I am thinking of getting an LLM degree. Is Georgetown a well-known law school?

Question

I particularly want to know what foreign lawyers think as the LLM will be in international law and the aim is to increase my opportunities for work abroad.

Also, does anyone know where I can find rankings on the different LLM programs? Or does anyone have advice as to which are the better LLM programs?

Answer 1

First I'll try to answer your question and then I'll give you my thoughts. Georgetown is a very well-known law school. Do a google (or should i say yahoo) search for the US News law school rankings. This will show you the top 100 law schools. If my memory serves me correctly, they're a top 25 school. They don't do a separate JD/LLM Ranking, they're combined.

As for getting an LLM degree in the first place, just know that most people don't do it anymore. You don't need it to practice law, and many people point out that you'll actually learn more by working for a year at a law firm than you would in that extra year of school. I think that a person with a JD and a year of experience at a firm would probably have more chance at getting a certain job than a person with an LLM from the same school and no work experience. Not only that, but you'll be incurring another $40,000 debt, when you could be working to pay off your loans. I think it's just generally seen as a fairly poor business decision to pursue the LLM.

Think of it this way. You can pay $40,000 more to get your LLM, or you could work and make $80,000 and start paying off your JD debt. That's $120,000 difference in one year, not including interest. Its just something to think about. Good luck with whatever you choose to do!

Answer 2

In the US Georgetown Univ. is a highly respected school. I would guess a top 20% ranking. The only place I know where Masters level programs are ranked is in the US News and World Report (magazine) annual ranking. You can find that at Barnes and Noble Bookstore and the like. There is no "official" ranking of Colleges and Universities--it's impossible to break down definitively. That would be in most cases comparing apples and oranges.