If you want to pursue a career in law, studying and working abroad might be a great option! Along with umpteen job opportunities, many foreign universities are globally recognized in this field.
How is studying law abroad beneficial?
High-quality education and practical learning experience
A broader perspective of law– including global trends
Excellent teaching methodology
Wider scope of network building
Exposure to the international scenario
International moot courts and competitions
Degrees in Law
The most important factor to consider, before you pursue a law degree abroad, is to understand the difference in the degrees conferred.
In many countries, graduate students can opt for LLB and follow it up with an LLM degree. However, many top law schools abroad allow students to study law as an integrated course for five years after clearing 12 years of education – wherein students obtain their Bachelors and LLB together in these five years.
Apart from the widely known LLB and LLM degrees, some countries offer education in law in the form of other degrees as well, Some of them are explained below.
Juris doctors (JD):
A JD also known as Doctor of law, is achieved after three years of legal education and can be earned by completing law school in the US, Australia and Canada, among others.
BA in Jurisprudence
It is a three-year undergraduate law degree equivalent to LLB as the graduates can directly go for legal practice on its completion.
Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD/JSD)
The Doctor of Juridical Science is an advanced research doctorate degree offered in some universities of the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, among others. Considered equivalent to a PhD, SJD requires a master’s degree in law, and is aimed at training academics as well as law scholars.
Legum Doctor (LLD)
The LLD or Legum Doctor is latin for ‘Doctor of law’, it is one of the highest degrees in law offered by a number of universities across the world. Basically, it is the doctorate level academic degree in law or an honorary degree, that varies across countries.
Best Law Schools in the World
Some of the best law schools in the world are:
1. Harvard Law School
Degree programs at Harvard law school are as follows:
Juris Doctors(JD)
LLM
S.J.D. (Doctor of Juridical Science)
Along with these three major degree programs Harvard offers Joint Degree programs in the field of law and business, law and government, law and public health, law and urban planning and a JD/LLM joint degree program of Harvard law school and the University of Cambridge.
2. Faculty of Law- Oxford University
At the Undergraduate level, you can pursue a BA in Jurisprudence which can be either 3 or 4 years depending on the programme. Some of the masters level programmes include the Bachelor of Civil Law and Magister Juris, Masters in law and finance, MSc in Criminology and criminal justice International human right law.
3. Faculty of Law- University of Cambridge
Besides research opportunities, Cambridge offers a BA Tripos Degree in Law, LLM, Master’s Degree in Corporate Law and a PhD (Doctorate in Law).
4. Yale Law School
Yale offers 5-degree programmes: JD, LLM, JSD, MSL and PhD in law.
5. New York University (NYU)- Law
Besides a JD degree, NYU offers a dual JD degree with a specialization in other subjects like MBA or MSW.
NYU’s Graduate division offers nine different LLM degrees, executive LLM, Masters of study in Law and JSD
Additionally, NYU provides dual degrees in collaboration with other universities including Harvard and Princeton, to name a few. Graduate programmes include LLM and JSD along with dual degrees with Melbourne Law School and the National University of Singapore.
6. Stanford Law School
The comprehensive advanced curriculum of Stanford law school allows students to customize their education based on their interests and education. Thereby, Stanford offers over 27 joint degrees.
Also, Stanford provides a JSD or Doctorate of Science and law being the most advanced law degree considered equivalent to a PhD.
7. London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), Law Department
There are two undergraduate programs offered at LSE- LLB and a double degree programme.
Postgraduate degree programs include LLM or Master of Laws, Executive LLM, MSc Law and Accounting, MSc Law, Anthropology and Society. Besides these, students can also opt for a PhD and MPhil.
8. Melbourne Law School
Top law school in Australia, ranking 11 in QS World University ranking.
The Melbourne Law School offers 35 courses within three programmes – Melbourne JD, Melbourne Law Masters and Graduate Research Degrees
9. University of Chicago Law School
Three major programmes offered at the law school are JD, LLM and JSD.
10. University of California, Berkeley (UCB)- Law
Besides offering J.D, LLM and J.S.D. programs, UCB is the first-ever U.S law school, that offers M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in Jurisprudence and Social Policy.
Written by: Shagun Sethi
