Why Gaining an LLM Degree Can Be Essential for Your Legal Career

An LLM degree is considered to add more weight to your qualifications in various parts of the world

Gaining an LLM degree can carry with it a number of benefits. Many law firms view an LLM degree as an indication of advancement within the profession, as well as a qualification to work in certain more niche legal environments, particularly when it comes to areas that require specialised expertise like international dispute resolution and arbitration.

Depending on where you are based, however, an LLM may not just be desirable, but necessary. Due to the increased demands on the qualifications of junior hires, as well as a scarcity of entry-level opportunities in law, gaining an LLM can be an essential step for those pursuing legal careers in certain countries. Keep reading to find out just how important an LLM degree might be to your legal aspirations.

An LLM Degree Is a Valuable Asset in the American Legal Market

In the United States, the recession of 2008 hit the world of law quite hard. Many firms merged with others or minimised their operations, and the amount of available positions in the job market dipped below the amount of people graduating with a degree in law each year.

This has made the American legal market difficult to penetrate, unless you hold a qualification like an LLM degree to differentiate yourself and stand out from the crowd. Some exclusive legal job fairs in the US, such as the International Student Interview Program at NYU or the West Coast International LLM Job Fair at UCLA, are even only accessible to LLM students and graduates.

An LLM degree may be useful in the United States where a large amount of lawyers compete for jobs

Obtaining an LLM is Becoming Increasingly Necessary in Some European Countries

The United States is not the only country where the legal market is oversaturated and lawyers are increasingly seeking ways to further differentiate themselves. A greater number of students successfully completing undergraduate law programmes in many European countries like France, Spain, and Switzerland has meant that having just a bachelor's degree is often insufficient for getting noticed in the market. This also applies to getting legal internships and traineeships in these countries.

The competition in some of the European markets is so tough that students are even going above and beyond gaining traditional legal qualifications. In France, for example, students are complementing their legal education with degrees in business; another area of knowledge highly valued by employers navigating a globalised world. However, gaining a degree in another field can take a lot of time and commitment, hence making pursuing an online LLM programme a more expedient and convenient choice.

International Legal Knowledge Afforded by an LLM Is Essential in Many Law Hubs Around the World

An LLM in International Dispute Resolution might be especially useful if you seek to take your legal career to one of the world's international business hubs, where an accentuated understanding of the field is more likely to be a must. This includes places like Washington D.C., New York, London, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Brussels, to name just a few.

International business hubs like Singapore have a high demand for specialised lawyers

Many businesses and organisations in these major centres of global activity deal with matters that extend beyond the reaches of their domestic legal system on a daily basis, meaning having knowledge of the nuances and principles that guide international law and arbitration is especially desirable.

Gaining such a sought-after specialisation from a globally recognised institution such as Queen Mary University of London could be the ideal way to set yourself apart on the competitive legal market, and access more lucrative and exclusive opportunities regardless of where in the world you choose to practise.

Are you looking to set yourself apart in the world of law?

Contact Queen Mary University of London to learn about our online International Dispute Resolution LLM.