The Costs and Benefits of Pursuing an LL.M. Degree in the United States
by Dora-Maria Sonderhoff 36
such as intellectual property or tax law, and which are geared primarily at U.S.-educated J.D. (Juris Doctor) degree holders; and those which may or may not offer a specialization, but are aimed pri- marily at foreign educated law- yers who wish to deepen their understanding of the U.S. com- mon law system and culture. In both cases, the LL.M. is an ad- vanced degree in law. To be eli- gible to apply to these programs, one must have completed the primary legal education which en- ables one to sit for the bar exam and/or to practice law in the coun- try where the legal education was obtained. In English speaking countries, the required degree would typically be called an LL.B. (Bachelor of Laws) or, as in the U.S., a J.D. An in- teresting difference between the American legal education and that of the rest of the world is that the J.D. requires prior completion of a Bachelor’s degree (typically four years of tertiary education at a college or university), regardless of the major. By contrast, an LL.B. degree is an undergraduate de- gree, for which a high school diploma or equivalent is the prerequisite.
T
This article primarily describes the benefits of an LL.M. program for those who come from a legal tradition outside the U.S. common law. My insights and advice stem from my own experience as a for- eign student in the United States and in Europe,
here are essentially two types of LL.M. (Master of Laws) degree programs in the United States: those which offer a very fo- cused specialization in a certain field of law,
and especially from the insights of LL.M. students and alumni which they shared with me and other law school administrators, and our faculty.1
Pursu-
ing an LL.M. degree in a time of global recession may give some people pause. However, an explo- ration of the hurdles to overcome and a close ex- amination of the undeniable benefits of LL.M. pro- grams help to make an informed decision about whether an LL.M. degree is a sensible investment.
Merely contemplating an LL.M.
program shows an awareness of, and sophistication about, oppor- tunities outside one’s immediate
environment. Completing an LL.M. program, though, not only arms a
graduate with new knowledge and rich experience, but it also further
boosts confidence for tackling new challenges in the future.
The costs of an LL.M. degree are:
-Financial: At most American law schools, and certainly all top-tier institutions, tuition for an LL.M. program currently amounts to approximately $50,000 USD. In addition, there are, of course, the living expenses to contend with (which will be higher in the larger cities), as well as inciden- tal travel expenses related to
exploring the country at least a little bit.
-Temporal: Most American LL.M. programs start at the end of August, end in early May of the follow- ing year, and require full-time enrollment. Some programs start as early as June or July. Such a time commitment may not be easy to make. It may mean getting a leave of absence from a job, or delaying the job search after completing one’s primary law education. Not inconsequentially, it typically means leaving behind your close friends and family for eight or nine months
-Uncertainty: There is no guarantee that the LL.M. degree will secure a (better) job right away, espe-
ILSA Quarterly » volume 20 » issue 3 » February 2012
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