publicity materials. Some schools like NYU and Columbia ( and probably UVA but I am not sure) do organize a 'specialized' career fair in NYC for their foreign LLMs exclusively but that fair isn't anything even remotely helpful or significant when compared to the OCIs (On campus interviews) that the career centers organize for the JD students. Since I am not originally from a law background, I cannot claim to be an expert on all this but I am exploring the option of pursuing a JD in US and I was doing a research on all these issues. |
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