Career Clinic: Will a law Masters help me get ahead of the competition?

Yes - only if you put the hours in to gain a distinction in it. If you are not prepared to, don't bother... it will be a disadvantage in comparison to everyone else who took the course and gained one (your competitors).

anon -11 Jan 2010 | 13:51

Go to a big firm instead

Go to a City firm instead. Most of them will allow you to gain a good grounding in public law and you could move to the Bar a few years after qualification. A Masters is a waste of time unless used merely as a stop gap.

Associate (Magic Circle Firm) -11 Jan 2010 | 14:34

A Masters a waste of time? This is a very British point of view. If you want an international career, and you do the right type of Masters, it could be a great plus.

IOtto -12 Jan 2010 | 09:31

A Masters is a waste of time - just a money spinner for university departments - study a language or something interesting.

anon -12 Jan 2010 | 10:17

It depends...

With a Masters you get out of it what you put in. It will not mean that pupillage will necessarily follow. However, remember that ALL applicants will have the BVC and fewer will have an LL.M.

More broadly, practical experience is vital - public law in practice is totally different to public law in the classroom.

JCJL -12 Jan 2010 | 12:09

LLM

An LLM from a good school is often a requirement for getting an associate position/training contract with a top law firm in continental Europe.

For people with a UK LLB it adds little in terms of career prospects in the City unless it is, say, a BCL from Oxford, or an LLM from a top US school.

That said, having qualified originally in a civil law jurisdiction and subsequently stayed in London (a market where as said LLMs are of little added value), I found it gave me a solid footing in common law that I continue to benefit from today. But I do not think a single City firm finds it relevant to my experience, and possibly even too academic.

PT -12 Jan 2010 | 12:16

Re post above:

Just curious - exactly how much value does a top masters like the BCL add?

Anonymous -12 Jan 2010 | 13:15

Go for it! The UK has a negative view on Masters.

If you know which area you are targeting and you are going to a good school, don't hesitate!

Hot -12 Jan 2010 | 15:33

A masters will certainly get you further into debt.

If you're after public law experience, particularly judicial review, see if you can get a job with Liberty, Amnesty International or one of the other charities which regularly pursue such actions. Chances are you will get exposure to some newsworthy cases which will give you something interesting to talk about at interview and will help you stand out from the crowd a little.

Anonymous -12 Jan 2010 | 16:15

An LLM can be a valuable part of the 'aspiring barrister/solicitor' package, but it's not a magic wand

If an LLM was a product, the label on the box would read, "OPEN WITH CAUTION".

Having done an LLM which contributed greatly to my obtaining a TC in my chosen field, I can say that if you choose your course wisely and with a view to the specific sets you are targeting, it may be worth your while. A BCL from Oxford is definitely the most valuable currency but it's tough to get on to - so be warned. An LLM from any of the top 10 institutions also goes some way to boosting your credentials in the right circumstances. However it will never replace your first degree or A-levels. Make sure the course will add value to the type of practice you wish to establish, make sure it is a good brand name, and make sure you get as high a mark as possible. Involve yourself in postgraduate activities and make a name for yourself (in a good way…). Shine in a way you didn't as an undergrad. Publish in your chosen field - there will be more academic guidance at LLM to enable you to do this. Then it will be useful.

What chambers really want to see is As at A-level and a good first or high 2:1 at undergrad. Why they are still so hung up over A-levels is rather bizarre but that's the way it is. Without these, your LLM is mere window dressing. If you don't have good A-levels (or an excellent degree) and are still willing to shell out for an LLM, be warned that it may not get your foot in the door you wanted. Many LLM courses have scholarships attached - apply now as the deadlines are fast approaching. This may help with the cost if you do choose this route. Otherwise it is an expensive prospect and if you haven't found pupillage within five years of completing your BVC then it is a wasted exercise.

If you want to practise judicial review at the Bar, get some judicial review experience - various law centres and public law charities need volunteers, and do mini pupillages with some public barristers. FRU and the PLP are two such organisations. Make contacts. After that it's down to a bit of luck and personality. The Bar is having a difficult time and is closing ranks because it perceives there isn't enough work to go round in some quarters. It wouldn't be a bad thing to get in to a public law firm of solicitors and cross over later. That way you will make valuable contacts on both sides (the judicial review Bar is a small place) and be assured that when you do strike out on your own you will have contacts that will instruct you and provide you with business. Unless you are going to the top commercial sets, starting up as a barrister and making a decent living from it in the first few years (i.e. breaking even or small profits) has become more difficult.

For all the naysayers about masters degrees: the reality is that the legal market is saturated and doing an LLM is a logical and useful way to a) differentiate yourself; b) go deeper into your subject; c) make valuable contacts; d) give you time to assess the precarious legal market during turbulence and over-supply of candidates; and e) makes you appealing to overseas markets where post-graduate qualifications are more or less standard practice. All the top law firms are actively looking to recruit (or were before recession) LLM graduates.

Good luck with it.

Lawgirl -12 Jan 2010 | 17:29

Value of the LL.M

I agree with the last paragraph of Lawgirl's post except for the top law firms preferring LL.Ms. Having just completed a LL.M from a top law college in London (though at the worst possible time considering the recession), I would say that UK law firms don't really value a LL.M. It doesn't figure that high in their decision-making process. What matters to them is where you've done your LL.B from, your grades in the LL.B, your previous work experience and whether they need your particular skills, languages etc. If you're from outside UK what also matters is how much work the law firms think they have within your country. These are not my personal views but the views of recruitment consultants and UK law firm recruitment heads.

That said, I benefitted a lot from the LL.M in terms of additional knowledge and making new friends/contacts in addition to having fun. But I never did the LL.M to get a job in a UK law firm. I did it more for my own reasons.

Do the LL.M only if you're really interested in learning and studying subjects that you may not have studied earlier or to go in-depth into subjects of your interest. Ultimately it's the effort you put into it that matters. How much you benefit from the LL.M in terms of knowledge is entirely dependent on you. I slogged it out while doing the LL.M, managed to get a decent merit degree and was satisfied with the knowledge I gained.

Don't do the LL.M if you are just doing it to get a job - you may be disappointed especially during recession time as Lawgirl has mentioned.

All the best.

Sane -12 Jan 2010 | 18:42

LLM

I did an LLM. Although it wasn't the be all and end all, it did influence the experience I gained in my training contract and the role I got on qualification. I am now working in the area that I covered in my LLM and the extended knowledge has definitely helped me in this area. It won't mean you will get a pupillage over someone else but it will be another 'string to your bow'. I also used it has a year to gain more legal experience through placements and volunteer work which also helped me get to where I am now.

Abbie -12 Jan 2010 | 20:01

Interesting how the advice about the LLM is quite different from that being posted about the Mphil and vac schemes! I have an LLM from a German university and some law firms (yes even in the UK) pay a higher salary if you have an LLM (at least they used to). I think it's a constructive way to use a year in a bad market and will make you more employable than working in your local supermarket for the year. Go for it.

Helen -15 Jan 2010 | 10:20