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The Best Ways to Find a Job as an LL.M. Student

published January 19, 2016

By Diversity Director - BCG Attorney Search
Published By
( 98 votes, average: 5 out of 5)
What do you think about this article? Rate it using the stars above and let us know what you think in the comments below.
Summary: It can be difficult to find work as an LL.M. student. Find out what ways are most effective in this article.
Learn how to find a job as an LL.M. student in this article.
Getting a legal job can be tough even for graduates of top law schools. Domestic or foreign-trained lawyers who earn LL.M. degrees face the same job search difficulties as other legal professionals, including issues caused by less-than-stellar schools, grades and economic conditions. Moreover, foreign-trained lawyers who want to work in the United States may face additional hurdles involving visas and work permits.
 
But the good news is there are many things you can do as an LL.M. to maximize your chances of getting a job in a law firm. In this article we discuss ways in which LL.M.’s can increase their job prospects. Some of our suggestions, like networking, pertain to all legal job searches. But some are particular to job searches by those holding Master of Laws degrees.
 
Figure Out How Your LL.M. Degree Makes You More Marketable
 
There are certain hurdles LL.M.’s need to overcome when it comes to finding a law firm job. Sometimes law firms see an LL.M. degree and worry that the attorney is either not smart enough to have gotten a law firm job after law school or is not motivated to work in a law firm and will soon leave to pursue academic or less strenuous work.
 
If you are earning your LL.M. degree in an area that lends itself to advanced academic work such as tax, securities or intellectual property, you do not need to worry as much about this issue (especially if you are at a top university like Georgetown, NYU or Harvard). Law firms recognize these areas of law are complicated and LL.M. degrees are often expected and rewarded. But if you are not in that situation you need to spend some time figuring out why you chose to get an LL.M. and why your LL.M. makes you more valuable than other attorneys with mere J.D. degrees.
 
Maybe you got your LL.M. because you plan to specialize in an area of law that is not traditionally associated with an LL.M. but which has complexities and merits specialized study – whether it is entertainment law, environmental law, corporate finance or something else. Maybe you felt that it would be advantageous to solidify your emerging role as a legal expert by publishing a scholarly article before throwing yourself into a fully committed law firm practice. Maybe you want to get into international law and decided it would be useful to spend a year mastering that field within a context where you interacted with foreign-trained lawyer classmates on a daily basis. Maybe you got your J.D. at a mediocre school but got into a premier LL.M. program and can enhance the prestige of the firm that hires you with your elevated credentials.
 
The way you “spin” the story of your LL.M. is up to you, but the important thing is to be aware that some firms will want extra justification for your advanced law degree and you should be prepared to set them at ease (or, even better, to wow them so they thank their lucky stars for getting someone with your specific LL.M. degree).
 
Network and Then Network Some More
 
If you want a legal job – especially if you are trying to leverage an LL.M. into a competitive law firm job – you need to network. There is no way around this and there is nothing to be afraid of either. Many people are hesitant to “network” because they feel uncomfortable talking to strangers or believe that networking is shamefully self-serving. These people misunderstand the true nature of networking and end up shortchanging themselves out of potentially valuable relationships for no good reason. In an appropriate context, most people like to meet and talk to new people, and, when the foundation has been laid and the time is right, to help them.
 
Instead of thinking of networking as a self-serving enterprise, simply recast it in your mind as an opportunity to expand your network of connections. You will have the right mindset about networking if you approach it in an optimistic manner as a genuine effort on your part to forge new relationships and create mutually beneficial connections with people who already have something in common with you.
 
You can network by joining groups and attending activities, events, lectures and seminars and interacting with the people you meet there. There is generally no substitute for face-to-face meetings, but additional networking avenues exist through Internet social media sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Here are links to informative articles about networking:
   
If you are a foreign-trained lawyer, you can use being from another country to your advantage in networking. As a foreigner, you have an obvious reason for meeting new people and seeking out new opportunities. You will find that many people will want to help you acclimate in this country. You will also find that many people will be interested in learning about your country and its legal system. You will be able to draw upon these new connections when it comes time to look for a job.
 
Whether or not you are a foreign-trained lawyer, if you are currently in an LL.M. program you should not wait until you graduate to start the networking process. Use the time now to meet people and forge alliances. If you are new to the area where your school is located, use that unfamiliarity as an icebreaker to meet local legal professionals. Make an effort to make connections with professors, students and others who have ties with (and possibility clout in) the area who can give you recommendations and references when the time comes for a job.
 
When you are networking, do not be afraid to let people know you are “in the market” for a job. It is always a good idea to use discretion and tact in getting the point across that you need a job, but so long as you are not appearing desperate or like you are only out for a job, there is no harm in letting people know you are exploring your career options and ascertaining whether or not they know of any openings.
 
Arrange Informational Interviews
 
Informational interviews are a specific form of networking that can be very helpful for job searches. These are brief meetings you arrange with people who may have insight into job openings, the market and/or your candidacy for specific kinds of positions. Although you never “ask” for a job during an informational interview, the process of engaging in informational interviews can (and often does) lead to a job eventually.
 
To begin the process of arranging informational interviews, make a list of all your contacts, including personal, professional and other contacts. Out of your contacts, select the people who seem like they might have useful insight about your career and write a brief letter to them reminding them of your point of connection, explaining that you are considering career options, and telling them that you would greatly appreciate having a 15-minute meeting with them to get their feedback as to the market and how you might make the best use of your LL.M. degree and other credentials. You are not asking for a job; you are asking for insight and feedback. People like to give advice and discuss things they know about, so if you make the informational meeting more about them (and their knowledge and insight) and less about you and your needs, then you will generally find people more receptive and even looking forward to it.
 
Send the letters by mail but do not include your resume (as that looks like you are asking for a job). A few days later, make a follow-up phone call and try to arrange a face-to-face meeting. Just say: “I know you are busy, but I would really appreciate if you could fit in a brief meeting in the next few weeks to give me your take on the market, etc.” Not everyone will meet with you, but you will be surprised at how many will. Even though you will not be asking for a job, one of these meetings is likely to produce a good lead if you do enough of them.
 
Job Postings and Job Search Resources
 
When you are searching for a job, you need to cast your net far and wide. You do not know where you will eventually find the lead that makes the difference. It could be through networking or informational interviews. But it also could be from an Internet-based job board. Do not pass up easy opportunities to check for listings on job boards at your school, local bar organizations and other law-related organizations.
 
Generalized legal job websites can also be extremely helpful. BCG Attorney Search is one of the world’s premiere legal search and placement firms, and the company’s website has continually updated lists of legal job openings in every market and every practice area. Moreover, the website also has an extensive archive of articles related to legal job searches and attorney career advice.
 
 
Here are links to the BCG Attorney Search website and the BCG Job Listings page:
 
https://www.bcgsearch.com/
 
https://www.bcgsearch.com/browsejob/
 
 
LawCrossing is another helpful website for legal job searches. The LawCrossing website has more legal job listings than any other job board and adds 500 new legal jobs every hour.
 
 
Here are links to the LawCrossing website and the 101 Reasons to Join LawCrossing page:
 
https://www.lawcrossing.com/
 
https://www.lawcrossing.com/lc101reasonspopup.php
 
Job Fairs
 
If you are a foreign-trained lawyer, make an effort to attend an LL.M.-themed job fair, which will put you in direct contact with employers who are looking for people with what you have to offer. Some of the most well known of these job fairs are the following:
   
Don’t give up!
 
No matter how discouraged you become, you must not throw in the towel. Sometimes getting a job can take much longer than we would like. But persistence will pay off in the end, so you must not give up your search!

Is an LL.M. worth it? Find out in this article.
 
Conclusions
 
If you are an LL.M. searching for a law firm job, the key to success is in figuring out how to make your specific LL.M. degree marketable to law firms and then in finding and pursuing enough leads through networking, informational interviews, job boards and job fairs that the law of averages tips in your favor and at least one lead turns into a job offer and gainful employment.

published January 19, 2016

By Diversity Director - BCG Attorney Search
( 98 votes, average: 5 out of 5)
What do you think about this article? Rate it using the stars above and let us know what you think in the comments below.