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The globalization of international law
The general LLM - as the name implies - tends to be a more amorphous qualification, seeking to educate a student in the more general areas of law, covering a broad range of what might be considered essential tenets of the academic and professional area.
For international postgraduate students, a usual requirement is some measure of legal education in their undergraduate degree and a broad understanding of the legal system of the country in which they were intending to study. It should be noted, however, that the JD and LLB do no fully prepare you for the professional element of your training, such as passing the local state bar examinations. Those seeking to pursue the general LLM route as a means of becoming a practising lawyer would be best advised to conduct additional research to ascertain the various requirements for professional practice.
Europe vs The US
Studying in the US or Europe can throw up an abundance of dilemmas in choosing a course – each offering numerous variations in study methods, content and delivery, as well as in lifestyle, cost and prospects.
As the LLM Guide (www.llm-guide.com) states, ‘prospective students should be aware that there is no universal definition for the term LLM. It is used in different ways by institutions around the world’. This is particularly important to bear in mind when deciding where to study, as certain countries will solely focus on teaching foreign lawyers the principles of their own country – not ideal if you’re looking for a multinational perspective!
Studying in the US or Europe can throw up an abundance of dilemmas in choosing a course – each offering numerous variations in study methods, content and delivery, as well as in lifestyle, cost and prospects.
A useful point to note is that in the US, the JD is a postgraduate programme degree – compared to the undergraduate LLB – so entry levels may been construed to be of a higher level. Studying in the US may also offer a greater opportunity to specialise further and tailor your course to your requirements. However, whether opting for the US or Europe, competition for places in the top institutions can be equally competitive with multiple applicants vying for a relatively low number of places.
Teaching methods are also historically and noticeably different in the US and Europe. According to David Levy at the International Law Institute: “American law school classes are taught either as lecture courses, or smaller seminar courses. Lecture courses may range in size from approximately fifteen people for a specialised course such as Admiralty or Conflict of Laws, to perhaps sixty or more for a class such as Secured Transactions or Corporations. Lecture courses, particularly those with large numbers of JD students, are generally taught using the Socratic Method and have a single examination at the end of the course which determines the grade. The larger the course, the more likely it is that it will be taught by a full-time faculty member, rather than by a practising lawyer who teaches as an adjunct professor.”
Ms. Séverine Pruvost, an in-house attorney for Rémy Martin in Cognac, France and a member of the LLM Class of 1999 from Columbia University Law School agrees: “the American teaching system is much different from that of the French. Students are assigned readings ahead of class so there is an interactive discussion between students and professors. In the beginning, adapting to the new system of study was not easy.”
Moving from the US to Europe, graduate legal studies are approached in a different manner, often reflecting the system of law in operation in any one particular country.
