There's J.D., LL. M (Latin abbreviation for Master of Laws) and S.J.D (Doctor of Judicial Science) in the United States. In the United States, there is no law major in undergraduate courses, and there are mainly doctor of law, master of law and doctor of law in law schools. In addition to J.D., American law schools also have one-year master's programs (LL. M) and a two-to four-year doctoral degree (JSD or SJD). UsuaLLy, a master's degree (ll. M) is a one-year course for international students. After completing 20 to 30 credits, you can graduate without writing a thesis. It mainly
First of all, to study for a doctorate in law, you must first pass the National Law School Entrance Examination (LSAT). After obtaining the master's degree in law, you can continue to study for the degree of S.J.D or J.S.D on the recommendation of two professors. The doctor of law degree is the most valuable degree in the United States and is widely recognized. If you want to gain a foothold in America, you'd better learn from J.D.LL. M is a one-year crash course in American law, equivalent to a master's degree. The full name is master of law. American students mainly study J.D., which can be said to be ll. M is a one-year course specially prepared for international students, which is strictly nine months. J.D. students are mainly engaged in specific legal practice, while J.S.D students are generally engaged in legal research. Americans are all pragmatists. Except those who are really interested in legal academic research, China students seldom go to study for Master of Laws and Doctor of Laws. J.D. education is the exciting point of everyone's attention. Legal education is a kind of vocational education in the eyes of Americans. The purpose of studying law is not to get a higher degree, but to switch to legal practice. In the United States, if you want to engage in legal affairs such as lawyers, you can only study doctor of law, that is, the "undergraduate" of law school, while the bar qualification examination in most States is only open to people with a "doctor of law" degree. Government departments, law firms and corporate legal departments pay more attention to J.D. education when recruiting. It can be seen that American law education is a very specialized vocational education after undergraduate basic education, and "J.D." education is its core and key.
Anyone with a bachelor's degree or above in law can apply for LL.M in the United States, but usually there are two main types of people who study LL.M, one is a lawyer with work experience. Because there is no foreign lawyer's license in a foreign-funded firm, it is basically impossible to be promoted from a legal assistant to an associate. The license in Britain is much more difficult than that in the United States, which requires two years of internship and +PCLL examination, so many lawyers choose to go to the United States for gold plating and obtain foreign lawyer licenses in the fastest and most economical way. Second, some students who have just graduated from undergraduate courses.
For international students, LL. M There is basically no scholarship, and every applicant must make up his mind to pay for it at his own expense. The tuition fee of L.LM ranges from $35,000 to $39,000 a year, and the living expenses vary from place to place (new york and L.A. are the most expensive). The total cost of * * * is estimated to be around 500,000 RMB. LLM fees are increasing every year, with an annual growth rate of 10%.
LLM can be divided into general projects and professional projects. Most schools only offer general courses, and undergraduates who choose general courses can choose courses at will. A few schools, such as NYU, provide corporate loans. M, GTU provides tax items, international law and other items, and there are certain requirements for course selection, such as how many points must be selected for related courses. I suggest that undergraduates choose the general education program, because undergraduates have no clear orientation about their future academic direction, and the general education program can choose courses freely. Secondly, it is easy to apply for a common program. Many professional projects need relevant working background, and undergraduates have no advantage in applying for these projects.
As a law student, LL. M and J.D. are very different ... the biggest difference is that applying for JD requires LSAT scores, while LL. M only needs TOEFL. From the point of view of studying abroad, JD visa is difficult and the tuition is high, because it is generally a three-year system, and there are not many scholarships, while LL. M is relatively better. But in terms of employment and academics, JD's gold content is much higher than LLM's. JD degree is very valuable in America (both academically and professionally), and LLM is less and less valuable now. For China applicants, it is only a matter of time before they plan to stay in the United States all their lives. Simple LLM won't stay in America for long. If you plan to return to China, don't learn JD. LLM is more affordable and economical, and knowledge LLM is definitely enough in China.
Generally speaking, only J.D. can take the examination of lawyers in the United States, but in some States, LLM certified by ABA is also allowed to take the examination of lawyers in the state, mainly CA and NY. Relatively speaking, NY Bar is more attractive than CA Bar, because NY Bar only takes two days, CA Bar takes three days, and it is said that CABAR needs a foreign lawyer's license.