There are a variety of reasons why attaining an Master of Laws (LL.M.) from a U.S. law school is important for personal and/or professional development. The legal marketplace is now global and attaining intercultural professional competence in U.S. law and practice will undoubtedly strengthen your credentials and broaden your personal and professional network.
Whatever your reasons, we strive to understand and help you to realize them.
What are the benefits of an LL.M. program in the U.S. after you’ve earned a law degree in your home country?
First, to make you more marketable to U.S. clients in your home country and to clients from your country in U.S. In the globalized business marketplace, there is a demand for lawyers well-versed in the both sides of international deals. For example, if you are a Chinese lawyer with a U.S. LL.M. you can service U.S. clients doing business in China, and serve Chinese clients doing business in the U.S.
Second, to service clients in the U.S., or perhaps to work in the U.S. yourself, you may need to become a member of at least one of the 50 state bars in the US. Each state has it’s own bar admissions requirements, qualifying exam and rules about who can sit for it. For example, currently many attorneys who have earned law degrees outside of the U.S. choose to earn an LL.M. in order to allow them to sit for the bar exam in New York or California.
Third, to help you get a better job or to do your current job better, using the expertise you will gain during your LL.M. year. Some lawyers use the LL.M. to relocate and practice in the U.S., or expand their area of practice to multinational issues. While learning and experience and US law class, attorneys advance their careers and promote their law firms through networking with fellow LL.M. students, professors, practitioners, and firms and organizations in the local community.
Fourth, to take a break from your current job or to gain some direction. Some international students are young in their careers when they come to the U.S. for an LL.M., and may have little or no work experience in law, and may lack direction on what they want to do with their career. Others may be mid-career, and just want a break from the office or courtroom.
Fifth, to develop your English language skills and knowledge of the legal culture in the U.S., as well as broaden your horizons by living and studying abroad for a year.
Now is a very good time to apply for LL.M. programs in the U.S.. Many U.S. law schools have created new LL.M. programs for international students, that is, for students who earned their first law degree outside the U.S. Many U.S. schools with long-existing LL.M. programs have sought to increase the number of international students enrolled in those programs. And, indeed, more international students are seeking LL.M. degrees from U.S. schools.