When I discuss the different U.S. law school degrees and sequences, I often get questions related to LL.M. to J.D. programs. Here are some of the big picture considerations I share with my own LEALSers as you evaluate this option. The usual reminder that this is general information and you should discuss your specific situation and circumstances with someone who (i) knows you well and (ii) knows how U.S. law schools work.

1. I think LL.M. to J.D. transfer programs are best suited for students whose goals change during the LL.M. year. If you know you want a J.D. degree from the outset, I think it’s usually a better choice financially to go straight into a J.D. degree, either a three-year traditional J.D. with a good standardized test score or an Advanced J.D. for foreign-educated lawyers to save a year of tuition and time (see my International Jurist piece on how to decide which of those is better for you).
2. What do I mean by goals changing? Usually, I think that’s either (1) a change in life circumstances that means you’ll be staying in the United States and now would like to have a J.D. as you go through the employment search; (2) learning more about the legal hiring market in the U.S. and determining that your background may not be best suited for the type of employment you hoped with an LL.M. degree; or (3) securing a job or opportunity in a state that either requires a J.D. to practice law or has complications for foreign-educated lawyers to practice with an LL.M. degree.
3. The caveat to all this is that for those who will remain on an F-1 visa, you must still navigate hiring and continued employment on a student visa and beyond. So even if a J.D. makes it easier to get hired initially in your situation, you’ll still need to assess the extra time spent on education and what happens if you are not able to continue working in the U.S. after the OPT year.
4. Advanced research is crucial as you evaluate your LL.M. options. For example, if two schools have similar academic and brand profiles and would cost similar amounts, a tiebreaker may be whether they have an LL.M. to J.D. transfer program. But knowing that a school has a program is different from knowing how robust it is. You’ll want to know how many students transfer each year. If you can, find out how many students apply (though schools may not share). Do scholarships exist? Or not at all? And speak with current LL.M. students and recent graduates from the school to get additional perspectives on the program in marketing and the program in reality.
5. Timing for LL.M. to J.D. transfer programs is also crucial. The reason is that the summer in between is one where you likely will decide on (1) whether to take on a summer position and (2) whether to sit for a State Bar Exam. When my own students who have moved from LL.M.s to J.D.s chat with me (LL.M. to J.D. transfer and moving to Advanced J.D. degrees), this is often the most important point we discuss. This is where planning with your school also becomes crucial. Although necessarily general, I think the best option is: a summer position at a firm that will invite you back for the second summer and after graduation, and to take the bar exam with your J.D. classmates after graduation (or during year three February if you’d like to be barred before you graduate and meet the requirements through or before the LL.M. degree).
6. These programs are going to be so unique that general advice can only get you so far. Some of the considerations that may be different by school: (1) what classes will you have to retake in year 2 as a “1L”; (2) how does grading for LL.M. courses work; (3) how do things like OCIs, clinics, externships, and other J.D. programming work for LL.M. to J.D. transfer students?; (4) how does registration work for transfer students; (5) how many degree requirements does the school have that you’ll need to squeeze into two years.
7. Understanding how U.S. law schools are ranked and how the ABA views J.D. operations are crucial to understanding the ultimate transfer decisions. Now more than ever, my sense is schools will be laser focused on post-J.D. employment outcomes and bar pass rates as the ranking formulas shift. So if you are considering the transfer program, keep those in mind as you apply and receive your decision. If you are not successful, one of the hard parts may be compartmentalizing your experience as an LL.M. student (hopefully positive!) with the disappointment of not being able to transfer. But it is still your U.S. law school and I hope you’ll be able to continue to positively engage.
8. Final thoughts: LL.M. to J.D. transfer programs can be difficult to find detailed information about. Although not my preferred vehicle of choice for my own students to get J.D. degrees, I think they can benefit the right types of students whose goals change or shift. And having seen circumstances where that plays out in positive ways from my first job and from my own LEALSers, I am happy that these programs exist. Like most things I blog about, I just think you have to understand why these programs exist, how they work, and your specific school’s program to ensure you make a good decision.