Stephanie Blondell, professor of law and practice at Pepperdine University Rick J. Caruso School of Law, cautioned that an LL.M. doesn’t automatically translate into a full client roster.
“What LL.M. degrees do is signal to the market that they are serious, disciplined and committed to continual learning and rigor in their practices,” Blondell said. “It also shows they have taken the necessary steps to hone the skills they need to be successful.”
Another misconception? Oftentimes, students from outside of the United States believe they’ll receive job offers in the U.S shortly after earning their LL.M. degrees.
“It’s important to be realistic with prospective students about the possibility of employment in their field of work in the U.S. after the optional practical training period,” said Padideh Ala’i, professor and faculty director of International and Comparative Legal Studies at American University Washington College of Law. “It is very difficult to obtain sponsorship to work in the U.S.”
Aside from the misconceptions that students have about what LL.M. degrees can do, they have misconceptions in another way: they misunderstand what an LL.M. can’t do.
An LL.M. doesn’t necessarily qualify someone to take the bar exam. Instead, students need to either earn a J.D. or an LL.B. to take the exam.
Huilan Jackson, director of admissions at DePaul University College of Law, said that in most U.S. states, a J.D. or LL.B. from an American Bar Association-approved law school is required to sit for the bar exam.
“The LL.M. is an advanced law degree recognized globally. At DePaul Law, only applicants with a prior law degree, J.D or LL.B., are eligible for admission,” Jackson said. “However, some law schools may admit candidates to their LL.M. programs without a primary law degree.”
