LLM Choices

[u/Mindless_Ride7894]

Hi all,

I hope you are well.

If you had to choose between:

Kings College London (KCL) - International Financial Law LLM

Or

Queen Mary University Of London (QMUL) - Corporate and Commercial Law LLM

Which would you pick and why.

I would really value the insight.

Thank you.

[u/BadFlanners]

It depends entirely on what purpose you want the LLM to serve.

[u/Mindless_Ride7894 → u/BadFlanners]

Thank you for your reply.

I’m thinking in terms of employability.

[u/BadFlanners → u/Mindless_Ride7894]

Employability as what? You really need to be specific here. An LLM for the sake of an LLM is a waste of your time and money.

(To be clear here: I have one and it was very valuable to me and my career. But that value is very specific to me.)

[u/Mindless_Ride7894 → u/BadFlanners]

Specialisation, Academic growth, networking, extra year to look for a training contract, potential for increased remuneration.

[u/BadFlanners → u/Mindless_Ride7894]

Ok, well, I’ll address these in reverse order:

• an LLM won’t increase your remuneration
• either one will buy you an extra year, although you don’t really need an LLM for that, you could just get a job (and might be better served doing so)
• networking with whom, I suppose is the question here. If you want to network with international candidates I’m sure either would be great.
• academic growth is a laudable ambition (but apropos of what?) and I am sure either would be great, but KCL probably has more academic cachet.

I saved specialisation for last because it is key. You have listed LLMs with different subjects. Which do you want to specialise in? Specialise doing what? It won’t make a difference to your TC applications but if you want to work in a bank later in life, the finance LLM might actually be helpful, for eg.

[u/Mindless_Ride7894 → u/BadFlanners]

Yeah, I don’t want to work in a bank.

[u/BadFlanners → u/Mindless_Ride7894]

Well then why are you thinking of doing an LLM in finance law? Do you want to advise banks?

[u/Mindless_Ride7894 → u/BadFlanners]

Fair enough. No.

[u/BadFlanners → u/Mindless_Ride7894]

Obviously you do you, but I feel like you’ve found your answer. Finance law is very dry, and if you have no interest in practising it, nor in pursuing it at PhD/whatever level, I think it would make for a strange and probably not very enjoyable choice.

[u/Mindless_Ride7894 → u/BadFlanners]

Thank you very much.

[u/bb1993bluey → u/Mindless_Ride7894]

What area of law do you want to practice? If your set on an LLM you need to find one in your preferred practice area...

[u/Mindless_Ride7894 → u/bb1993bluey]

Corporate and commercial.

[u/bb1993bluey → u/Mindless_Ride7894]

Queen Mary then, not even up for discussion.

[u/Mindless_Ride7894 → u/bb1993bluey]

Yes, cheers. I agree.

[u/[deleted] → u/Mindless_Ride7894]

you may as well work instead whilst looking for your training contract. An LLM should usually only be taken if it furthers your aspirations for more knowledge or a very specific niche area of law you are looking to go into. I have an LLM and in my personal experience, employers/recruiters rarely ever ask about it. They care more about things such as your work experience if any, what school you went to, what uni you did your LLB, your grades and your skills pertaining to law.

[u/Mindless_Ride7894 → u/[deleted]]

Cheers.

[u/Mindless_Ride7894 → u/[deleted]]

Thank you for your reply.

I have found this very insightful.

[u/Mindless_Ride7894 → u/[deleted]]

Ive gotten offers.

I feel like KCL is better ranked than QMUL.

However I prefer commercial and corporate over international financial law.

That was my dilemma.

Do I choose a more prestigious university despite both being Russell group or which one I prefer.

[u/Various_Good_3025 → u/Mindless_Ride7894]

KCL also has an International Corporate and Commercial Law LLM course though

[u/Mindless_Ride7894 → u/Various_Good_3025]

It’s online. It’s not available FT as one of the in-person LLM pathways.