Before enrolling in an LL.M. program, a student needs to determine whether the degree will help him or her professionally, experts say.For those who wish to gain knowledge of U.S. law, earning an online Master of Laws could be the right step. Experts say online learning offers students – especially attorneys already practicing overseas – a chance to stay at home and save money that would otherwise be spent on moving and relocating to the U.S.
“With our program, what we have found is that the students we have enrolled are typically working,” says Deborah Call, associate dean of graduate and international programs at the University of Southern California’s Gould School of Law. “They find that their ability to take the classes online and generally on a part-time basis really serves their purposes.”
When it comes to pursuing an LL.M. online, here are four questions students should consider about their own personal goals and possible programs.
1. How many students are in a class?
Many experts agree that among the most important factors to consider about online LL.M. programs is the size of the classes. In its online courses, USC tries to replicate the experience a student would have in a face-to-face environment, Call says, noting that 15 to 20 students per class is typical.
[Explore why partially online law degrees may open the door to similar programs.]
Mike Koby, associate dean of international and graduate programs at Washington University in St. Louis’ law school, similarly says that having no more than 15 students in a class ensures that they have ample time for discussion, and that the quality of the education online is on par with the education they would receive on campus.
2. Who are the professors, and what is their background?
Experts also believe that it’s important for students to read up on the faculty members teaching the online courses to get a sense of their expertise, and even to see whether they have previous experience teaching students online.
Call says an instructor’s ability to teach and work in an online environment is one of the questions she considers when determining who will teach the online courses. Students should take a similar approach when deciding their best-fit online LL.M. program, she says.
“Having instructors who are interested and committed to teaching in that environment can make all the difference,” Call says. “Online education is a different animal – it really is.”
3. How might an LL.M. benefit your career?
A student needs to first determine whether an LL.M. degree will ultimately help him or her professionally, experts say. That decision might be more complicated than it seems, since some experts have questioned the true value of the LL.M. degree, arguing that it’s an unnecessary investment that doesn’t lead to career advancement.
That said, there can be compelling reasons to earn the credential, Call says.
“If learning about the American legal system is going to be of value to you in your career or home country because you’re going to be the go-to person in your company, that is a compelling reason,” she says. Additionally, experts say both international and domestic students might wish to earn an LL.M. to study a specific area of U.S. law. At USC, online LL.M. students can choose to specialize in business law, for example. New York University also offers an online executive LL.M. in tax law.
4. How are the online programs and courses structured?
For some students, particularly those who are practicing attorneys, the way classes are structured can play an important role in deciding what program to choose.
It’s essential, for example, that students have enough flexibility to balance professional responsibilities with their online education, says Joshua Blank, faculty director of the graduate tax program at the NYU School of Law.
Additionally, Koby says a student should consider whether the rigor of the online class matches that offered on campus. At Washington University in St. Louis, he says, students participate in live discussions where they can actually see each other and interact – just as they would in the in-person program.
Viviana Sforza, originally from Italy, is a part-time student in USC’s online LL.M. program and has practiced business law in various countries overseas, though she now lives in the U.S. In selecting USC, she says, she wanted to ensure that she was receiving the same education as she would on a college campus
Sforza pursued her LL.M. to obtain a solid background in U.S. law, as she deals with different U.S. firms and companies while working in international transactions. “The answer was yes, the online LL.M. mirrors the residential program,” she says, adding that the additional business law certificate option further encouraged her to apply. “You are going to have the same courses, the same material and the same professors.”
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