LL.M. Programs those deficiencies.
Students feel they do not have the time or energy to deal with administration deficiency problems. If the U.S. law school is falling short of its promises to its LL.M. students, those students may feel that they do not have the time or energy to devote to trying to convince the school to honor its pledges. International students invest substantial sums of money, time and energy getting accepted into a LL.M. program, acquiring a visa, enrolling, and trying to adapt to the U.S. legal education model, which can be substantially different from what they encountered in their home countries. Dur- ing their first semester, students are exposed to the Socratic method (perhaps for the first time), and may be shouldered with reading and writ- ing assignments at levels to which they are not accustomed. They are also fretting about exam preparation, thesis research and writing, and other aspects of the LL.M. world.
Students can “live with” problems for 9 months. Inter- national students may feel that since they are in residence for only 9 or 10 months (2 semesters), that they can “live with” the deficiencies be- cause of the short duration of the program, and that it would anyway likely be a waste of time to raise the issues with the administration.
Students fear retribution if they complain. Some be- lieve that if they accuse the school of a bait and switch or otherwise not honoring their promises, then professors or administrators may retaliate against the students and refuse to provide let- ters of recommendation, job search assistance, and other services that administrators otherwise routinely provide for students or graduates. Stu- dents may also feel that they may receive lower grades if they complain. Such fears are very real, and have been expressed to me personally, on more than one occasion.
How can international LL.M. students help programs live up to their promises?
I can understand the above-mentioned reasons ILSA Quarterly » volume 20 » issue 1 » October 2011
that an international LL.M. student or graduate may refrain from complaining to or confronting a professor or administrator about deficiencies in the LL.M. program. However, I would encour- age international LL.M. students to seek a way to raise the issues with the administration, and make the administration aware of the severity of the problem.
Confide in a professor. International LL.M. students might find a professor at the law school they can trust, and confide in that professor, and that pro- fessor may raise the issues with the administra- tion—without revealing the identity of the LL.M. student or students affected.
Form a LL.M. student group to liaise with LL.M. admin- istration. International LL.M. students might form a student organization that focuses on the needs of LL.M. students, and through the leaders of that organization raise the issues with the ad- ministration. The organization’s purposes might include soliciting feedback from LL.M. students, and passing that information on to the adminis- tration, and then reporting back to the LL.M. stu- dent body. The organization could act as a liaison between the students and the administration.
Disseminate information about the schools and pro- grams. International LL.M. students may actively comment about their programs on LL.M. blogs, websites, or listserves. A LL.M. student can dis- seminate positive feedback about their LL.M. programs, based on the program’s success in satisfying LL.M. students’ reasonable expec- tations. Similarly, if a program does not satisfy LL.M. students’ reasonable expectations, then students can spread the word about the pro- gram’s deficiencies. Spreading the word may encourage the program to modify its practices immediately, to the benefit of current students. Or, the program might institute changes for the coming year, which may benefit prospective stu- dents. In any event, all students—current and prospective—can benefit from LL.M. students
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