US law degree

[Pieceof]

Has anyone ever had a DC study for a JD in America?

Did they do it to specifically pursue a law career in the States?

Following as it might be something DD will be thinking of doing. The one thing that I do know though is that it is horrifically expensive to do Law school in the US.

Bumping for self interest.

My understanding is that's it's horrifically expensive and also saturated. So if you aren't a high flyer, you could end up with medical malpractice and ambulance chasing. Sounds awful!

Yes @MrsTerryPratchett that is also what we have heard. Daughter is kind of “testing the waters” by doing a Law and Business LLB in the UK. If she loves it/does really well then she may think about applying to Law school in US. Otherwise might go into industry compliance/contacts or something instead (that’s why she’s hedging her bets with the business bolt on). She’s a US/UK citizen & possibly interested in a legal career but we really don’t want to fund 2 years of Law school without being really sure.
@Pieceof Is your YP thinking of doing the JD with a specific career goal in mind? Unless they are seriously gifted & get scholarship/sponsored you could be talking well north of $100k for Law school over here. Also not sure if they have US citizenship or not. If they wanted to work here after getting the JD unless they are exceptional and “headhunted” it can be surprisingly difficult to get work visas.

Law school in the US is 3 years.

There are 14 favoured law schools. The rest are regional, but still carry a big price tag.

I think a training contract in London might be better. With a chance to pass the bar later in NY if desired.

They find the course curriculum at Harvard Law School and Yale Law School intellectually fascinating

@Sibilantseamstress Wow in that case even worse than I thought. Make the cost of Law school closer to $200k…..

@Pieceof Interesting reason. If he can get into either of those programs and get through then he should have no problem in getting a job more or less anywhere he wants be it practicing law or not. However revise my estimate re cost think $100k plus per year however may well be able to qualify for financial assistance as both have very generous programs. If you’re going to dream might as well dream big. If he can get in and get decent financial aid go for it.

Don't you already need a degree to do law in USA?

My law degree, actually had lots of Americans and Canadians doing it as cheaper than usa( mine was a 2 year llb)

https://www.juriseducation.com/blog/what-are-the-t14-law-schools

Yes Law is a postgrad degree in the US. Just assumed OPs DC had already done their undergrad.

My husband has an English BA in Law and Politics and is a solicitor. He took his California Bar exams by studying alongside his full time job for 4 months with Barbri and passed first time. You don't need to go to the US if you have an undergraduate degree here already.

I think some states require you to have to do the American JD? Or at least an LLM?

I lived in America for 15 years and overall I think this is a false dichotomy. I agree with you that there is a high flying stratum that picks the elite mainly from the top law schools. (Even so, Amy Coney Barrett gained a clerkship at the Supreme Court from law school at The University of Notre Dame, which is not in this tier, and there are many other exceptions).

America is vast. Every large corporation and university has a team of in house counsel. There are layers and layers of civil servants and elected officials, with lawyers almost certainly the plurality. There is a huge number of small manufacturing firms who outsource their legal requirements and a vast legal apparatus supports this. A number of lawyers specialise in supporting construction, real estate, water rights (in the West), agriculture. And on and on and on.

I’ve deliberately omitted health specialisms, because the NHS makes that comparison unfair. But the pharmaceutical/genetics industry is centred in America and generates substantial legal needs.

I’ve also omitted the legal side of the financial industry, because I am guessing those practitioners are the stereotypical high flyers PPs have in mind.

Writing this is making me sad. It points up how manufacturing, R&D, making stuff as opposed to being largely a service economy generates all sorts of jobs. The UK was this way once.

I agree with all of that, @poetryandwine, apart from the Notre Dame Law comment.

It is in the top 25 as of this year and its track record in clerkship placement is stellar. It's a leading midwest regional and also RC university, with a reputation for attracting conservative applicants. The main thrust of its careers office is placing JDs in good clerkships.

Eligibility for sitting various state bar exams:
www.barbri.com/resources/us-bar-exam-eligibility-quiz-for-international-lawyers

*for prospective foreign students.

Glad to be corrected on Notre Dame, @mathanxiety !