Question by N123: Is an LLM degree worth pursuing if I want to work for a law firm outside of the US? Or is a JD sufficient?
I plan on pursuing a JD but considering adding an extra year of school to obtain an LLM at the same time. Is it worth it? What are the benefits of also having an LLM on top of a JD degree? Thanks!
Best answer:
Answer by TheOrange Evil
To work in the US, you don’t really need an LLM unless you want to work in tax law. Tax law is really the only exception because of how complicated the tax code is. For really any other area of practice, you learn the ins and outs on the job. For tax law, you ideally want to get your LLM from a highly reputable tax LLM program, like NYU or Georgetown.
To work outside the US, an LLM might help, but that would depend on the country, the area of practice, and where you plan on getting the LLM. An LLM in some area of American law wouldn’t help you in the UK or France, for example. The LLM in the United States was really for foreign attorneys who wanted a specialization in some aspect of American law in order to practice here, and now American law students use LLM programs to gain more knowledge in a particular area, like tax, but LLMs are mostly unnecessary. I can’t imagine how a JD and an LLM from American schools would help you with a foreign law firm.
It’s always exceedingly difficult to take a foreign law degree anywhere and expect work. If you want to work abroad, then you should get your law degree abroad or at least work for an American firm that has offices overseas, and then request a transfer. An American JD at least lets you come back to the United States if you can’t find work.
What do you think? Answer below!
