LL.M. Degree
sure that the law school at which they enroll will enable them to fulfill the course requirements of the state bar association. Once the strict course requirements are taken care of, it’s recommended and common for students to plan for a few inten- sive weeks of pure bar-exam preparation after they complete the LL.M. program. This liberates the students immensely and allows them to experi- ence the LL.M. year not merely as cut-and-dried preparation for the bar exam, but rather as a much broader, more comprehensive and deeper educa- tion. The LL.M. program then affords the students not only greater in-depth understanding of their chosen field, but also the unique opportunity to learn to view the law critically from multiple per- spectives: that of a U.S. lawyer, that of one’s own legal tradition, and – at least on a rudimentary level – those of their international classmates.
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To find the best law school for you – which will be different for everyone – one key aspect to look out for is a good match of interests with the resident faculty’s fields of expertise and the law school’s typical curriculum. This information can be found on each law school’s own website, and often also in more general terms on comprehensive LL.M. guides such as those offered by LSAC (http://
lsac.org/LLM/Choose/LLM-program-guide.asp), and LL.M.
Study.com (
http://www.llmstudy.com) (LL.M. applicants should be aware that blogs and rankings offer general ideas and pointers about various law schools, but that such information is not necessarily accurate.) While specific course of- ferings may change from year to year, the faculty biographies provide insights into a particular law school’s areas of strengths, regardless of which exact courses will be offered during any given se- mester. Most law schools also show their typical course offerings on their website.
Individuals who ultimately wish to pursue an aca- demic career and may therefore wish to complete an S.J.D. (sometimes called J.S.D.) thesis, i.e., a doctoral dissertation in law, should be aware that most U.S. law schools prefer to admit their own
LL.M. students to their S.J.D. program. An S.J.D. dissertation requires close supervision by at least two faculty members, and much of the research and writing must be done while in residence at the law school. Specific requirements can, however, differ quite significantly from one law school to an- other. Thus, the choice of the school for the LL.M. program should be made especially carefully, not based primarily on rankings, for example, but rath- er on the best possible fit of academic interests and focus. Getting to know the potential S.J.D. supervisor(s) as an LL.M. student – and thereby allowing the faculty to get to know the candidates’ strengths well in the classroom – can be crucial for admission to the S.J.D. program.
Another valuable aspect to keep in mind while choosing a law school is the student body. It is helpful to try to picture yourself in the law school community: what kind of study environment would be desirable? One student might feel most comfortable, for example, knowing that he/she will not be called upon in class, and would there- fore likely choose a program with larger class siz- es. A student who prefers to study independently will be attracted by other programs than someone who hopes to find or form study groups. From a less academic and more social point of view, ap- plicants should consider whether participating in student government, organizations, or law journals is important to their LL.M. experience, and if so, they should examine the law schools’ websites to see which options are offered to LL.M. students. You might want to branch out from the law school community and connect with a broader university population; and in that case, you might want to see whether it’s possible to cross-register at other schools or departments within the university, or whether there are broader student organizations across disciplines, with common ground such as nationalities, religious or spiritual interests, arts, sports, etc. For some students it may be essential to be able to live on campus since this can help create a strong sense of community and another
ILSA Quarterly » volume 20 » issue 3 » February 2012
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