UC Davis

[malikp]

Hello Everyone,

I have been accepted to UC Davis law school LLM program and was wondering how good the law school actually is? I am not sure whether to accept or not. I have been researching for a while now but I am not an American hence not familiar with the system in the US, the school is ranked in the top 40 but that is a JD ranking not an LLM ranking.

Hope to hear from people thanks.

[Maintain FL 350]

I have been accepted to UC Davis law school LLM program and was wondering how good the law school actually is?

It depends on what you mean by "good". Davis has a solid, well established reputation in California, but it's not nationally elite like Harvard or Yale. All of the UC law schools, however, are considered "good". As far a LL.M programs, I don't know how Davis compares to other schools. I think that depends on the specific concentration of the program.

When evaluating whether a particular school is the best choice you should consider your post-LL.M goals. Are you attempting to land a job with a large U.S. firm, or do you plan on returning to your home country? All of these factors have to be taken into account.

[malikp]

Thanks Maintain,

I have consider alot of questions, I would like to stay in the US to develop a career in Entertainment and Sports law. I am not a big fan of the big schools like Harvard and Yale I have met alot of graduates in China and they are all so so, nothing special. I am hoping to work in a big firm in CA and have a professional background in sports when I was younger, so may have alot to offer besides just academics.

I was just wondering how employers view a degree from UC Davis Law school, I already gained my LLB from the UK and have a few years experience in this field of law. In CA UC Davis is viewed well I have read but internationally it is not. I am quite global and have the thoughts that UC Davis is not portable across the world, however these days it depends on the person and I know if I go to Davis I will have to rank high in my class to get into a good firm. I also plan to take the CA Bar after the LLM, hope you can enlighten me on any other info about Davis.

 

[Maintain FL 350]

Let me first say that I am not a UCD graduate, and I can't really speak as to what connections or opportunities a UCD LL.M will offer internationally. You may want to direct your questions to UCD, and ask them about the post-graduation employment outlook for their international students.

To a large extent, I think the answer to your question depends on whether you plan to rely on the prestige of your degree to obtain employment internationally, or whether the LL.M is simply a means to qualify for taking the California bar exam. Like I said above, UCD is a well respected school in California. Internationally, however, I don't know how recognizable it is. I would suggest trying to contact graduates of the program as well as UCD and ask about their experiences.

As far as getting hired at a large U.S. firm, undertsand that hiring is very, very competitive. The entertainment industry in particular is highly competitive. Top UCD graduates do get hired at big California firms, but the prospects for a foreign applicant with a U.S. LL.M may be different. It may be more difficult to get hired, especially if there are any visa/immigration issues. Again, I'd contact Davis and ask them directly about how many of their foreign LL.M grads were hired by U.S. firms.

Good luck!
   

[livinglegend]

UC Davis is a fine school, but it should be noted Davis is not exactly a "fun" or "beautiful" town it is way up in Northern California Sacramento is close, but still it is pretty "white" and "small town" so it may be tough if you are from more urban environment.

As for how "good" the school is I am sure Davis is good, but every ABA school will offer you a quality education and if your an international student the real reason to take the LLM from my understanding is to be able to take the bar exam. As for international recognition I don't think Davis offers that most people in California don't know where Davis is although the school is fine remember U.S. News is nothing more than a for-profit unregulated magazine do not make a life altering decision based on it.