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I remember sitting across from the Dean of my law school, asking her if pursuing an LL.M. in this economy was a smart idea. She told me that normally she would advise against most LL.M. programs, except for programs such as Tax from New York University, but that in this case, it just might make sense. This case was an LL.M. in Innovation, Technology, and the Law from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland.
I have always been interested in technology, and in law school I found a way to focus my studies on the interaction of technology and the law. Going to conferences and taking classes like e-Discovery and Privacy in the Digital Age solidified the notion that I wanted to spend the rest of my career practicing in the field, focusing on data privacy and information security. The question, however, was how to best prepare myself for my career and how to get my first job. Many of the issues I wanted to work on, and the clients who had those issues, were handled by big, multinational law firms. The same multinational law firms that are currently re-evaluating their hiring processes and have significantly limited the number of new hires. On the other end, many of the smaller firms who handled these issues simply couldn’t afford to hire and train new attorneys in both the field of practice and being a lawyer. I needed a way to set myself apart from other law graduates as Journal, Moot Court, and clinic work are no longer the differentiators they used to be. I needed a way to add value to a firm.
Given that privacy and data security laws vary across nations and that infractions can be significantly costly, I felt that a young lawyer, versed in both national and international data protection laws and familiar with current and new technologies could prove a valuable asset to a law firm, and therefore a client. The question, however, was how to gain that knowledge, at low cost, and in a struggling legal market.
Trying to think “outside the box,” I started looking for LL.M. programs in Europe that featured courses on data privacy, information security, and technology. I figured that I could best understand and develop a working knowledge of European laws by learning from experts who practice in the field everyday. Moreover, the cost of an LL.M. in Europe is noticeably cheaper than it is in the United States.
However, I didn’t want to make a such a major decision without advice. I sought out the Dean of the law school, the head of career services, attorneys that handle international work, and even took to Twitter to see what the views on an American student obtaining an LL.M. from a European school were. The response was mixed. Many people were unsure if it would help, many people said to avoid paying more tuition fees without a guaranteed source of income, while others thought I was just plain crazy.
When I found the course at the University of Edinburgh, I felt comfortable making the decision to go. The courses are about law and new technologies, information technologies, and electronic evidence. The classes incorporate not only English law, but the laws of other countries. Furthermore, the University of Edinburgh has a very large international population, allowing me the opportunity to connect with students who could become experts in the field back in their home countries. As it turns out, my program is composed of students from the UK, Ireland, Thailand, France, and Luxembourg.
All of this is not to say, however, that everyone should be looking to go abroad for a year and study for another degree. Financial repercussions, of course, are a large concern. But also, not every field lends itself to the idea. For instance, property, criminal law, and torts law are all very local in that it is hard for a landowner in New York to be subject to EU law for property violations in the same way a credit card company would be liable in both the States and EU for a data breach. Therefore, a working knowledge of English property law may not truly add any value, especially at the cost of a year’s time and tuition. Finally, leaving your friends, family, and loved ones at home for any given time, let alone a year, and moving to a foreign country alone is never easy. Make no mistake, the decision was not easy. Hopefully, come a year from now, I can write again explaining how the experience helped me get my dream job. Until then, I hope I made the right choice.
Post Script:
LLM program studies are not for all. In fact, many in the law career community are of the opinion that the pursuit of such a degree may be counter-productive to career advancement and appears to be an effort to “duck” the current job market. Not so, in Jason’s case. Students need to take a look at areas of practice that are exploding and may ripe for new attorneys. That is exactly what Jason has done. Privacy issues in the Digital Age (and other ancillary areas of practice) are new and exciting avenues in our legal profession. One needs only to look at the Julian Assange WikiLeaks case to see the potential for the growth in this area of practice. Moreover, Jason has opened himself for opportunities not only in the United States, but throughout the world! Law Students: Are you thinking “out of the box” in considering your career options? If you have ideas and want to “bounce them around,” why not schedule an appointment with a Career Service counselor? Phil Guzman
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