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Posted April 10, 2025

How to succeed as an international LLM student

How to succeed as an international LLM student

If you want to study a Master of Laws program, choosing to study abroad is likely to be on your radar. This decision shouldn’t be taken lightly as studying an LLM degree program is very demanding and adding the stress of studying abroad should be properly considered before signing up to your overseas law school.

But if you’ve got the focus and determination to study an LLM degree program in the first place, choosing to undertake this postgraduate course in another country will further cement the qualification’s place on your CV, and will also lead to fascinating cultural experiences and great networking opportunities – making it an opportunity of a lifetime.

In this blog we are going to look at how to ensure you succeed as an international LLM student.

Succeeding as an international Master of Laws student

Succeeding as an international LLM degree student isn’t going to be easy – you will need to be focused on your academic studies, driven to network and forge new legal contacts, and adaptable to your new surroundings.

Here are some key strategies that you will need to employ.

1. Ensure you have great legal English skills

If you are an international LLM student studying at a UK or US law school – or studying your LLM degree in the English language at any other law school worldwide – you will need to make sure you have excellent English language skills, and particularly legal English skills. One way to do this is to read relevant legal editorial content voraciously. Head to your law school library and read legal cases, journals and statutes. Plus, many law schools and universities will also offer English language lessons and extra-curricular help for its international students – contact the international office at your institution and find out what help they have available.

2. Employ good time management

Be organised from the off. Before starting your LLM degree, it’s a good idea to ask your tutor or academic supervisor for the reading list and any relevant legal texts, then get as much of this read as possible before your lectures commence. Once you begin your course, make sure you keep track of all assignment deadlines and exams. Set yourself study goals and spend as much time as you can reading around your subject. But don’t forget to give yourself time away from your studies to relax and destress, to ensure you have a good work-life balance.

3. Actively participate in lectures and seminars

Be an active participant in lectures and seminars to ensure you get the most out of your learning experience. If you don’t understand what the lecturer is talking about, ask them to clarify. Think you have something to add to the discussion? Have the confidence to raise your hand and contribute to the debate.

4. Network, network, network

Following on from participating in class, make sure you use the time spent in the classroom and the lecture theatre to network with your peers and faculty members. Talk to your lecturers and supervisors. Be an active member of any group work. Organise after-course coffees or drinks to take the debate beyond the classroom. Sign up for any legal events or conferences offered by your law school, so you can meet potential employers, law firms and other people who share your interests. Finally, join student law societies and professional legal organisations.

5. Undertake internships and gain legal experience

Try and gain any legal experience possible to help immerse yourself in the legal world. Sign up for mooting competitions, volunteer at legal clinics, and apply for relevant internships. Gaining hands-on experiences is a great way to improve your chances of success when studying your LLM degree program.

6. Meet people from your home nation

To combat any potential feelings of homesickness, try and meet students from your home nation once you start at your new law school or university. Your institution will have plenty of student societies, and may well have one specifically run and for students from your home country. And if they don’t, why not set one up! You could also host dinners for your fellow LLM students and cook your favourite food from your country. Introducing your peers to flavours from home is a great way to cement friendships and will help you feel that home isn’t too far away.

7. Explore your local area

Finally, make sure your new city or town feels like home by familiarising yourself with your new surroundings. Living in a new city? Go on city tours – many UK cities offer free walking tours, this is a budget-friendly way to get to know your new surroundings and maybe meet some new people too. If you have opted to study at a campus university in more rural surroundings – get out and about and explore the great outdoors. From the Lake District to the Yorkshire Moors, the Cornish coast to the Scottish Highlands – the UK has plenty of great countryside options for you to explore.

Use our LLM course search to find your perfect Master of Laws degree.

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