LL.M.: Like Losing Money?

Der "New York Lawyer" zum LL.M.-Boom: No longer just for aspiring academics and wannabe tax lawyers, master of laws (LL.M.) degrees are gaining in popularity among foreign and domestic law students. The number of LL.M. degrees conferred by American Bar Association-approved law schools grew by 65 percent between 1999 and 2009 - far outpacing the 13 percent growth in J.D.s during the same period. In 2009, 5,058 students completed LL.M.s, compared to 3,069 a decade earlier. Der Artikel beleuchtet insbesondere die Frage, inwieweit die J.D.-Absolventen ihre Chancen auf dem Arbeitsmarkt durch einen LL.M. steigern können. Das Recruiter-Urteil zu dieser Frage fällt gemeinhin zurückhaltend aus. Ebenfalls wenig überraschend: Law schools have their own reasons for adding LL.M. programs, which range from fostering international diversity among their student populations and providing more opportunities for practical training, to generating much needed tuition dollars. Administrators point out that per-student costs tend t…