THE US LL.M. adventure: Realities beyond the classroom

It’s that time of the year again! Thousands of young adults are all set to move to the United States for further education, many with hopes and dreams of joining the workforce in the country right after.

While there are ample resources for STEM professionals, there are substantively fewer for legal professionals. Let’s talk about pursuing an LL.M. and seeking opportunities in the United States.

I’d like to preface this article by saying that I write specifically for those who intend to join private or public interest employers after their graduation and not for those aiming to make a career in higher education.

LL.M.s are short, nine-month, intensive courses. They fly by before they begin. They’re valuable not only for the quality of coursework and teaching methods, but also for the entire journey they encompass. Adapting to a new country, often for the first time, means embracing diversity in thought, clothing, taste, lifestyle and more. It involves learning to survive and thrive independently, far from family. For many, it means returning to school after spending time in the professional world. This period is one of immense personal growth and is also a time when you are an immigrant in a new country.

However, what comes after the LL.M. is often unspoken about. In the United States, the LL.M. grants every student a year of work authorisation after graduation, by default, and upon some paperwork. The period is three years for STEM graduates. During this time, most students are expected to write state bar exams, look for employment and obtain employer-based work authorisations beyond the one year to continue working in the United States. Although this may seem like ample time to achieve these goals, it is often more challenging than it appears.

Unlike STEM, legal employers in the United States face a market where the supply of Juris Doctor (JD) students meets the demand. On top of this, there are concerns about foreign-trained attorneys, including their educational backgrounds, the absence of a standard three-year US education, and the additional costs of sponsoring work authorisations. Consequently, only a few foreign-trained attorneys manage to secure desirable positions. Opportunities often arise at small immigration or personal injury firms, where JD students are less likely to apply. These positions typically offer lower pay and demanding working hours. Many students who do not want to settle for these less-than-ideal positions end up returning home.

This is where US immigration laws come into play. Graduates without permanent residency or spousal work authorisation must go through the H1B lottery to secure work authorisation through their employer. Yes, it’s a lottery - a random draw where 85,000 applicants are selected. To put this into perspective, in 2024, 479,953 applicants applied for those 85,000 spots. If you are fortunate enough to be selected, the universe has smiled upon you. If not, you are expected to leave the United States. While there are some options to remain in the US, they typically bind immigrants to specific employers, limit their ability to travel home, or involve significant additional costs. None of these processes, including the H1B, guarantee Indian immigrants a long-term stay in the US. These are temporary visas and do not secure work authorisation for partners.

Many incoming LL.M. students aspire to follow in the footsteps of those who have thrived and whom they admire. However, most of these successful individuals likely experienced significant frustrations, self-doubt and rejections through no fault of their own. Despite how polished their professional lives may appear on LinkedIn, the reality of their journey may have been far less glamorous.

I write this not to discourage, but for everyone taking the plunge in the upcoming months to move to the United States for an LL.M. to be able to make informed decisions, know the hard parts and choose to go through the journey, nonetheless. All said, there definitely is hope, gain and growth in the journey, irrespective of how it turns out!

Vayuna Gupta is an attorney, licensed in New York and India. She is currently the Legal and Policy Advisor at Global Rights for Women.