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Careers Service
University College Cork
Ireland
May 2009
Legal Education in the USA
Acronym Decoder
• JD– the abbreviation of Juris Doctor, which literally
translates to “teacher of law” in Latin. • LLM
– derived from Legum Magister, which means master of laws in Latin.
• ABA– American Bar Association (ABA), which is the
organization that accredits JD programs• LSAT
– Law School Admission Test
Key Topics
• Reasons to Study Law in the U.S.
• The JD Degree
• The LSAT
• The LLM Degree
• Resources
Reasons to Study Law in the U.S.
• Enhance your legal credentials
• Enhance employment skill set
• Aim to be a judge or government official
• Advance as a law professor
The JD Degree
• JD: the basic law degree necessary to practice law in the U.S.
• Not practical for students who want to practice law in their home country.
• Accredited by the American Bar Association
The JD Degree cont.
• JD is a graduate degree Must have a bachelor’s degree to apply
• JD curriculum is 3 yrs fulltime or 4 yrs part time.
• Joint JD/MBA or JD/MA programs are available
About the LSAT
• Law School Admission Test measures reading and verbal reasoning skills
• Many law schools require that the LSAT be taken by December for admission the following year.
The LLM Degree
• The abbreviation for of Legum Magister (master of laws in Latin)
• The LLM is a graduate law degree – a first degree in law is a prerequisite
(No previous law degree is required for a JD )
The LLM Degree cont.
• 1 year of full time study or 2 years of part time study
• Earning the LLM degree does not qualify international lawyers to sit for the bar exam in every state or to practice law in every state.
Popular Law Specialties
• Intellectual Property Rights
• Information Technology
• Environmental law
• Human Rights
• Constitutional Law
• International Law
Applying for an LLM
• Must have a first degree in law from their country of origin.
• LSAT not usually required for admission
• Many schools require TOEFL score
• Not all law schools offer LLM programs
LLM Credential Assembly Service
• Sends reports of student credentials to 5 participating law schools.
• Students submit attested documents from issuing institution in original language with English translations
• Basic service costs US$185.
• For more information, please visit https://llm.lsac.org/llm/logon/introduction.aspx
Online Resources
• American Bar Association: www.abanet.org• Association of American Law Schools: www.aals.org• Association for Legal Career Professionals:
www.nalp.org• Equal Justice Works: www.equaljusticeworks.org• LLM Guide: www.llm-guide.com/usa• Law School Admission Council (LSAC): www.lsac.org• National Conference of Bar Examiners: www.ncbex.org• New York State Board of Law Examiners:
www.nybarexam.org• The State Bar of California: www.calbar.ca.gov
TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE
Question 1:
True or False:
A student can enroll in a law school program in the U.S. after finishing
school in Ireland.
FALSE
Legal education in the U.S. is done at the graduate level.
All students must have a bachelors degree before applying to a JD Program.
Answer 1:
Question 2:
True or False:
Students must have a law degree from their home country to apply
for an LLM program.
TRUE
Students must have a first degree in law from their country of origin before
applying for an LLM program.
Answer 2:
Question 3:
True or False:Once a student completes an LLM
program, he or she can practice law in the U.S.
FALSE
Earning the LLM degree does not qualify international lawyers to sit for the bar exam in every
state or to practice law in every state.
Answer 3:
