A 3-Semester LL.M. Program can be a best-of-both-worlds opportunity to (1) combine a specialized LL.M. experience with a focus on a State Bar Exam; (2) secure significant legal experience before graduation; and/or (3) extend your immersion in U.S. law and legal education and grow your network and leadership within your law school. But adding an extra semester of expenses, tuition and non-tuition (even with scholarship money!), is a significant additional cost, not to mention delaying your post-LL.M. career. So, if your goal is to maximize your post-LL.M. employment opportunities in the U.S. through a 3-Semester Program, here are six, of many, things I’d focus on:

1. Your Reason for the 3-Semester Program

Once you complete a 3-Semester program, you were pretty close in time to a 2-Year J.D. degree, which may open more doors for State Bar Exams, degree portability, and employer recognition. For me, a 3-Semester Program should provide a clear advantage over a traditional two-semester LL.M. and your 2-Year J.D. options. But what qualifies as a clear advantage will be student-dependent. My three broad categories for thinking about these programs are: (1) extensive specialized LL.M. degree requirements plus certain State Bar Exam curricular requirements; (2) longer runway to secure employment with externship/internship/clinic opportunities; (3) more immersion into the U.S. legal education experience.

2. Job Outcomes for the 3-Semester Program

If job outcomes are your top priority, you’ll want to speak with schools about the types of jobs their 3-Semester Program students secure and how those compare with the 2-Semester Program. Also be aware of 2-Year LL.M. Programs, which to me serve a different audience (e.g., Legal English + LL.M.). My understanding is that 3-Semester Programs tend to be smaller, so prepare for a more nuanced discussion about the student outcomes. If you can get the same type of jobs and meet the same curricular requirements for State Bar Exams, saving the time may be a preferred option. This can also help you determine if the 3-Semester Program is designed more as a (1) “meet two sets of goals,” (2) “U.S. career booster,” or (3) “study in the U.S. longer” type program (see above).

3. The Summer Capstone

I imagine that for some 3-Semester Program students (particularly in categories (2) and (3), above), the focus may be on the summer experience between Semester 2 and 3, if starting in Summer. You’ll want to ask the school what support goes into the summer position, what types of positions students secure, and whether those positions lead to post-grad employment. I suggest avoiding “cool” internships at the types of places that are unlikely to hire post-LL.M., and instead look for realistic employers in your practice areas, who would like to hire you and can use the summer to evaluate your performance. Working with your career advisor is crucial in all aspects of this process, especially if you are looking to use the summer experience as a launchpad for a different job search during the final semester.

4. Winter Start and CPT Considerations

If you start in the January term and work experience is an important part of your 3-Semester Program, you’ll want to determine whether the school has a Curricular Practical Training (CPT) component. This will be important in terms of what activities you can engage in during your Summer between Semester 1 and Semester 2 in the United States on a student visa. There are benefits and tradeoffs to starting in January, and I recommend speaking with your recruitment or admissions contact at the specific school to determine which start is better for your goals and their program. One example: winter starters tend to graduate in May of the following year with most J.D. and LL.M. students, while summer starters tend to graduate in December, “off-cycle,” with smaller numbers of J.D. and LL.M. graduates. More jobs or less competition?  

5.Choosing Coursework

Ensure that you have the language skills and flexibility to take an intensive number of credits, especially if your school charges block tuition. Why? It’s easier to start preparing for bar exams by taking coursework tested on the MBE/MEE. I also recommend taking at least one course taught by an adjunct professor who is a high-level lawyer in a practice area you plan to pursue. This way you’ll have someone in active practice who can evaluate your professionalism, performance, and personality, and may even be able to provide advice (or connections!) as you navigate the job search. Finally, I’d recommend taking at least one seminar with a paper requirement in a practice area you’d like to pursue in the first or second semester. You can use this paper as a writing sample to show serious interest in the area of law, and depending on the length and scope, can look into different publishing options. This can be your “calling card” for U.S. positions. You may also be able to secure a Research Assistant position with a professor in that area, opening more doors to potential post-LL.M. work through that professor’s networks.

6. Engagement Across Years & Leadership Roles

LL.M. experiences can quickly pass by, and another benefit for the 3-Semester Program is you’ll be an LL.M. that attends with two cohorts of students. This should position you well to have a network of graduates already working in law positions by the time you graduate. Forming genuine connections with them and being the type of person they’ll want to recommend for positions can pay off tremendously. Your third semester also gives you some leadership opportunities that can connect to post-grad job searches and networking. Some options: participating in a law review or journal open to LL.M. students (and publishing a Note, Comment or Article), coaching or competing in a competition in a practice area you’re interested in, organizing an alumni or practice-area panel or event in a practice area you’re interested in, serving as a Teaching Assistant or Research Assistant (see above), or participating in an on-campus clinic. Being a visible student in your third semester to alumni, administrators, faculty, and employers can have benefits as more people know you at a deeper level and as employers seek to hire.