LL.M. Roadmap: An International Student's Guide to U.S. Law School Programs

Like an atlas, the LL.M. Roadmap: An International Student’s Guide to U.S. Law School Programs, provides a series of “roadmaps” to guide prospective LL.M. students through every step of their journey. From assessing your reasons to acquire an LL.M., to choosing an American law school, meeting financial and immigration challenges, and succeeding in law school and a career in law, the LL.M. Roadmap provides straightforward guidance, along with plenty of checklists and reference sources. In ten parts and 33 chapters, this valuable text offers a careful examination of every consideration and contingency for making important life decisions.

An indispensable guide for prospective LL.M. candidates, the LL.M. Roadmap features:

• information and analysis to help readers answer their most pressing questions, such as
• Should I worry about an LL.M. program’s ranking and reputation?
• How do I get admitted to a U.S. LL.M. Program?
• What questions should I ask before accepting a U.S. law school’s offer of admission?
• What kind of financial assistance is available? Can I work part-time during my LL.M. program?
• What will it take to succeed in a U.S. LL.M. program?

• practical guidance for navigating through the entire LL.M. experience
• degree and English-language proficiency requirements
• how U.S. law professors teach
• legal writing, research, and communication techniques
• determining whether extracurricular activities will help
• common immigration and student visa challenges and requirements
• employment and career advice
• numerous checklists and lists of resources

Key Words: LL.M., LLM, International

Summary of Contents

Part I. Foreign Students Earning U.S. Law Degrees: What’s so special about U.S. Legal Education?

Chapter 1. Globalization and the Need for Transnational Lawyers

Chapter 2. Fifteen (15) Reasons to Get an LL.M. from the U.S.

Chapter 3. “Types” or “Categories” of LL.M. Degree Program

Chapter 4. LL.M. Specializations

Chapter 5. U.S. and Foreign Legal Systems and Legal Education

Part II. Choosing the “Best” U.S. Law School for You; Criteria for Choosing the “Best” LL.M. Program

Chapter 6. Choosing the “best” U.S. Law School for You: Law School Ranking, Reputation, and Reality

Chapter 7. Frequently Asked Questions: 175 Criteria for Choosing the “Best” U.S. LL.M. Program for You

Part III. How to Get Admitted to the U.S. Law School and LL.M. Program You Choose

Chapter 8. LL.M. Admissions Policies and Practices; U.S. Law School Mission Statements; Educational Agents; Cash Cows and Diploma Mills

Chapter 9. Your LL.M. Program Application: How to Convince a U.S. Law School to Admit You

Chapter 10. Personal Statements and Application Essays, Writing Samples, CVs and Resumes, and Personal Interviews

Chapter 11. Recommendation or Referral Letters

Chapter 12. Parlez Vous English? English Language Proficiency

Chapter 13. Other Components of the LL.M. Application (Document Authentication & Verification; Scholarship Requests; Proof of Financial Resources)

Part IV. Finally—You Are Admitted, Rejected, Put on Hold, or Waitlisted

Chapter 14. Receiving the Law School’s E-Mail: You Are Admitted, Rejected, Put on Hold, or Waitlisted

Chapter 15. Degree Requirements (Including Law School Exams, Assignments, and Exercises)

Chapter 16. How Do They Teach at U.S. Law Schools?

Chapter 17. Legal Research, Writing, and Communication

Chapter 18. Writing an LL.M. Thesis

Chapter 19. Extra-Curricular Activities and LL.M. Students

Part V. Getting Student Visas; Immigration Issues

Chapter 20. The Student Visa—High Hurdles?

Chapter 21. Visa and Immigration Issues After Arrival in the U.S.

Chapter 22. Working with Your Student Visa—On and Off Campus

Part VI. How Do I Pay for my LL.M. Degree?

Chapter 23. Paying for Your LL.M. (and Tips on Saving Money)

Chapter 24. Scholarships, Grants, and Fellowships

Chapter 25. Avoiding U.S.-Based Student Loans

Part VII. Getting and Keeping a Job Post-LL.M.

Chapter 26. Strategies for LL.M. Students and Graduates to Find Jobs and Keep Jobs They Already Have

Chapter 27. Optional Practical Training (OPT) and Academic Training (AT)

Chapter 28. Practicing Law in the U.S. with an LL.M. Degree—The Bar Exam and Other Hurdles

Part VIII. U.S. Law Degrees Other than the LL.M.

Chapter 29. JSD/SJD Degree

Chapter 30. Juris Doctor (JD) Degree

Chapter 31. Other U.S. Degrees and Non-Degree Opportunities for Foreign Lawyers

Part IX. Legalities, Lifestyles, Leisure, and Adjusting

Chapter 32. Obeying U.S. Law; Safety, Security, and Health

Part X. Conclusion

Chapter 33. Conclusion