LL.M.

In order to become a lawyer and practice law, a person must first obtain a basic law degree. This degree, called a Bachelor of Laws (or Juris Doctor in the United States), is a generalized course of study that exposes students to a wide range of topics. It is designed to give a student the basic skills and knowledge to become a lawyer. As there are many required courses, it is difficult to focus on a particular area of law.

If a person wishes to gain specialized knowledge in a particular area of law, they can continue their studies in an LL.M. program. In the United States at least, such a degree is optional and usually not obtained. Lawyers in the United States are not required to have an LL.M degree in order to specialize in a particular area of law.

LL.M programs are usually only open to those students who have first obtained a basic law degree. Thus it is an advanced degree for persons who are already lawyers, not for those persons wishing to become lawyers.

LL.M programs usually last one year. LL.M programs are varied in their graduation requirements. Some programs require students to write a thesis, others do not. Some programs are research oriented with little classroom time, while others require students to take a set number of classes.

There are a wide range of programs available worldwide, allowing LL.M students to focus on almost any area of law they choose. One popular LL.M degree in the United States is one that focuses on Tax Law. Many LL.M programs, particularly those in the United States, focus on teaching foreign lawyers the basic legal principles of the host country. This course of study, however, will not qualify the foreign lawyer to practice law in the host country.

In the United States, the basic law degree discussed above is called the Juris Doctor. Persons in the United States who obtain a LL.M do so after they receive their Juris Doctor. Thus they receive their Doctorate degree first and their Master's degree second, which is the reverse of how these degrees are typically awarded. The basic law degree in the United States was originally called the Bachelor of Laws. The name of this degree was eventually changed to Juris Doctor. However, the LL.M name was never changed, resulting in a situation where a Master of Laws degree is actually a more advanced degree than a Juris Doctor.

Referenced By