Purpose of a Master's Degree?

AuRevoir

Hi, I am a third year law student who is confused with the legal profession at the

moment. I was wondering what are the advantages of having a Master's Degree?

Would it enhance my job prospects here or abroad? What type of work would a

Master's allow one to do? Thanks!:)

johnfás

I'm currently on an LLM programme - anyone I have spoken to on it is doing it because they don't have a job and can't think of anything else to do for the coming year.

There is obviously the opinion that it puts you a step ahead of people who do not have a Masters but that step ahead is not as great as one might think and is not the primary motivation for most people doing it.

Long Onion

I have returned to complete a masters in Law technology and Governance after 5 years in the workplace. I am doing this for a number of reasons. Part of me wants to make sure that I am better positioned to move up the career ladder and provide more financial security,
part of me wants to ensure that I continue to be educated and have a graeter knowledge of the isuues of the world at large.

In my humble opinion, you probably need to have both aims to get the most out of a masters. If you really want to enjoy education and make a meaningful contribution to the subject matter, your motivations have to be beyond financial only. Masters degrees are becoming more and more commonplace now and to make yourself stand out you need to produce some good quality work, this is unlikely to happen if you are viewing it solely as a means to an end.

Reloc8

Outside of the academic field (lecturing etc.) a Master's per se does not 'allow' one to do any particular job in law. The only jobs as a professional lawyer which require particular qualifications are as a barrister and solicitor.

You can of course take it as read that the more relevant qualifications you have the more attractive you will be to an employer in the relevant field so yes it would enhance your job prospects, subject to a modifier for the content of the master's programme you do.

r14

I agree with Long Onion.

I did a Masters last year and was amazed at the amount of people doing completely off the wall subjects that were of no practical use. I did the LL.M. with a specific aim very much knowing what subjects I wanted and what area I wanted to write my dissertation on. As a result I have frequently found what I learned during the LL.M. to be of practical use while in the office.

If you are just doing a Masters for the sake of it I don't think you'll get much out of it. If however you have a real interest in an area and you feel you can develop some real expertise in that area through the course of study I say go for it.

If, however, you decide to go ahead with it for the purpose of getting a job without any idea of particular areas that might interest you, you should at least stick to subjects that have some practical basis and which might possibly be of use in an office.

bear17

Like johnfás, I'm also currently doing an LLM, and it would be fair to say I would have fallen into the category of people he described above! I also entered the programme seeing it as a means to an end in securing a training contract, but I have to say my perspective has since changed, given that I find my subjects interesting. I don't think I could've kept doing the course without this change of mind on my part.
As such, what's most important for one doing an LLM is to enjoy the subject-matter, because it's a lot of additional work to do just to make yourself more employable.

Also, while I would agree that an LLM does not directly make one more employable (in the current absence of researcher opportunities with bodies like the LRC), it can and may be useful in attracting employment in the future (I hope:)!), but only in so far as it displays a specific legal interest.