Frequently Asked Questions for U.S.-Trained, Non-Taxation LL.M. Students
How many employers contact NYU School of Law for someone with my specialty and background?
Graduate students in programs other than the LL.M. in Taxation (i.e., Corporate, General, International, Labor, Trade Regulation) seeking entry-level associate positions usually apply for similar positions as third year J.D. students. Due, in part, to the small number of students and specialized nature of the LL.M. programs, most employers do not actively recruit students in the same way or with the same vigor in which they recruit J.D. and LL.M. in Taxation students. They do, however, expect interested candidates to contact them directly, and to pursue opportunities listed with the Office of Career Services (OCS) and elsewhere.
All students should utilize a variety of job search strategies including networking, targeted mail campaigns, providing resumes to the OCS for résumé referral, responding to advertised positions published by this office and elsewhere, notifying previous contacts of one’s current academic endeavors and employment goals, and seeking referrals from NYU School of Law faculty, alumni, and students.
How do students in the Graduate Division obtain jobs?
Students obtain employment in a variety of ways including: individual mailings, networking, On-Campus Interviews, NYU School of Law’s job listings, and referrals. The most frequently reported source of employment (i.e., the way in which a student initially learned of or made contact with the employer) is through a letter or other self-initiated contact with the employer.
The success of a student’s efforts strongly correlates to his or her performance at NYU School of Law, utilization of resources available through the OCS, and traditional job-search approaches outside of the OCS office. There is no specific or foolproof means for obtaining a position; the approaches vary and should reflect each student’s individual ambitions and qualifications. The OCS works with students to provide the tools for success in the legal market and determine a job search strategy that best suits each individual’s needs.
When do LL.M. students obtain job offers?
The demand for graduate students, particularly those pursuing specialized degrees, is not seasonal and the OCS receives notices of job openings throughout the year. The job search will not be limited to the Fall or Spring seasons, but will involve year-round effort on the part of the student and may extend beyond the completion of the LL.M. program. A small percentage of students obtain their jobs in the Fall, however, most students who obtain positions do so in the Spring.
A large number of employers, particularly firms in New York City and Washington, D.C., wait until a student completes at least one semester of academic work at NYU School of Law, especially if the employer is considering the student for a regular associate position. Accordingly, these employers may treat a Fall interview as a brief meeting to be reviewed in the Spring. Others, however, make offers based upon a student’s J.D. credentials. Some cities/states hire all candidates in the Fall and students are advised to initiate contact with employers in these cities very early.
Where do LL.M. graduates work?
The vast majority, 80%, of graduates in all specialties work in private practice. Increasingly, students are exploring a wider range of opportunities including management consulting, government, judicial clerkships, public accounting, law teaching, investment banking, public accounting, and in-house opportunities at corporations. Corporations usually seek to hire attorneys with experience; therefore, very few corporations interview on campus or request resumes of entry-level graduates. Although several foreign-trained LL.M. students have obtained positions with management consulting firms and investment banks, these employers typically recruit U.S.-trained J.D. students.
Are there opportunities to work overseas?
We receive frequent requests for internationally-trained attorneys to return to their home country and approximately five requests each year for U.S.-trained interns to work in foreign firms or foreign satellite offices of U.S. firms on a short-term basis. We also receive listings for permanent positions overseas. These positions are usually obtained by working with a U.S. firm abroad. Opportunities often become available once an associate begins working in a U.S. office of a firm with offices abroad.
What are the employment opportunities with an LL.M. from NYU School of Law?
Students obtain a graduate degree for a variety of reasons and your individual background will determine, in part, the level of opportunity available to you following the completion of an LL.M. It is difficult to make a career diagnosis without understanding your background and for this very reason, a full-time LL.M. career counselor is available to help assess your goals, strength, and to develop an individualized job search strategy. Typical reasons for obtaining the LL.M. include the following:
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A desire to develop expertise in an area in which a student has excelled as part of a J.D. program.
Students pursuing an LL.M. for this reason will find that the transition will be relatively easy since he or she does not need to explain a change of interest and because a student has a demonstrated track record in that particular practice area. Many students pursue the LL.M. in Taxation for this very reason. -
An opportunity to enhance one’s academic credentials.
Either because a student attended a lesser-perceived or lesser-known school and wants to exemplify an ability to perform at a nationally-ranked institution or because a student performed well in one specialty but not necessarily overall, a student may elect to do an LL.M. to enhance credentials.
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A desire to change areas of practice.
Many students have made career changes via the LL.M. program. The more experience one has in a given area, the more opportunities that will be available upon graduation. In this case, the student should strive for high academic achievement to demonstrate ability and should also work to create a network base in the chosen practice area.
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An opportunity to get one’s career “back on track.”
Several graduate students have had life changes that interrupted careers—personal illness, illness or death in the family, divorce, loss of job, need to settle a family estate or divert effort from one’s legal career. In this case, it is important that students demonstrate focus and ability in the chosen practice area, as well as an assurance that the previous “life circumstances” will not interfere with future employment.
The LL.M. degree opens doors for many students but cannot be counted on completely to change one’s background. Personal factors such a J.D. institution, prior experience, and academic performance, coupled with the professional goals and current job market, determine a candidate’s odds of securing an offer.
What are considered “respectable” grades in the LL.M. program?
Academic performance in an LL.M. program is an integral component of the hiring decisions and grading is based on a competitive bell-curve (wherein the vast majority of students receive grades in the mid-range, few students receive “below-average” and few students receive “outstanding” marks). The NYU School of Law degree alone will not get you a job. For the most part, New York City firms prefer grades above a 3.5 / 4.0 grade point average (G.P.A.) for the non-Taxation specialties and a 3.3 / 4.0 G.P.A. for the LL.M. in Taxation program. Students who are accepted to the LL.M. program are familiar with this grading curve prior to starting their LL.M. and this G.P.A. does not seem difficult to obtain. However, keep in mind that students who are accepted to NYU School of Law usually graduate in the top 25% of their J.D. classes and, therefore, the level of competition increases. To achieve the abovementioned G.P.A., the student should expect to commit a great deal of time and effort to his or her studies.
Will the LL.M. degree increase my salary?
Employers’ policies regarding “credit” for the LL.M. degree vary widely. While employers sometimes award credit to LL.M. graduates in the non-taxation specialty areas, the majority do not give credit to graduates with no prior legal experience. When credit is given, graduates typically begin as a second year associate, at the second year salary and credit toward partnership. (To estimate a second-year salary, add approximately 7% to the first-year associate base salary.) Please refer to the NALP Directory of Legal Employers for salary information.
Am I better off in the full-time or part-time LL.M. Program?
If a student enters the LL.M. program with the intention of changing practice areas, he or she should strongly consider the full-time program as it demonstrates to employers a commitment to the change a field of practice. Full-time students usually find it easier to secure employment because employers see that the coursework is completed in a concentrated time frame and know that students have established a network of contacts with other students that most part-time LL.M. candidates do not have the opportunity to build. Employers also assume that full-time students learn the material better because they are not dividing with concurrent professional responsibilities.
As a part-time LL.M. student, may I use the Office of Career Services?
Yes, however students must meet a credit requirement before receiving services. A student has access to a number of services once he or she has completed 10 credits; all services become available once the student nears graduation.