Project Grad School PGS Guru answers PART II

In the second instalment of Project Grad School, the PGS Guru answers your queries on whether an LLM from a foreign university helps as far as job prospects in India are concerned, whether a JD course makes sense for Indian students, and the pros and cons of a “specialized” LLM..I am a 5th year law student and wish to pursue an LL.M. immediately after graduation. However, I am not too keen on doing an LL.M. from abroad but want to do it from India only. But whenever I’ve expressed my willingness to do an LL.M. from India, I’ve received responses that aren’t too positive. People have the opinion that masters from India doesn’t serve a lot of purpose as far as job prospects are concerned. I would be glad if you could tell me how good it would be to do an LL.M. from India? I wish to work for a year or two after my post-graduation and want to give the Judicial Services Examination later on. Please help!!!!.-MS.PGS Guru replies:.Hi MS,.Is there a specific reason you (a) want to do an LL.M and (b) specifically in India? Forget the responses you are getting from other people and ask yourself: Why do youwant to do an LL.M? I don’t know if an LL.M will particularly help you prepare better for the Judicial Services Examination. It might, should you want to add an extra credential (especially if you don’t consider the law degree you have currently to be very marketable) be somewhat useful – but this too depends on where you want to go for this LL.M (NLSIU, for instance, has a fairly prestigeous LL.M program) and what specifically you want to study (some schools have specialazaions depending on faculty availability)..Ask yourself if you are doing this for (a) the credential, (b) access to great faculty or (c) just because. If (a) you should only do it if it really is a school that is a considerable step-up from the school you are currently in. If (b) go go go! more education for the sake of education is never a bad idea and these top schools have some amazing faculty you can get exposed to. If (c), it really isn’t my place to offer you any advice, is it? .All Best with this process! .-x-x-x-.Sir,.Hello!.I’m currently pursuing BA LLB(hons) from AIL,Mohali..I plan to do International law eventually..I’ve been advised by many people that doing LLB or JD(whichever program i get) will be better if done frm a foreign university. I want to do that.my questions are:.1: Will it be beneficial if I do a JD/LLB frm a foreign university after completing my BA frm here(i have an option of moving out after 3 years).2: What all credentials do I need to make a good application? Like what sort of internships n all? My 12th board result was VERY BAD! n that’s the only bad result that i have. I got 90% in 10th though. So, tell me the best credentials..3: I am focusing on colleges in:a: USb: CANADAc: AUSTRALIAd: Singapore(NUS)e: UK.So, what all exams do i need to appear for?? I’m in the first year right now so, in what month do i appear for such exams in my 2nd/3rd year so that i can move to the college right after completing my third year..Plus, if you could tell me abt the best colleges in the countries that i’ve mentioned..Thanx!eagerly waiting for your reply…..Confused!.PGS Guru replies.Hello Confused, .Before I can really give you any answers, I have some questions for you: First, what do you mean by “do international law”? You mean you want to practice in an international jurisdiction? Work in India on international law matters? Work on matters with international clients? .Second, who is giving you all this advice to redo a first degree in law? Sure, a JD is more substantial legal training than the LL.M because it is two years longer and better recognized. But it is also a first degree inAmerican law. Do you want to live in the U.S.? Recall that “whatever you get into” is not a good strategy for law schools. Legal Education – especially in the countries you are looking at going to – is expensive and jobs are not always an immediate extension of graduating from one of these programs. Unless, of course, you want to come back to India and work here – in which case, why would you want a legal education from another country? .If you have other personal reasons to move to one of these countries (or varied reasons to specifically be in each of them), it is a different story altogether. But moving just to get a law degree from another country doesn’t seem to make sense. It might be “better” in some contexts – but without knowing what you want to do with that law degree, I am unsure if those contexts apply to your case. It isn’t one of those things you just up and do – law school is a serious commitment of time and money so maybe you should first think about why you want to do a first degree from another country. .If you still think this is the path that makes the most sense for you, I’d recommend you begin narrowing your choices. You can’t possibly want to apply to two kinds of programs in five countries all to transition at the end of the third year: not only will it take up the entirity of your next year (at least) in preparation, it will also be very expensive (applications to schools in the U.S.,for example, can be ~80 dollars a piece and you might want to apply to a range of dream+safety schools to keep your options open). In fact, many graduate schools in the U.S./Canada require a four year undergraduate degree before transitioning to a graduate program: so perhaps one option to consider – if you are really set on doing a J.D. in the U.S./Canada – is to apply to a B.A/B.S. program in an American college by transfering your credits, complete 4 years of college and then take the LSAT (which is the test you need to apply to any American law school) when you are done (phew). For the other countries, there aren’t specified exams but grades through school + college matter as well as other things like co-curricular activities, recommendations, statement of purpose, and, of course, your ability to fund your education. .I hope this is useful,.Sir..-x-x-x-.Dear Ma’am/Sir,.At the very outset, I must thank you for providing this service. It should go a long way in guiding LL.M. aspirants..I am a 2009 graduate of NLSIU, Bangalore (B.A., LL.B. (Hons.)) and have been practicing before the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court..I was hoping to get some guidance with respect to LL.M. in International Law. I have as of now decided to apply to Columbia and NYU. The former awards a general LL.M. but allows the candidate to mould the degree to his/her liking. I wanted to know if I could apply to any other college in U.S. As of now, I hope to focus on academia or join the civil society/advocacy groups focusing in Human Rights/International Law. So I’m guessing the content of the course and specially in the case of Indian Universities/NGOs, the University’s brand value would be of importance..Also, how are the options in EU. I’ve come across this Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights and the course sounds good/to my liking. But then again I’m clueless about its worth in the market..Finally, would you know if a NET qualification is required in India to teach law or a foreign LL.M. recognised by Indian Universities?.Looking forward to your opinion,.Regards,.KC..PGS Guru replies: .Dear KC, .Thank you for your kind words: hopefully our service will be of some help as you navigate your LL.M options..First – is there a reason you are applying only to NYU and Columbia for an LL.M? I am assuming NYU’s excellent I Law faculty is a draw – but you also mention a Human Rights focus and Yale and Harvard both have fantastic programs for HR and George Washington has a specialized comparative law and international law program. But don’t limit yourself to just these specialized courses (see below for why) – schools like Berkeley, UPenn, Stanford, Chicago have great LL.M programs and the broader you cast your net, the more options you have when you are choosing where to go..Having said that – note that “specialized” LL.Ms while useful if you are confident that’s what you want to focus on in the 9 months you spend in the program are often highly structured. The advantages are perhaps clear: dedicated focus faculty time with prominent professors in the field, a clear focus when you graduate that’ll be useful when you apply to specific jobs and a lot of attention to subjects that interest you. But let me also let you in on the parallel disadvantages that go hand in hand: the dedicated faculty is a plus but because of the amount of time you spend with a limited set of them, you might lose the chance to take other classes. Further, you might be limiting yourself to only highly specific jobs when you graduate – something you mightn’t want to do, especially if you have high loans to pay back and want your options open. But more than anything else, it is already structured for you: and in the 9 months you have there, you might want to keep as many options open – who knows there might be another really interesting class you really like that’ll expand your horizons in unexpected ways. Besides, even with a “general” LL.M you can still take many of these classes (except certain special seminars for those LL.Ms who specialize) without losing the liberty to tailor-make your course. .Re: prestige, yes – “brand” is fairly important to employers (government or otherwise) but (and this is especially true if you are planning on paying for your LL.M) I am guessing this is important to you too. Besides, don’t expect the LL.M – be it from the U.S. or the E.U. – to change your career prospects as a credential in and of itself. The LL.M is great for many things: exposure, learning about laws in other jurisdictions, meeting people from all over the world, opening your mind intellectually, etc. But it is not immediately going to land you a job by existing. It’ll open doors, maybe – but making the case for why a particular LL.M program was the right fit for you at the time you did it is one you’ll have to make. .Re: NET, public institutions are increasingly requiring NET qualifications to teach and advance in tenure-track positions. But many of the more liberal schools – and the national and global law universities in particular – are more open to admitting faculty with core research commitment and international training. .This is my LL.M rule of thumb, for what its worth: go to the best school that admits you if you can afford it. If you’ll have to stretch your finances in ways that don’t make sense for you personally, then go to the school that gives you the most money to attend. And while picking schools you want to apply to, ask yourself: “will I go here if they give me a full ride?” and/or “Will I go here even if I don’t get any more at all?” If the answer is “No” to the first question don’t waste the 80 dollars in application fees. If the answer is “Yes” to the second question – this is clearly dream school material, give it your best shot! .Good luck with the process,.S.