This article has been written by Upasana Pandey. She is the Founder of the International Law Box. Ms. Pandey is pursuing an LLM in International Business and Economic Law at Georgetown University Law Center, Washington DC.
You have decided to pursue an LLM from an institution outside your home country.
What are the next steps?
1. Once you have decided on a particular jurisdiction, you must make a list of the law schools which you want to target in that jurisdiction. I applied to 4 law schools in the US. I know people who applied to 10 US law schools. The numbers do not matter. Please focus on the quality of your application materials.
2. Open the official websites of these law schools and read each and every sentence carefully (Yes, it’s that simple!).
3. Note down the application deadlines in a separate MS Word document and see if you need to appear for any English Language Tests or not (for example, TOEFL/IELTS). Some US law schools provide English Language Test waivers. You will find information regarding this on the law school websites.
4. See the courses which the law school offers. In many US law schools LLM students can take courses where they can work on a project/participate in field-work under the supervision of their professors. In this kind of courses, the students can apply what they have learnt inside the classroom to real legal problems. These courses are generally called practicums in the US.
5. See who teaches the courses. Note down the names of the professors (Pro tip: You can mention in your statement of purpose or personal statement the names of the professors and the classes which you want to take during your LLM year.).
6. All the law school websites provide details regarding the application process. Read that thoroughly. Please do not start emailing the law schools without even reading the basic information which already exists on the websites.
7. Most law schools require one statement of purpose or personal statement and 1-2 recommendation letters. Identify the people from whom you want your recommendation letters (you should ideally get your recommendation letters from your law school professors or past employers). Please go through the law school websites to find out the exact requirements.
Please note that some law schools prefer candidates who have some work experience. Others don’t. Do not think that you won’t get an LLM offer because you are not among the top 10 or top 20 students of your batch. Aim high. In the US, the rank of the law school matters a lot. A good law school brand name on your resume will open those doors which are closed for you right now (this statement is true, specially if you are an international student).
Pro tips:
1. Publish articles/blog posts, participate in moot court competitions, intern at law firms or organizations. Have a well-balanced resume. US law schools prefer candidates who have well-balanced resumes.
2. Ideally you should start the application process and research from the month of June/July. I started my application process from the month of July. Application deadlines vary. Many US law schools have deadlines in the month of December. Some have deadlines in January or February. Many law schools have a rolling admissions process. Hence, you should apply as early as possible to increase your chances of getting accepted in these law schools.
Read Part-1 here if you haven’t already.
Disclaimer: Everything that has been written in this blog is based on my personal experience. I am not being paid by any institution or organization to write this blog. Nothing in this blog constitutes legal advice. For more information please refer to the official websites of the law schools.