6 reasons to consider an LLM!

Employers and recruiters alike are faced with the rather mundane task of sifting through piles of CV’s of job applicants, an LLM (Master of Laws) qualification shows the employer you possess legal knowledge and this can put your CV in an advantageous position over other job applicants.

Therefore obtaining an LLM (Master of Laws) qualification can be rewarding, especially in today’s job market. Many students who go on to obtain an LLM do so for different reasons, here are top 6 reasons for doing an LLM program:

1) Employability

Some employers succinctly state that they seek or prefer candidates who have a postgraduate degree; even where the employer has not directly expressed this, an LLM is an asset that allows you to distinctively distinguish yourself from the throngs of other jobseekers.

It is a tedious and competitive job market, having an LLM is a great addition to your portfolio and CV. Needless to say it can facilitate your dream job, showing employers that you have intellectual ability; intellectual skill is part of the competency framework employer’s use when assessing candidates.

2) Increase Knowledge

An LLM allows you to progressively further and advance your education, some students do an LLM to intensify their knowledge of the law or specialize in a legal field. Interestingly, there are over 40 universities in the UK offering over 350 LLM programs; this makes known that there are many areas of the law students can specialize in to deepen their knowledge, for instance LLM in Oil and Gas Law, Criminal law, Intellectual Property Law and so on.

3) Travel

An LLM is a worthy excuse to travel to a different country. Many adventurous students embark on their LLM programs to experience a new culture and place.

As a result, the LLM facilitates an immersion into the new culture, creating an avenue for the foreign student to associate with the locals. Consequently, many students continue to live or relocate to the country where they obtained their LLM.

You could travel to China for your LLM study and learn new culinary skills or martial arts, China is synonymous with its gastronomical cuisine. Likewise you could travel to Australia to study LLM Taxation law or London to study LLM Commercial law; London is the financial hub and capital in the United Kingdom.

4) Become a Solicitor/Barrister

Many who aspire to become solicitors or barristers can undertake the LLM program. It is an addition to the legal practical training, LPC (Legal Practice Course) or BPTC (Bar Professional Training Course), which are both professional legal training courses that allow you to become a solicitor or barrister. An LLM gives insightful knowledge and develops your analytical, critiquing and evaluative skills, the aforementioned skills will be beneficial in your legal career.

5) PhD

In order to have a PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) or be addressed as a doctor, a taught postgraduate Masters course is a necessity. Other routes to gaining a doctorate include: by means of published work. Many students obtain the LLM, in order to reach the doctoral academic level and attain PhD status. Therefore, for such students the LLM is simply a means to an end.

6) Improve your grades

As previously stated employers are continually looking for the ‘cream of the crop’ or students with high academic grades, making some companies impenetrable for those with lower qualifications or undergraduate degree grades. Although, there maybe extenuating circumstances where exceptions apply and employers recruit on discretion and not on merit.

However, in a situation where you feel you could have excelled in your undergraduate studies but did disappointingly, it is possible to do an LLM to improve your grades and enhance your chances of getting your dream job.

Esther studied a PhD (environmental Science), at the University of Northampton.