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Posted Aug. 15, 2021

How can an LLM help you become a lawyer?

LLM & being a lawyerWe live in a world of globalised, complex interconnections that affects every institution and industry, including law.

LLM course search

In the 21st century, the law practice profession has undergone substantial changes and is still evolving. Today lawyers must have a broad breadth of expertise to handle their clients, and studying for an LLM program can be an excellent way to gain a unique skillset to help boost your opportunities in the current job market. Of course, from September the SQE (Solicitors Qualifying Examination) is going to be the new centralised way to qualify as a solicitor in England and Wales. The introduction of the SQE will mean that everyone who becomes a lawyer will undergo the exact same process and meet the same high standards. However, studying an LLM is still a good idea for would-be lawyers.

LLM lowdown

The Masters of Laws (LLM) program is an internationally recognised postgraduate credential. These masters degrees are often geared toward law students or lawyers who are interested in a specialised area of law, with early and mid-career lawyers likely to take up an LLM to expand their knowledge in a particular discipline, for example tax law or international law. So, if you are very serious about law and have the necessary qualifications, why not enrol for the Masters of Laws program now? An LLM could be your golden ticket to becoming a great lawyer – read on to learn more reasons of how an LLM can help you become a professional lawyer.

1. Expand career opportunities

The Masters of Laws degree is the competitive edge in the job market as it expands your career opportunities. An LLM will help you access corporate legal department, government agencies and law firms. If you opt to shift your professional focus, this course may lay a better foundation for new and greater opportunities by expanding your knowledge into a specific area of law. For example, if you are interested in international and business law, an LLM degree could be of great help to you. These disciplines offer a global perspective on the connections that drive our hyper-connected societies.

2. Grow networking opportunities

Studying for an LLM degree will enable you to meet and socialise with fellow legal professionals from across different areas of the legal world as well as from different parts of the actual world. Networking with professors, industry professionals, colleagues and fellow LLM students, can open many opportunities to rewarding career options. In short, studying an LLM offers students the opportunity to form critical connections as they strengthen their professional proficiency.

3. Learn & improve on new legal knowledge

The legal profession evolves daily and lawyers are advised to keep up with the latest leaps in technology and precedents as these can often result in a change of law. An LLM course will help you to keep up to date on your legal knowledge in crucial areas of the law, such as corporate compliance, international trade and intellectual property. LLM students will participate in classes that require broad research, hence enriching their knowledge with additional training related to the real world. Students on an LLM program can specialise widely in study areas like intellectual property or tax law, international law or arbitration.

4. Study at a higher level

If you enjoyed your undergraduate studies you may well feel that you want to continue learning and move onto postgraduate level of study to fulfill that desire. Studying an LLM program as a prestigious and qualified institution can help you close the gap between your education and the worldwide entry requirements of the leading law firms.

5. Broaden knowledge & specialisation

The Masters of Laws program offers students many opportunities to deepen skills and knowledge, and also gives them the chance to select an area of specialisation from a wide selection of options. Students can specialise in a great selection of specific – and in many cases quite niche – fields, including maritime law, Islamic finance, criminal law and many more. These areas of disciplines require specialised training, something that you won’t usually find undergraduate courses offering. Selecting a common area of specialisation according to your interest to gain further knowledge could become essential when differentiating yourself from other applicants when applying for the same job opportunity in today’s competitive job market.

6. Gain global recognition

An LLM degree is a qualification that is recognised and highly regarded all over the world. This means that a law student who wants to become a lawyer can earn this qualification confident in the knowledge that it could take them to many parts of the world, no matter what area of law they are studying.

7. Improve your research skills

Going back to law school to study an LLM means spending plenty of time on legal research. Doing detailed legal research is an essential skill that lawyers in the making need to be revisiting on an ongoing basis. While doing your research, you will analyse the law, draft the legal documents and present your findings. Many LLM programs are researched focused, meaning they actively encourage and support students to explore new areas and contribute to excellent publishable research.

Legal professional statistics

This table illustrates is legal professional statistical data that is useful for a student to consider when deciding on their legal career – barrister or solicitor.

 

Solicitors

Barristers

Number of practising solicitors/barristers (2022)

160,676

17,263

Number of TCs/pupillages available (2021/2022)

5,500

435

Number of firms/chambers in the UK (2022)

9,636

750

Source

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