I was recently thinking about my own law school decisions, years ago. I considered doing a joint JD/LLM program at one school, or only a JD degree at other schools. I chose getting only a JD.
Now that I have been practicing for years, I see no point whatsoever in getting a JD and an LLM except:
- NYU’s tax LLM program.
- If you go to a law school that doesn’t give you the placement you want so you get a separate LLM from a higher-ranked school to improve your job prospects.
The program I had considered- a joint JD/LLM from the same school at the same time- seems to me to be harmful:
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I would have paid extra tuition and had fewer opportunities to be a summer associate in a law firm. Being a summer associate pays well and having been a successful summer associate is critical in interviewing while in law school.
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The additional classes with the LLM program are useless (as what classes you’ve taken in law school matters little once you’re practicing).
So for anyone who is considering a joint JD/LLM program: don’t do it!
Instead, if you have specific interest in a field that is covered by an LLM program, get a job or volunteer in that field. If you like entrepreneurship, do a short-term job in a startup. If you like international things, volunteer abroad for a summer before law school. Work or volunteer experience would be much more valuable than an LLM.
I welcome disagreement, but I wanted to give the advice that I didn’t get decades ago, but that I wish I had gotten.