Is an LL.M. Degree Worth It?
LL.M. degrees. Sure, you’ve probably heard of them. But what exactly are they? And are they worth it? In this post, we tackle these questions.
First, what is an LL.M. degree? The answer is actually pretty simple. The term “LL.M.” is Latin for “Latin, Legum, Magister”, which, translated to English, means “Master of Laws”. So, an LL.M. degree is just a fancy way of saying you’re pursuing a masters degree in the field of law. Because it’s a masters degree, you’ll need to obtain an initial law degree (e.g., J.D. or LL.B.) before you can pursue one.
Despite this uniformity in meaning (“LL.M.” = “Masters of Law”), there are many different kinds of LL.M degrees. Or, more specifically, the structure of LL.M. degree programs varies tremendously (although they’re all typically one-year in length).
Consider NYU’s graduate division. Prospective students can choose between NINE different LL.M. degrees. On the one hand, you have your BASIC LL.M. degree. Students pursuing this LL.M. have the freedom to choose whatever classes they want (think of it as a “choose your own adventure” kind of experience). On the other hand, students can also choose between one of eight “specialized” LL.M. degrees. Unlike students in the basic LL.M. program, students in one of these specialized programs must take classes focusing on a specific area of law—”taxation”, for instance. Other schools—the University of Toronto, for example—also offer these “specialized” LL.M. degrees, in addition to “coursework” and “thesis-intensive” LL.M. programs (as the name suggests, the latter requires students to write a paper of relatively significant length).
Even amongst BASIC LL.M. programs, however, the degree requirements vary significantly between schools. At Harvard, for instance, (which, notably, only has a standard LL.M. program (i.e., does not award “specialized” LL.M. degrees)), students must take a course in American law (e.g., property law, constitutional law, torts, etc.) and must satisfy a written work requirement. By contrast, students enrolled in Yale’s LL.M. program are not required to take an American law class (there is, however, a written work requirement). So, the actual degree requirements for even basic LL.M. programs vary depending on the school you attend.
Now that we know what an LL.M. degree is we can turn to the second question: Is an LL.M. worth it? Unlike the answer to the first question, the answer to this one is much less straightforward. In short, it depends.
If you’re dead set on becoming a full-time academic, then not only is an LL.M. degree worth it, but it’s basically essential (at least in Canada). This is because the VAST MAJORITY of academic hires in Canada possess a doctorate degree (e.g., Ph.D, S.J.D., J.S.D., or D.Phil). And, in order to gain entry into a doctoral program, you typically need a master’s level degree such as an LL.M. (although some doctoral programs—Oxford’s, for instance—allow for direct admission in some instances). So, for those interested in pursuing a career as a Canadian academic, an LL.M. degree is generally viewed as an essential stepping stone.
If, however, you’re dead set on a career in private practice, the answer is much less clear. Certainly, there are many benefits attached to an LL.M. degree—particularly if you’re lucky enough to be accepted into a well-renowned school (Harvard, Yale, Oxford, and Cambridge all come to mind). In addition to being surrounded by tons of super smart and interesting students, you’ll have the opportunity to learn from some of the world’s top legal minds and, perhaps most importantly, get yet another year to research and write about the area(s) of law you’re most passionate about. The credibility and reputational benefits that come from graduating from a world-class institution also count for something.
But if you’re pursuing an LL.M. at a less well-known institution and only pursuing one “for the heck of it” (i.e., with no real game-plan in place), then you should seriously consider whether the costs associated with the degree outweigh its benefits. Can you afford to take a full-year off work? Can you pay for tuition without incurring significant debt? If the answer to both of these questions is “yes”, then pursuing an LL.M. may still be worth it. But if the answer to one of them is “no”, then the pursuit of an LL.M.—at least on a full-time basis—becomes much less defensible.
Fortunately, there are tons of “part-time professional” LL.M. programs out there that serve as a kind of middle ground for those who want to pursue an LL.M. but are worried about its financial feasibility. As their name suggests, part-time professional LL.M. degree programs are tailored for the working lawyer. They allow for the pursuit of an LL.M. degree on a part-time basis, meaning you can continue to practice while you pursue the degree. What’s more is that there are tons of “specialized” part-time professional LL.M. programs. So, if you find yourself practicing in an area of law for several years and think that an LL.M. with a focus on that area of law would benefit your practice, you should be able to find a part-time professional LL.M. program specializing in that area of law. Osgoode, for instance, lists a wide variety of specialized part-time professional LL.M. programs on its website. Western also allows candidates to pursue an LL.M. on a part-time basis.
TL;DR: (1) LL.M. degrees are (typically) one-year in length and are structured in a variety of ways; (2) you’ll likely need to obtain an LL.M. if you want to pursue a career in legal academia (at least in Canada); (3) if you plan to practice law for a living, the costs associated with pursuing an LL.M. on a full-time basis may outweigh its benefits; and (4) the pursuit of a part-time professional LL.M. degree *may* make sense for those who plan to practice law for a living but lack the financial resources to pursue an LL.M. on a full-time basis.
