Are you looking to hire top legal talent? Consider an LLM.
A vastly overlooked group of individuals are those who have graduated from an American law school with an LLM instead of a JD. These individuals are eligible to take the bar exam just like JDs. These individuals go on to pass the bar exam and become attorneys just like JDs.
Law students with LLMs typically have earned their first law degree, usually an LLB, abroad. Some LLMs come from Common Law countries, whereas others come from Civil Law countries. After they earn their first law degree, they travel to the United States and enroll in a Master of Laws program at a law school. LLM programs can be 1-2 years long. These students who are already knowledgeable about legal principles then intensely study American law. Once LLM students complete their degree they take the bar exam and become attorneys.
At the end of the day, both JDs and LLMs are qualified attorneys.
From a career standpoint, there is a robust recruitment cycle of on-campus interviews in place for the career advancement of JD students, with many JD students securing jobs before they leave law school. That same cycle doesn’t exist for LLM students. Thus, LLM students are heavily reliant on their law school’s career services department. These departments are often set up solely to support JDs. LLM students must be creative and forge their own path to secure employment as an attorney.
No, we’re not a placement agency. The 10 List highlights the best LLM student who should be on your firm’s radar. We are a helping hand giving a boost to 2024’s most accomplished LLM students and grads.
If your firm would like to receive a copy of the 10 List so you can see the top talented LLMs, email us: llm@the10list.law.
