Why an LL.M? Edging ahead
Studying for an LL.M is time consuming, intellectually taxing and expensive – but the benefits are hugely worthwhile in what is an increasingly crowded and competitive marketplace
For years the fashionable post- graduate degree was the MBA. It offered a bright and sexy future to students and wage slaves alike – holding forth tempting images of white-shirted power jobs at McKinsey and other consultancies. But increasingly that is changing, with the current degree du jour being an LL.M. However, after the slog of qualifying as a lawyer – or having got to the brink of qualification and waiting for a training contract – why on earth would an exhausted student
or even young qualified lawyer contemplate another dose of legal academia?
Tough market
There are several strong reasons. Arguably the most powerful is that it gives those who have the degree an edge over those who don’t in what is an ever- increasingly tough and global recruitment environment.
‘The jobs market is currently so competitive,’ explains Sarah Hutchinson, The College of Law’s business development board member, ‘that if an employer has got two solid CVs in front him, but one candidate has shown the initiative, drive and commitment to get an LL.M in international legal practice, then that candidate has demonstrated an interest and commitment to that area of practice.’
The College itself is a leader in the field. The biggest law school in Europe, it launched
its now highly respected LL.M in International Legal Practice jointly with the International Bar Association in 2007. The course – which has been taught via an innovative on-line system – has increased its student numbers every year since launch. And the latest development is the launch this year of a full-time course, which will be based at the college’s high-tech City of London branch and involve small group, face-to-face lectures.
Ms Hutchinson acknowledges that an LL.M won’t dramatically improve an already weak CV, but it will give an added dash of pizzazz to an already good or even excellent CV. ‘Bearing in mind that so many CVs have an identikit feel about them – is make a CV stand out as being something that demonstrates interest, commitment and a skills level that the employer wouldn’t get from a typical UK- trained lawyer.’
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