Mr. Soumik Mitra has graduated from Georgetown University Law Center with a Master of Laws in International Business and Economic Law and a Certificate in Securities and Financial Law.
- Why did you choose Georgetown Law for your LLM? Did you get any scholarship?
If you choose specific courses during your LLM in the US, you can become eligible to sit for the New York Bar Exam and eventually become a dual-qualified lawyer. The idea of dual qualification excited me a lot. During the application process, US law schools focus much more on the overall profile of a candidate than just the grades. This is not the case for UK-based universities where grades matter a lot during the LLM application stage. Georgetown University Law Center is considered one of the top 14 law schools in the United States (the rank may vary a bit from year to year). It has a phenomenally diverse curriculum with more than 175 courses and many of the Professors are law firm partners with stellar profiles. I wanted to learn from the best minds and wanted to stay and study in the heart of the capital of the US (helps a lot for networking purposes). The law campus is right in the middle of the city! I received a huge merit scholarship. LLMs can be expensive and this scholarship was essential to me.
- Did you take any education loans?
I took an education loan from the State Bank of India. Getting an education loan is a lengthy process and can take 1 or 1.5 months. If the loan amount is huge one has to mortgage a property to secure the loan. Getting a loan approved early is essential as you must possess the loan approval letter before you apply for the student visa.
- How did your LLM journey help you in your job search?
Georgetown Law has a dedicated Graduate Careers office. They organize various networking events and seminars. They also review resumes and conduct workshops on networking and resume writing. They are quite helpful. Also, there are many student organizations and they organize networking events where law firm partners and associates come. US law schools focus a lot on networking. After all, getting a job as an LLM candidate can be tough, but every year many people secure positions by networking on their own. I would recommend law students to come to the US after gaining 1-3 years of work experience in their home countries. An LLM degree doesn’t guarantee a job and the job market can be tough. However, if you are willing to network and if you manage to impress someone with your profile, you may secure a position.
- What was your networking strategy?
I cold-emailed law firm partners and networked extensively. Lawyers in the US are helpful and are willing to talk and give you career advice.
Tip: Please do not ask for a job bluntly in your email.
- What is the one piece of advice that you would like to give young law students?
Embarking on the LLM journey has been a profound learning experience. Interacting with individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds has broadened my perspective significantly. Adapting to life in a new country can take some time and the journey can be tough sometimes. But I feel it is worth it! Pursuing an LLM degree from Georgetown Law is the best career decision I took.
I wholeheartedly recommend young law students to pursue an LLM from the US if they possess the financial resources, as it would open doors for them that they did not know existed.