Law Degrees in the US

Unlike universities in lots of countries where students can start pursuing their studies in law as early as in their undergraduate studies, US universities only provide graduate degrees in law.

There are five different types of law degrees in the US, namely, JD (Juris Doctor), LL.M (The Master of Laws), J.S.D./S.J.D (Doctor of Juridical Science), Master of Legal Studies and Master of Dispute Resolution. People choose to pursue the type of the degree mostly based on what type of career they want to have afterwards.

In the table below are the three law degrees that most international students choose to pursue:

The most direct route for an international student to practice law in the US is to obtain a JD at a US law school and take the bar exam afterwards, as this degree allows them to sit for the bar exam in every state in the US. The LL.M. degree may qualify candidates only to take the bar exam in a few states, such as the New York State which has the most lenient policy as well as probably the largest legal market across the country.

In the past decade, Norton House has successfully helped many students realize their dream of enrolling in law schools in UK and the US, if you need professional advice on law school admission, please don’t hesitate to contact us at 2972 2698.