Thank you for checking out Fee Waiver, my monthly newsletter while I’m abroad in 2022-23. This newsletter is designed for those applying to LL.M. programs at U.S. law schools this cycle. My plan is to cover important information each month that will help you navigate the law school application, admissions, scholarship, and decision processes. Along the way, I’ll also highlight schools, interview some leaders in the LL.M. space, and more. The name of the newsletter comes from the codes you might receive from certain schools to waive the application fee portion of applying to their schools via LSAC.

Internships/Externships for LL.M. Students

Understanding how LL.M. programs are designed is important, especially for those who attend on F-1 visas and have work restrictions. One thing to ask for information about is how LL.M. students gain practical experience at their schools, especially given that LL.M. programs are generally designed for one year of study. Post-LL.M. jobs can be competitive to secure, and work experience in your LL.M. may be one way (among many others!) to differentiate yourself.

Questions to ask:

1. What on-campus legal experience are students able to get? On-campus activities may be the easiest logistically, with visa restrictions, and as you are balancing your courses and other obligations.
2. Does your school offer a practical experience track for the LL.M. where legal work can be completed as part of Curricular Practical Training (CPT)?
3. Do LL.M. students have access to seats in clinics or other externships? If so, how competitive will be it to secure a spot?

Two models that I’ve enjoyed seeing are:

• The UCI Irvine Tax LL.M. model, which includes externships in the second semester. See more here: https://www.law.uci.edu/academics/real-life-learning/externships/grad-tax-externships.html.
• The Northwestern International Human Rights LL.M., which can include a clinic space. See more here: https://www.law.northwestern.edu/academics/degree-programs/llms/llmihr/.

Another option to inquire about is a 3-Semester program, including a CPT externship after two academic semesters. However, 3-semester programs add time and expenses to the degree experience. I recommend evaluating whether a 3-semester plan makes sense for your goals first. See more here: https://beyondnonjd.wordpress.com/2022/07/05/lets-talk-about-3-semester-ll-m-programs/.

Start of Application Cycle Checklist

As you begin your application cycle, you have a lot to think about. Here are some things to think about before you start submitting applications.

• Do the schools you’re applying to require you to apply through LSAC or do they have their own portals? If all the schools or none of the schools require LSAC, you can build a fully LSAC or fully direct plan. If not, you may need to decide if it’s worth using LSAC for everything or two separate strategies.
• If you are applying on LSAC, ensure that you carefully read the part about credential evaluation. Students have shared that the process can be time-consuming and expensive, especially if you need to send documents multiple times due to errors. See more here: https://www.lsac.org/llm-other-law-program-applicants/application-process-llm-other-law-programs/llm-credential-assembly. When in doubt, it may be worth calling/e-mailing LSAC or the schools you’re applying to for more information.
• If you are applying on LSAC, you can check if schools offer fee waivers to applicants. If they do, you may be able to save some money on the application, especially for certain schools’ LSAC application fees.
• Ensure your transcripts are being processed, your recommenders know when you are expecting to submit your application, and that your application documents are in great shape. If you have not yet taken a TOEFL or IELTS or other language exam, be sure you have a date set if applicable, as a school may wait on that before reviewing your file.
• Check to see if the schools you’re applying to are hosting online information sessions in early Fall. Attending can be helpful to demonstrate interest, include language in your applications about specific programs/activities, or follow-up with that specific team.

Law School Profile

From 2019-2022, I worked at the University of Florida Levin College of Law! I really enjoyed the experience, especially because of the way the LL.M. programs were set up. Some of the highlights (note: this is in my personal capacity and I did not work on this with UF):

• A very well-regarded Tax LL.M. program with strong employment outcomes for both domestic-educated J.D. graduates and foreign-educated lawyers.
• A primarily domestic-educated LL.M. program, meaning most of the LL.M. students were Americans (or American-educated) with a J.D. degree. This meant that UF’s program did not “feel” like a program for international students and allowed greater mixing for international students and American students (important for me).
• In the U.S., LL.M. programs are expensive and the general business model allows for less tuition discounting than for J.D. programs. So I really enjoyed that UF (and other Florida public law schools) have some of the best “sticker” tuition prices around. Florida residents and those from Latin America and the Caribbean who secure LAC scholarships pay ~$19,000-$21,000 USD in tuition for the two-semester LL.M. programs, while non-resident tuition is about $35,000-$38,000 USD, depending on program, before scholarships. Not bad!

To learn more about UF’s programs: https://www.law.ufl.edu/admissions/apply/ll-m-admissions.

Q&A

Each month, I’ll interview some of the “movers and shakers” in the world of LL.M. programming, including some of the people I’ve admired and tried to follow in my own career progression. I’ll start with a self-interview for September, so people new to Beyond Non-JD can get to know me a little more.

• Why did I set up Beyond Non-JD: Over the years, there has been much more public information about J.D. programs, including ABA Required Disclosures. Yet, navigating the LL.M. world felt like one where only “insiders” knew what was going on. I wanted to help share more information, especially with those who lacked access to that information through other networks.
• Suggestion for LL.M. students: I want you to think of yourselves as a part of the law school community like everyone else. One of my mottos at my first job was “you are a St. John’s Law student in an LL.M. program, not an LL.M. student at St. John’s.” I’m not a fan of the ABA’s J.D./Other Than J.D. distinction, and I want students to think about themselves “Beyond Non-J.D.”
• What do I think about LL.M. programs generally: I think LL.M. programs are evolving, as I’ve seen a shift over the last decade from “empty seats in J.D. classes” to focusing more on support. This has made the LL.M. landscape more competitive, as some schools are offering more support for bar prep, legal English, the post-LL.M. job search, and community integration. Combined with more competition among schools and other sources of revenue like M.S.L. and Online LL.M. programs, I think this is a really good time for applying to and enrolling in LL.M. programs. However, the one caveat is that LL.M. programs have to meet your goals, otherwise I think considering a J.D. degree is important.
• Where do I see LL.M. programs headed? I think online general LL.M. programs make a lot of sense for people who want the credential without disrupting their careers and paying to live in the U.S. for a year. Especially if you are taking a bar exam where you’re already eligible or not planning to take a bar exam, I think this option will open the market up even more. For residential LL.M. programs, I am envisioning a three-tier model, which I’ve started to see take shape: (1) elite schools that provide strong outcomes and may not need to discount as much, (2) schools seeking to create resource-intensive LL.M. programs, which may cost more than other programs but that seek to provide the ROI to justify the enhanced costs; and (3) discount programs that follow an older model without as many resources, that can be attractive for students seeking a one-year U.S. experience, students with strong connections already or students who are able and willing to “hustle.”