Super Lawyer

Tag: US

  • Medhavi Singh on winning Best Oralist at Leiden Sarin and LL.M. from NYU

    Medhavi Singh on winning Best Oralist at Leiden Sarin and LL.M. from NYU

    Medhavi Singh talks about her journey as a Law Student of National Law University, Delhi. She had been awarded the Best Individual Oralist at the Leiden Sarin Air & Space Law Moot Court Competition. She has recently been accepted for a Masters in International Business Regulation, Transnational Litigation and Arbitration at New York University.

    In this interview, she tells us about:

    • The essentials of mooting every Law Student should keep in mind
    • What goes into excelling an International Moot
    • The importance of an LL.M from a foreign University
    • The application process for an LL.M in the U.S.

     

    How would you like to introduce yourself to our readers? Tell us a bit about your childhood, your hometown and your pre-graduate life as well. What motivated you to choose law as a career?

    I am a student of Delhi Public School, RK Puram. Originally, I am from Patna City, Bihar but have been brought up in Delhi. It was in Grade 7 that I first came across abook written on the subject of law. It was “The Colour of Law” by Mark Gimenez. The protagonist of the book was so inspiring that when I finished reading the book, I immediately knew I had to become like him. Of course, I think differently now since his practice in the book was criminal, but yes, that was my first ever motivation to pursue law as a career. Having this in mind, I took up Humanities with Maths in class 11th and 12th. I knew that subjects such as History and Political Science are tested in the National Law School exams and thought that taking these subjects would definitely be advantageous, which they actually turned out to be! For example, taking up Political Science was extremely helpful in understanding the political system of India as well as the Constitution of India, which is an integral subject from the view point of the entrance examinations.

    None of my family members are lawyers and I didn’t even know anyone who was a lawyer at the time I had decided to take it up. Thankfully, my family gave both my sister and me enough freedom to decide what we wanted to do with our lives, so they were pretty content with my career-goal.

     

    How did you gravitate into mooting? When did you decide to take up mooting seriously as a law student?

    At the outset, I would like to say that there is probably nothing more fun than mooting when you’re in law school. It’s hard work, for sure but the excitement it brings to a person at law school is absolutely unparalleled. I’m not sure how I ‘gravitated’ into mooting but I guess it’s something that most of the people in law school try anyway! I liked it so much after my first try that I couldn’t stop even when I was in my fifth year! For me, mooting was always a serious activity. It was fun but only as long as the results were positive, for which you needed to be serious about your work.

    I got drawn towards mooting especially when my team reached the finals of the KK Luthra Moot Court Competition on International Criminal Law in 2011. I remember being extremely nervous about not making it to the next round right from the first round but thankfully, it worked out well for us. Arguing in front of distinguished judges, finding loopholes in settled law as well as arguing on and learning about contemporary issues with no settled law seemed extremely exciting!

     

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    You have been the Best individual Oralist at the prestigious Leiden Sarin Air & Space Law Moot Court Competition held in Romania in March this year. Please tell us about your overall experience there regarding the competitors, the judges and other ancillary things.

    This moot was the best experience possible. I had been attempting to go for this moot since the second year of college and for some reason or the other, I couldn’t go until my last year – either I didn’t make the cut or the moot wasn’t included in the list. But anyway, I finally managed to go!

    This moot was special to me because I was very fond of Aviation Law as a subject of law. It was a field of international law that was always on the ‘move’. I must commend the Leiden-Sarin Organisers on the judges that had been called for the moot. During the entire moot, not once was I asked to state the facts and the questions that were posed to my teammate and me were precise, to the point and relevant to the problem at hand. What was more exciting about this problem was that it was based on a topic which has not yet been resolved, which meant that there was scarcity of material on the topic, which in turn helped us to make innovative and new arguments, applying not only to Aviation Law but also to different facets of International Law.

     

    How much preparation did you require for this success? Did you burn the midnight oil to excel in this moot? How much dedication and hard work was necessary for to ace Leiden Sarin?

    I’m not going to make it sound easy because I don’t think that’s honestly possible. Preparing for this moot was insanely hard. NLU-Delhi has a policy that all students must remain on campus through the week, even if you are from Delhi and I was known to be the one going home all the time for some reason or the other. I can vouch that it was during the time that I was preparing for this moot that I stayed the longest on campus, that too in the December-January winters. So yes, it’ a lot of work, but I am not complaining. I actually enjoyed myself, minus the sleep deprivation!

     

    What would you say differentiates between the best oralists and the rest? What are the top three things you consider sine qua non for being a great oralist?

    I think the most important criterion for being a great oralist is to be able to read the judge and understand what they’re looking for. We all do our homework in the sense of learning pleadings, facts, authorities etc. but ultimately, it comes down to how you can satisfy the bench before you. A judge may or may not know the problem very well, so it’s extremely important to answer his/her questions in a satisfactory manner, otherwise you end up losing the rapport that you’ve built with him/her. So according to me, on the top it would be understanding what the judge is asking for – for example, either answering questions in a precise manner or a detailed manner-and delivering the same.

    Secondly, I would want to emphasise on the importance of using relevant and contemporary real-life examples to back your case. It’s extremely important to let the judges know that what you’re arguing is in fact being practised at that very moment. I think it creates a huge impact on them.

    Thirdly, it is undeniably important to focus on you mannerisms. When it comes to mooting, most people will have the same amount of knowledge as you do and the only edge that you’ll ever have is to be able to display that knowledge and deliver your arguments effectively and differently by enhancing your mannerisms.

    For the most time that I was practicing my pleadings for the Leiden-Sarin Moot, I was concentrating on speaking slower (owing to the fact that all the judges were going to be from a foreign land) and remaining composed while answering questions. The best way to remain composed is to think of the whole procedure to be a meaningful conversation between the judges and yourself and to not let yourself get intimated by them; you probably know more than them about the problem at hand if you’ve done your research well!

     

    What prompted you to apply for an LL.M. abroad? Does it help given the career you have chosen? Why didn’t you opt for an LL.M. from India given that now we have 1 year LL.M as well?

    I experienced dispute resolution on an international scale for the first time at the Global Young Leadership Conference held in the US, where I was selected to represent India. Here, I was exposed to the tactful methods of negotiation rendered by people in addressing world issues. To further delve into the realm of international dispute resolution, I took part in Model United Nations, representing different States in various committees. I believe both these events formed the initial basis of my interest in dispute resolution on an International scale.I was drawn to International Law right from the beginning when I took part in the KK Luthra moot and ultimately by the fourth year narrowed down my liking to transnational litigation and international arbitration.

    The reason why I applied to foreign universities as opposed to an Indian one is definitely the courses that were being offered by the foreign universities as opposed to the one that were being offered in India. NYU was one University that offered a course on International Business Regulation, Transnational Litigation and Arbitration. I was excited to apply for this course because it befitted my aspirations perfectly and I wasn’t getting such an option anywhere else.

     

    You have got through to an LL.M. programme at the New York University. What do you think clicked in your favour during the selection process? How did you plan your Statement of Purpose for NYU?

    I think what worked for me was the clear picture that I had in my head with respect to what subjects I wanted to study as well as what benefit I would derive out of studying those subjects and how I would be able to apply the knowledge acquired by studying those subjects to fulfill my career-goals. My SoP had clear indications of what inspired me to choose this field, how I have already started worked in this field by means of internships, research papers etc. and how studying it would help me achieve my future plans.

    I know for a lot of people, LL.Ms are just ‘further studies’ but I think it’s much beyond that. I know it’s not a pre-requisite for any activity that you would want to undertake after law school but I feel that sometimes, it is quintessential to get expertise in niche areas, especially when you want to specialise in the same.

    Building up on your profile from the view point of an LL.M is essentially maintaining excellent grades through law school. The competition can get to you sometimes but it’s not impossible. Other activities could include mooting, debating, writing papers and even being members of relevant groups at your law school.

     

    For an LL.M you needed to have a student VISA. What are the requirements for a successful VISA application? As a lot depends on the VISA application did you prepare for the interview?

    The Visa application is a long drawn one month procedure. I can answer this question for the US Universities since that’s the procedure I am privy to. You need to first apply for your I-20, for which your University will provide you with details. The US University would then send you a hard copy of your I-20 which you must keep extremely carefully. After having done that, you must pay a fees online called the SEVIS fees and must keep multiple receipts of the same. Then you have to fill out the DS-160 form and make the visa application fees in cash to the specified banks (Axis or PNB). At the bank, they would generate a number for you which you have to use to schedule an appointment with the US Embassy. Once you have received your I-20 and paid the SEVIS fees, the visa application becomes easy and there’s not much you can do. My interview was a one line question where I was asked why I was going to NYU and which subjects I was specialising in. I was asked to pick my passport up with the visa the very next day! So no, not much preparation is required for the interview. But it’s always safe to carry all the documents with you just in case you’re asked for them.

     

    What would be your message to law students who look forward to an illustrious law school life?

    I would say it’s about maintaining excellent grades in law school and having a clear picture about what you want to study and why. It’s important to ask yourself these questions to be able to figure out whether you really want it or not. Apart from this, I would recommend all of you to have at least three teachers in mind, who have credibility and are somewhat renowned in their respective fields, who would be willing to help you out with your letters of recommendation. These letters have a huge influence on your application and must not be taken lightly! The whole application procedure seems daunting and you could feel lazy at times but trust me, in the end, it’s definitely worth it!

     

  • Ashitha Bhagwan on being an Attorney at Royse Law Firm, LL.M. from NYU and the American Legal Industry

    Ashitha Bhagwan on being an Attorney at Royse Law Firm, LL.M. from NYU and the American Legal Industry

    Ashitha Bhagwan graduated from University Law College, Bangalore in 2007 and subsequently completed an LL.M. from New York University. After working in India and Singapore, she is currently practicing in California. Being a dual licensed corporate attorney focusing on start-ups and mid-market companies, she regularly counsels on a wide range of corporate issues such as formation, equity structure, employment, general corporate governance, intellectual property protection and commercial transactions for domestic and international clients.

    We took this opportunity to ask her about:

    • Her experience at New York University
    • Work atmosphere in the U.S.
    • Working as an attorney at Royse Law Firm

     

    “Law school”, have become synonymous with the NLUs. Have you faced any such bias during your career? What would you say to the future graduates of ULCB regarding this?

    You will realize as you grow into the profession that what matters is what you made out of the school that you graduated from. And as you are well aware, opportunities that present themselves to the legal student community are open to all students, irrespective of the school. The school that you graduate from cannot really hold you back – you are at liberty to be as involved in this profession as you would like to be.

    I didn’t let the comfort of life at law college get to me while I was completing my course. I used every opportunity I got to explore and build an identity beyond the shadow of my college. The legal community is a closely knit profession so it’s important that you network among your peers, focus on your courses and make the most of the internships/moot courts that you are given an opportunity to participate in.

     

    After graduating from ULC you had taken up a Post Graduate Diploma in Intellectual Property Rights from NLSIU. What attracted you to this course? How has it impacted your overall career trajectory?

    [sociallocker] I wanted to get some background and insight into Intellectual Property (IP) laws since I was interested in corporate laws, and IP and corporate laws intersect at various junctures. I completed this course alongside my ULC degree, so it was twice as much pressure but I managed to learn quite a lot from the course. It helped me master the basics of IP laws which have proven imperative in my day-to-day practice.

     

    Of all the internships that you have done, which ones do you think really enhanced your chances of getting admission in such a prestigious University? How would you recommend students to go about choosing their internships?

    The thing about internships is that it is not so much a single stint that will lead to your LL.M admission, as it is a holistic view of your entire career as a law student. I enjoyed all my internships since each one gave me an opportunity to explore a new facet of law. In the end, it became clear to me what I wanted to pursue in future.

    Since most students in India are enrolled in the five year course, they have at least 8 breaks (short and long) in which they could potentially intern. It is important that you show for these times when you are not required to be in class, and they all add up to your end goal. You could certainly spend a break or two doing something you like, unconnected to your end goal, but for a post graduate degree, it is important that your resume tell a story that leads up to the LL.M.

     

    How did you decide upon New York University School of Law for your Post-Graduation, from the plethora of options available in the United States?

    It was a really simple choice – I had applied to 6 schools (in US and UK) and got admitted in 5, and NYU was simply the best of them all. It was located in NY (which is the financial hub), the faculty was awe-inspiring (we had professors coming in from all over the world, even legal luminaries that I had only read about as a student), and it was in the top 3 when I enrolled. Also, I knew that I would have the most fun living in NY.

     

    How did you get through the selection process of NYU? What would you say increased the probability of your candidature? What are the things one should do while at law school to have to sail through these selection processes?

    As any other potential post-graduate student, you need to show that your application is different from the thousands that the school receives that year. What helped me was top grades, a solid set of internships, publications, and victories at national level moot court competitions.

    Make sure that your 5 years in law school count – pursue internships/clinics that are of interest to you, participate in moot courts, write articles, work with your professors (if possible) on articles they may need research assistants for, and, most of all, make sure your grades don’t slip. Universities generally look for well-rounded individuals to mould into lawyers – if you can show that the natural next step after your time in law-school leads up to the LL.M., I think you would have better chance.

    Also, you should tailor your resume/application for the specific school – some prefer work experiences, some are more academic oriented so, keep that in mind while preparing an application.

     

    How was your time in NYU School of Law? How is the academic workload there?

    I enjoyed it! Workload was heavy, takes getting used to, but you learn pretty quick when you’re there – the adrenalin and the need to catch up is pretty high, so you will be fine. Prepare to study hard, and party harder!

     

    How difficult was it for you, as a student who had theretofore been used to the Indian education system, to adjust to the environment of a US University?

    It was very different from what I was used to, but as I said, you become a quick study when you are there. I suppose you learn to swim when you are thrown in the water! You also have a lot of flexibility (with courses, timings etc.) which gives you the opportunity to be creative with your courses.

     

    Corporate Law is oft seen as a dry arena of Law, sometimes with humongous workload. What made you gravitate towards this field?

    It is all about perspective. The way I look at it is that I have an opportunity to facilitate deals. One of the things which makes it very interesting for me is that I have the opportunity to work with entrepreneurs working on exciting products and help those products reach markets where it might have never reached a few years ago. My clientele is primarily from the technology sector and being part of the ever-changing advancing landscape of technological innovations in the Silicon Valley is a great opportunity.

     

    ashitha-bhagwan1Before starting work as an attorney you had to clear the Bar exam at California. Given that it is one of the toughest bar exams what was your experience?

    The California Bar Exam is the toughest exam that I have ever taken. It required my undivided attention and focus, and I am so glad it is over! If you are planning to crack this exam, remember that you have to give it your all – one hundred and ten percent. I know of people who have attempted this multiple times and failed. The volume of material is overwhelming but tackle it in small sections and you will be able to get through it.

     

    Which events led to your induction into Royse Law Firm? Were there any interviews or selection processes?

    I have always been looking for opportunities where I would not be stuck to a desk, but be able to meet new people and interact with clients on a regular basis. The Royse Law Firm presented itself as the perfect opportunity. It happened by being at the right place, at the right time. After meeting with team I was convinced that there was a great potential for me here, and I have enjoyed my time here ever since I joined.

     

    What is it like working in a law firm? How hectic is it? Are there new challenges everyday or has work settled into a predictable pattern?

    As a lawyer, there is never a dull moment. It is pretty busy – entrepreneurs always have interesting challenges and it’s our job to come up with even more interesting solutions. Being innovative is part of the job, and I love that I have the opportunity to do that.

     

    Tell us about your work at Royse Law. Can you tell us about a few of the most challenging problems you have faced thus far?

    I work with start-ups and mid-market companies. Since my practice encompasses cross border transactions, I am often required to reconcile the different jurisdictional implications of a single transaction. We work on strategizing the best way to ensure that the product can be accessed in the same way in a foreign jurisdiction, as it would be in the US. What I love is that I get to oversee a well-rounded perspective of working across multiple jurisdictions – tax, IP and corporate all of which are an integral part of a corporate lawyer’s career.

     

    How different is the work environment in the USA, from that in India?

    One thing I have noticed is that there is a clear line between your professional and personal life in the US. I find that that line in India is a little blur. Other things that are more specific to the US work environment are that it is more formal (people love setting up meetings), a little impersonal and is extremely professional.

     

    What are your plans for the next 5 years in the various fields of Corporate Law?

    Corporate Law is a broad term, and I have had the opportunity to explore various facets of it. I will probably be in the corporate law practice in the foreseeable future.

     

    What would be your word of advice to Law Students who want to practice law in the US?

    Read. Be well informed before you make any decision. Information today is very easily accessible and there is no reason that you should not make use of that.

     
    If you would like to reach Ashitha Bhagwan, Esq., feel free to connect with her on LinkedIn, alternatively you can also email her at abhagwan@rroyselaw.com

    [/sociallocker]

  • Kailash Gupta on a dual degree (JD+MBA) course from Cornell, work as a paralegal and the US Legal Industry

    Kailash Gupta on a dual degree (JD+MBA) course from Cornell, work as a paralegal and the US Legal Industry

    Kailash Gupta is studying for a dual degree course from Cornell Law School. The course will certify him as a JD and as an MBA on completion. Having been educated in the US he has deep insight of the US education system which he shares with us in this interview.

    In this interview he tells us about:

    • Working as a paralegal at NOVA IP Law firm
    • Studying and clearing for LSAT
    • Studying for JD/MBA from Cornell Law School and Johnson Graduate School of Management
    • The top prerequisites for a legal career in the US

     

    Given that most of our readers are law students and young lawyers, how will you introduce yourself to them?

    Hi! I am Kailash and I am currently a JD/MBA Candidate at Cornell Law School and the Johnson Graduate School of Management.  I plan to work in a New York City law firm as a transactional attorney.

     

    Amongst the various career options, what motivated you to choose law?

    My decision to pursue a career in law came after exploring many different career paths as an undergraduate.  I have an undergraduate degree in Economics and pursuing a degree in law, with a focus in business law, seemed like the best way to satisfy both my intellectual and analytical needs.

     

    You have been educated in the United States. How difficult would it be for others to integrate into the education system of US?

    I was born and raised in New Jersey and have not completed any sort of formal education outside the United States.  That being said, integrating into American undergraduate institutions or law schools should not be an issue for international students.  At Cornell and other top ranked universities, school administrators and admissions officers have recently put a greater emphasis on attracting top talent from abroad.  I commonly hear several different languages being spoken as I walk through campus (including my native Telugu).  International students have several student groups on campus and many US-born students are eager to make connections with students from abroad.

     

    You are pursuing Juris Doctor Degree from Cornell Law School. What was the application procedure? Are there any entrance tests?

    Cornell Law School, along with the majority of other US law schools, require applicants to write a two-page personal statement along with optional essays, including addendums to explain any issues or weak spots in one’s application.  Furthermore, each applicant is required to take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT).

     

    How did you prepare for the entrance test? Please tell us about the top three things you kept in mind while preparing for the test. Would you say it was difficult to take the test?

    The LSAT consists of a total of six 35-minute sections.  The sections include one writing sample, two logical reasoning (LR) sections, one reading comprehension (RC) section, one logic games (LG) section, and one experimental section.  The experimental section is either a LR, LG, or RC section and does NOT count to the overall score.  The writing sample is also not incorporated into the overall score, though each school to which one sends his or her score will be able to view the essay.

    Top US law schools have trouble comparing candidates across different undergraduate universities and majors.  Unlike other graduate schools such as medical school, law schools do not require students to take specific undergraduate classes before applying.  Therefore, law school admissions officers primarily compare students based on their LSAT scores.  An applicant’s undergraduate GPA, major,and institution are secondary to one’s LSAT score.  Work experience comes in as the third most important criterion.  Therefore, high performance on the LSAT is imperative for gaining admission.

    My basic approach was to first learn the strategies of taking the exam.  Investing in exam prep materials is highly encouraged.  Secondly, once I was equipped with the basic strategies of how to tackle each question type in each section of the test, I spent significant time taking practice sections and full-length tests.

    After each test or section, I would review the questions I got wrong, identify the question type, and practice those specific types until I was able to consistently answer them correctly.  A final point to remember is the exam takes over four hours to administer.  Test-takers should prepare for the mental marathon that is taking the LSAT.  The best way is to take full-length tests leading up to the exam date.  Still, be careful not to burn out and make sure to be well rested on exam day.

     

    What prompted you to choose Cornell for a JD? Were there any other Universities in mind?

    I was fortunate enough to be choosing between two highly ranked law schools, Georgetown University Law Center and Cornell Law School.  GULC and Cornell each have their strengths.  GULC is located in Washington D.C., the nation’s capital.  Its location puts it in close proximity to some of the greatest legal minds of the country, which include legislators, practicing attorneys, and even the U.S. Supreme Court Justices.  Furthermore, Washington D.C. has more lawyers per capita than any other city in the country.  Cornell, on the other hand, is a small school with a tight-knit community.  Ultimately, its small size, elite faculty, extremely strong placement into big law firms, and strength in business law made it the ideal fit for me. I also completed my undergraduate degree at Cornell so I was fully accustomed to Ithaca.

     

    You had received the ‘CALI Excellence for the Future’ Award. What qualified you for this recognition?

    The Center for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction is a non-profit dedicated to facilitating computer assisted legal education.  The CALI Excellence for the Future Award is given to students who receive the highest grade in each course, each semester, in participating law schools.  I received the award in my first semester for the Torts and Lawyering courses.

     

    What does it mean to be on the Dean’s List at the Cornell Law School?

    Dean’s List is given to students who stand in the top 30% of the class for each semester of grades.

     

    How important do you think are internships in shaping up the career of a person?

    Pursuing internship(s) as a law student is imperative in securing a job post-graduation.  I am in a unique situation because I am pursuing the dual degree.  Dual-degree students are required to take summer classes at the business school instead of pursuing a first-year internship.  Most pure JD students either do research for professors or intern for a judge, government agency, or non-profit during their first year summer.  At the end of the second year of study at the law school, most students, including the dual-degree students, pursue a summer associate position at a law firm.

    The second-year internships are very important in securing a job post-graduation because the vast majority of big law firms extend full-time employment offers to their summer associates.  While many law students do not plan to work in big law firms in the long run, many nonetheless pursue these second-year summer associate positions and even accept full-time offers.  The reason is that it is generally believed that work in big law firms prepare you for a career in government or business.

     

    You are also pursuing an MBA from Johnson Graduate School of Management. What motivated you to take it up? Would you say an MBA would better equip you in a legal career?

    As a law student with aspirations to work as a transactional attorney, pursuing an MBA was a no-brainer.  Transactional attorneys are constantly poring over business documents in their daily work.  Furthermore, transactional attorneys are often called upon to advise their clients in making decisions that directly affect a client’s business.

    Having a working knowledge of how large businesses operate, which an MBA will undoubtedly provide, is a major benefit when beginning your career as a transactional attorney.  Furthermore, the opportunity cost of one-year’s worth of salary normally associated with pursuing a dual degree program does not exist in Cornell’s three-year program.

     

    You began your professional career with NOVA IP Law as a Paralegal. How did you apply? What did your work profile consist of? Did it require knowledge of law?

    I applied for the position through Cornell’s job posting website prior to graduation as an undergraduate.  The position did not require any prior knowledge of law.  Working as a paralegal is a great introduction into the legal field and serves as an opportunity for one to really decide if a career in law is the right one.

    I worked in a small firm outside Washington D.C. and the experience solidified my desire to pursue a career in law.  I assisted attorneys in legal research, edited and wrote contracts and court documents, and also took on all the clerical tasks associated with office management.  Other than that, I also had the opportunity to manage several attorneys and paralegals working on a short-term basis in a document review project.

     

    What does being a Paralegal mean? How different is it from being an associate at a law firm?

    A paralegal is a legal assistant and serves essential functions in a law firm.  Paralegals are often divided into two distinct categories, career paralegals and short-term paralegals.  Career paralegals pursue the position as a career while short-term paralegals are often recent college graduates who are looking to work in the legal field before pursuing a law degree.  Because I worked in a small firm I was able to take on some of the tasks that normally would be reserved for career paralegals in larger firms.  A friend of mine worked as a paralegal in a large firm in Los Angeles and told me that several of the career paralegals were highly sought after by the firm’s partners when staffing different projects.  Whereas first-year and second-year associates have minimal practical understanding of real world law practice, most career paralegals more often than not have a better working knowledge of the law.

    Even in our Law course, our professors constantly reminded us to turn to the staff paralegals as sources of help when navigating the big law waters as a fresh-out-of-law-school associate.

     

    What are your plans for the coming five years?

    I plan to finish my degree program in 2016 and work as an associate in a law firm in New York City for the foreseeable future.

     

    What are the top prerequisites for a successful legal career in the U.S. for people from other countries?

    Depending on your career goals and aspirations, the unfortunate truth for international students aspiring to work in the US as a lawyer is that they must pursue a JD.  Most LL.M. students I speak to tell me that it is very difficult to secure a job with a big law firm with just an LL.M.  Many LL.M. students sit for the New York bar at the end of their programme and utilize their bar admission through international deals or litigation.

    Beyond the degree itself, law firms look for strong oral and written communication skills and top grades regardless of the fact whether you are an international or a domestic student.  International students should stay updated on the status of US legal employment market.  The past seven years have been especially tough for law students in finding employment and a huge bracket of unemployed law graduates exists. The fair logical leap is that most firms, regardless of size, are going to choose a domestic candidate as the more costly international ones need to be paid higher.

     

    Give us a few tips on finding out the right university for a J.D or an LL.M.

    If any readers are interested in pursuing a JD or LL.M. at a US law school some helpful sources include:

    top-law-schools.com:  This website has helpful information on constructing personal statements, school profiles and rankings, LSAT preparation, etc.

    lawschooltransparency.com:  This website has helpful employment statistics for easy comparison between U.S. law schools.