In the last week I’ve written about international J.D. students, went on a podcast to discuss J.D. and LL.M. programs, and have spoken with people considering both degrees. Why do I talk so much about both instead of just focusing on LL.M. degrees?

As I wrote last night, international does not always mean LL.M.! It can mean LL.M. and for many it does. In my anecdotal experiences, international students who have successful LL.M. experiences do a lot of research beforehand, find programs that are great fits for their goals, and have clear plans for what to do while in their LL.M. programs. I wouldn’t work in Non-J.D. Programs if I didn’t believe that.

I Want to Make Sure an LL.M. is Right For You

Since September 2019 (my first cycle here), I try to have a conversation with every prospective international student to ensure that an LL.M. degree is the right degree for them, even before determining whether my current university is the right fit for that degree. I want every student in an LL.M. program to be happy about that choice not just when they are admitted and deposit, but when they’re studying and when they graduate. I’m confident that the foreign-educated lawyers I currently work with are in great programs for their goals.

• Since it’s hard to find information about LL.M. programs the same way we do for J.D. programs, I try to connect admitted students to current students to get their perspective on our programs at this moment and alumni who can share more about their careers since graduation. I often tag them in posts, share their articles, and interview them on LinkedIn, so prospective students can reach out directly without me as a gatekeeper.
• The University I work at has a very well-known specialized LL.M. degree and the lawyers who join us for that have the backgrounds and experiences that make that degree a clear fit. Tax LL.M. degrees have their own hiring fairs and sub-markets for hiring international LL.M. students. If you have tax experience and were thinking of a General LL.M., I often encourage prospective students to also think about Tax LL.M. degrees. I’ve also written about the four paths I think are good choices for a General LL.M. degree over a J.D. degree. If someone doesn’t meet one of those four, I try to discuss their goals to see if it’s just something I’m missing. While that leads to some prospects who don’t apply and some admitted students who don’t enroll, I know they’re going to have better experiences because of that.
• I do a lot of programming before students start, when they arrive, and throughout the year. I start Pre-LL.M. with students joining us in January tomorrow! We host activities for incoming students to connect with returning students. We bring together international students and international alumni working in the United States. We have activities for international LL.M. students to get to know their J.D. classmates. I get to work one-on-one with every international LL.M. student. Being able to keep everyone on track avoids anyone getting lost in the crowd. I realize that’s a luxury given that most of our LL.M. students are Americans, but it’s one of the reasons I really like my current job!

Know More About J.D. Degrees to Decide

If there was more information publicly available about LL.M. program data, employment, and bar passage, there would be no need for posts like these. People would be able to evaluate both sets of programs and make the decisions that are best for their goals. As you can see above, I’m a very big proponent of LL.M. programs and enjoy working with a great group of lawyers who are in the right programs for their goals. But if you knew more about J.D. programs, would an LL.M. program still be the right fit for your goals?

1. Tuition & Goals

People are surprised to learn that it’s possible to pay less in tuition for a J.D. than for an LL.M. degree. The international consensus seems to be: J.D. = very expensive, LL.M. = much cheaper. While that’s possible in the abstract, it’s not always true. I even blog about this topic!

If you look at the ABA Required Disclosures – 509 Reports for each school, you can see (1) the # of students with an unreported undergraduate GPA and (2) the breakdown of scholarships to J.D. students. Although international students may be at a disadvantage without a reported GPA, an LSAT score above a law school’s median LSAT score can unlock serious scholarships. Money that you may have thought about spending on consulting may be better spent on LSAT prep, and there are also great resources online.

Of course, tuition is but one part of the overall cost-of-attendance. An extra 1-2 years of time value, living expenses, etc., will likely still make the LL.M. less expensive in real costs. But if your goals are better achieved through a J.D. degree, taking the LSAT and seeing what schools you could attend may be a good idea. And a paid 2L summer associate position may even cut into that differential even more.

2. Experiential Education & Post-Graduate Goals

Experiential education is a focus for J.D. students. Between summer experiences, externships, clinics, semesters in practice, and more, J.D. students are getting so many great opportunities to get legal experience in their second and third years. If your goal is to practice in the United States and you are already an experienced practitioner in another jurisdiction, this may not be a major concern. But if you are a recent bachelor of law graduate without much, or any, legal experience, you may face an uphill battle after an LL.M. if your goal is to work in the U.S. long-term on visas.

I ask all prospective LL.M. students whether they plan to work in the United States or return home upon graduation. The LL.M. or J.D. calculus drastically changes based on that, especially for those in the final year of their bachelor degree or those who tell me they have 1-2 years of practice experience so far. There’s a difference between (a) a Senior M&A associate at the biggest firm in that country, with an office in New York City, making the decision for an LL.M. to work in NYC and (b) a senior bachelor of laws student from a smaller university interested in working a corporate job in NYC deciding to enroll in an LL.M. degree. Getting to the finish line faster is only good if you can actually cross the finish line when you get there to your goal.

3. Design & Goals

For better or worse, U.S. law schools are designed around J.D. programs. One of the reasons I love my work is that I get to champion and advocate for international LL.M. students in this environment and get to see tangible results from this work. I love getting to hear from an LL.M. student who secures a great job, earning more than many U.S. J.D. students, for after graduation. I love hearing from an excited LL.M. alum who passed a state bar exam. And I love when our students, many of whom have colleagues at other schools around the U.S. and world, talk about how much they appreciate my support.

It’s frustrating for students who don’t realize that a lot of the perceived slights are based on the LL.M. versus J.D. distinction, not the international versus American distinction. While it is true that there are some additional hurdles for international J.D. students due to visa status, international J.D. 2L and 3L international students can tell you about their clinics, OCI schedules, law journals, RA positions, externships, summer associate positions, similar to their American colleagues.

Final Thoughts

It’s not an earth-shattering revelation to say that LL.M. programs are a better choice for people whose goals better align with an LL.M. program and J.D. programs are a better choice for people whose goals better align with a J.D. program.

My focus is assisting with the issue that not every international student has the information they need at the application stage to know which degree better aligns with their goals. In the absence of more big-picture change, the burden shifts to the international student to make this determination.

This doesn’t affect the international senior M&A associate, the junior tax professional, or the attorney planning to return to practice in their home jurisdiction, in the same way it affects others. The job search on a visa is different than the job search for other foreign-educated LL.M. students who are citizens or Permanent Residents.