Work Experience in Paris vs. LLM at the LSE

[Susy]

Hello! I have completed a double degree in English (LLB) and French Law (undergraduate and Master 1) at the Universities of Leicester and Strasbourg respectively. I am now doing a Master 2 at the University of Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne. I have an internship lined up with an English headquartered international law firm in Paris for July-December 2023 and an LLM at the LSE. Thus, I now have to choose. Ultimately, I wish to obtain a training contract in London at an international law firm. Which would you advise is the better option? They both have pros and cons and I have heard that law firms do not place too much importance on work experience abroad as much as just a degree from a reputable university in the UK.

 

[Jessica Booker]

I’d actually argue the work experience will be much more impactful than the LLM, especially given you already have this level of qualification.

Assuming you are a non-U.K. citizen and don’t have the right to work in the U.K., the only tangible benefit of the LSE LLM is that it will allow you to work in the U.K. for up to two years after graduation.

Law firms in London generally do not care for postgraduate studies. You should do them for your own personal reasons rather than hoping they will improve your profile as an applicant.

 

[Susy]

I’d actually argue the work experience will be much more impactful than the LLM, especially given you already have this level of qualification.

Assuming you are a non-U.K. citizen and don’t have the right to work in the U.K., the only tangible benefit of the LSE LLM is that it will allow you to work in the U.K. for up to two years after graduation.

Law firms in London generally do not care for postgraduate studies. You should do them for your own personal reasons rather than hoping they will improve your profile as an applicant.

Thank you so much for your reply. I appreciate it. It is hard here in Paris to have advice for someone who wishes to apply to their London office. Thus, I have a couple of follow-up questions as it is a big choice.
Wouldn't the LLM at the LSE ground my interest in applying to a TC in London and appeal more to graduate recruitment in that sense? I am worried they question my intent on applying in London as I am doing internships in their Paris office. Indeed, these offices believe I wish to pass the solicitors qualifying exam in France. Also, would you argue that the prestige of the LSE would improve my profile as an applicant?

 

[Jessica Booker]

Thank you so much for your reply. I appreciate it. It is hard here in Paris to have advice for someone who wishes to apply to their London office. Thus, I have a couple of follow-up questions as it is a big choice.
Wouldn't the LLM at the LSE ground my interest in applying to a TC in London and appeal more to graduate recruitment in that sense? I am worried they question my intent on applying in London as I am doing internships in their Paris office. Indeed, these offices believe I wish to pass the solicitors qualifying exam in France. Also, would you argue that the prestige of the LSE would improve my profile as an applicant?

Academic law and law in practice are very different - I don’t think an LLM will make your profile more appealing.

Most graduate recruiters in the U.K. will tell you to only do an LLM if you want to personally do it, not to try and impress them. Given you also already have an LLM there could be a question as to why you are doing another one.

Your French universities are prestigious enough, LSE is not going to make your profile more so.

Living in the U.K. for a year might help show more of a commitment to the U.K. and also give the recruiter some reassurances that you will be happy living in London (often a concern when applicants have no connection to the City), but I think committing to an LLM is an exceptionally expensive and long winded way of showing that when you could just invest a bit of time into the application process in explaining this.