LL.M. Programs
nue be siphoned to the broader university budget. If the school diverts LL.M. revenue away from the LL.M. program, the school may not be devoting appropriate levels of funding for LL.M. academic assistance programs, English-language tutoring, or LL.M. career services. In other words, the school would treat the LL.M. program like a “cash cow” by using revenues from the program for non-LL.M. purposes, leaving the LL.M. program with insuffi- cient resources to meet the reasonable needs and expectations of LL.M. students. LL.M. students may have a negative experience, and indeed suf- fer due to this conflict.
Similarly, conflicts arise and international LL.M. stu- dents suffer if the LL.M. program possesses char- acteristics of a “diploma mill;” for example, if the program has low or unenforced academic require- ments for admission, success in, or graduation from the program, and essentially bestows LL.M. degrees at a high price but with little worth.4
Meeting Students’ “Reasonable Expectations”
Student goals vary, of course, but questions for each student arise as to whether their expecta- tions are reasonable, whether U.S. law schools meet students’ reasonable expectations, and whether and to what extent students attain their post-LL.M. goals.
Meeting LL.M. Student Expectations
• International students develop an understanding about what to expect from their U.S. law school LL.M. programs. • Schools should make every effort to understand what international students reasonably expect.
• Schools can then decide whether to meet those student expectations. If the school decides that it will not meet a particular expectation or set of expectations, the school should post a notice on its website or otherwise notify prospective students. Prospective students can then decide whether to attend that particular school.
• If a school feels that students’ expectations are unreasonable, the school should notify the students and prospec- tive students so they can make informed choices about their educational futures.
• For example, international students generally expect a U.S. LL.M. program to help the student achieve career goals. If the school is not going to reasonably help students in that regard, by providing career officers trained in working with international law students, then the school should so notify prospective students. The student can choose a school that has career officers dedicated to and specifically trained to work with international LL.M. students.
ILSA Quarterly » volume 20 » issue 1 » October 2011 Reasonable Expectations
For an international student to have an excellent LL.M. experience in the U.S., that student’s ex- pectations must be reasonable, and those rea- sonable expectations must be met. Their expec- tations may be wide-ranging, but notably relate to: (a) the quality of their education (e.g., receiving an appropriate knowledge base and training); or (b) their post-LL.M. goals (e.g., finding a job after graduation). Generally speaking, the burden is on the school to ensure that students’ reasonable expectations are met regarding their education quality and career goals, though students also have the burden of, for example, studying hard, excelling on exams, and following guidance of academic faculty advisors, career coaches, and others who provide sound advice. Again, both the school and the students must do their respective parts.
Chapter 7 of the LL.M. Roadmap lists 218 char- acteristics, in 26 categories, that U.S. LL.M. pro- grams should possess in order to be able to meet students’ reasonable expectations.5
These 218
characteristics relate to many issues, including receiving a high-quality education and students reaching their post-LL.M. goals. A student, when choosing a U.S. LL.M. program, should consider whether and to what extent a school possesses
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