The role of Non-J.D. Programs is neither a carefully guarded secret nor a mystery. You do not need to review message boards to find information about how they operate. All you need to do is go to the American Bar Association’s website:

Foreign-educated students often don’t realize this. When I present on U.S. legal education, the distinction between J.D. and Non-J.D. is often my starting point. Why? Because once you understand the distinction, other things that confuse foreign-educated LL.M. applicants make far more sense, such as:

• Why is it so difficult to get a full scholarship for an LL.M. program even with strong credentials?
• Can you find out information about LL.M. bar passage & LL.M. employment?
• Can you find out the entering credentials of the students currently in the LL.M. programs?
• Why does it seem like J.D. students have more interview and employment opportunities?
• Why do J.D. students get priority for clinics and certain other courses at many schools?

I encouraged my former students to fully understand the distinction and make the decision that made the most sense for their individual goals. Enrolling in a General LL.M. isn’t a good idea or a bad idea. Instead, I asked my students who wanted to study in the U.S.:

• Do you want to return home a year after graduating? (For many, the answer was yes)
• Do you want to be a lawyer for a few years first or go to the U.S. while still a student or immediately after graduation?
• How much do you plan to spend on a U.S. legal education? Will it be easy to stay for more years if your goals change?
• How strong is your English language ability and do you think you could do well on a standardized test in English?

Foreign-educated lawyers reviewing that information can decide between (among other options):

• A three-year J.D. by taking the LSAT or GRE (at some schools)
• A two-year J.D. for foreign-educated lawyers
• An LL.M. at a school with a robust LL.M. to J.D. transfer program
• A General LL.M.
• A Specialized LL.M. (e.g., Tax at UF Law!)
• A two-year LL.M. program (e.g., combining a year or semester of legal English with an LL.M. degree).

For some of my students, a General LL.M. was by far the best decision. They wanted to study for a year, secure a bar license, and return to China to work in large firms. For others, studying for the LSAT and securing a high enough score for a large J.D. scholarship was a better choice.

If you are a foreign-educated lawyer deciding to study in the U.S., I would encourage you to first do your homework on which one-, two- or three-year program makes the most sense for you! If you decide on an LL.M. (either General or Specialized), know that the LL.M. community is truly wonderful, does a lot to welcome and support students, and works hard so that foreign-educated lawyers have great experiences at their schools.