JD vs LLB (1 Viewer)

[derekch]

Do employers prefer a graduate LLB or a JD? While there isn't substantial difference in the two, the JD is increasingly being offered in Australian universities. Will the JD phase out the LLB in the near future? As far as I'm aware, UWA is considering to adopt Melbourne's US style framework for its degrees. Law will be postgraduate only in 2012 @ uwa and the qualification will be the JD (if they follow Melbourne).
I'm finishing my degree this year and I'm unsure whether I should go for the graduate LLB or JD.
I'm aware that in NSW, UTS, UNE only offers the JD whereas in victoria, Melbourne, monash, RMIT offers the JD.
can anybody comment on these programs:
UTS JD
Monash graduate LLB and JD
ANU JD

I'm currently studying in UWA , and I'm thinking of going interstate to do my law degree. So can anyone help out?

 

[spence]

I hear its the same thing but JDs are more expensive

 

[Strawbaby]

At Melbourne, the LLBs tend to study quite a few case extracts per class, while the JDs are in much smaller groups and study just a couple of cases in full, and they get grilled more thoroughly on each one. We all study the same subjects, but they're structured differently in terms of framework, assessment etc.
That's about the only difference I know of.

 

[neo o]

At ANU JDs do the same compulsory and elective courses as undergraduates. However, they also have to do a certain amount of special, JD exclusive research courses. I'm not sure how many they have to do, but a friend of mine has done courses in European Union Law and Advanced Corporate law for his JD. I don't think that the ANU offers the LLB to postgraduates anymore.

 

[derekch]

Thanks for replying guys. Sliverly, I'm not sure where I'm going next year. The ANU JD sounds like a good program but I'm contemplating whether going to Canberra will have clerkship opportunities or working experience as compared to doing law in Melb or Syd.
The Monash LLB is quite attractive as there are exchange opportunities that I'm very interested in (there is an option to go to the Monash's centre at Prato Italy and study alongside other law students from Canada and Italy).
I'm interested in the UTS JD because it allows me to incorporate the PLT in the course but the down side would be missing out on interesting electives.

Exams will be over this month... and I've got to decide quick... sigh....back to studying...

 

[RogueAcademic]

Where do you want to go with your law degree?

 

[doink]

JD sounds better imo.

 

[Frigid]

i would prefer LLB. JD sounds too american.

 

[RogueAcademic]

Here's my 2 cents:

If you are not looking to work in a top or mid tier law firm, then it doesn't really matter whether you graduate with a JD or LLB. Both will serve you well.

Generally speaking, if you are looking to work in a top/mid tier law firm, they are starting to differentiate between JD graduates and LLB graduates by way of different summer/winter clerkship schedules and separate traineeship application route. The JD is a postgraduate degree and it is acknowledged that JD graduates present themselves with life experience with a work history and proven track record and/or professional achievements to speak of, a resume that 21 year olds fresh out of university generally cannot match. You will be generally be competing with these kinds of applicants as a JD graduate. For example, if you've worked as an accountant for the past 5 years and have now completed a JD, a commercial law firm will be more interested in the experience and established networking you could bring to their commercial/tax/financial/banking departments. The assumption I hear, whether it's true or not, is that JD applicants are generally more sure of what they want in life and in their professional career and have assumed to come from a more well-informed background in wanting to go into law, more so than LLB graduate applicants.

LLB graduates, on the other hand, present law firms with fresh young(er) applicants whom they can filter, process, teach and mold from scratch as they progress through the firm. Most LLB graduates distinguish themselves more on academic results, part-time / work experience gained while at uni, law essay or moot competition or law review achievements etc., not the kind of life experience or professional history that JD applicants can speak of.

As mentioned above, the JD is starting to become more prevalent in Australia, but whether you are applying as a JD or LLB graduate, great academic results will generally always dominate in getting your foot in the door, as per the initial selection / filtering process.

That's my 2 cents, which in the current economic downturn, is probably only worth 0.01 cents now.

 

[derekch]

Here's my 2 cents:

If you are not looking to work in a top or mid tier law firm, then it doesn't really matter whether you graduate with a JD or LLB. Both will serve you well.

Generally speaking, if you are looking to work in a top/mid tier law firm, they are starting to differentiate between JD graduates and LLB graduates by way of different summer/winter clerkship schedules and separate traineeship application route. The JD is a postgraduate degree and it is acknowledged that JD graduates present themselves with life experience with a work history and proven track record and/or professional achievements to speak of, a resume that 21 year olds fresh out of university generally cannot match. You will be generally be competing with these kinds of applicants as a JD graduate. For example, if you've worked as an accountant for the past 5 years and have now completed a JD, a commercial law firm will be more interested in the experience and established networking you could bring to their commercial/tax/financial/banking departments. The assumption I hear, whether it's true or not, is that JD applicants are generally more sure of what they want in life and in their professional career and have assumed to come from a more well-informed background in wanting to go into law, more so than LLB graduate applicants.

LLB graduates, on the other hand, present law firms with fresh young(er) applicants whom they can filter, process, teach and mold from scratch as they progress through the firm. Most LLB graduates distinguish themselves more on academic results, part-time / work experience gained while at uni, law essay or moot competition or law review achievements etc., not the kind of life experience or professional history that JD applicants can speak of.

As mentioned above, the JD is starting to become more prevalent in Australia, but whether you are applying as a JD or LLB graduate, great academic results will generally always dominate in getting your foot in the door, as per the initial selection / filtering process.

That's my 2 cents, which in the current economic downturn, is probably only worth 0.01 cents now.

Thanks. thats exactly what I needed to hear. What you said makes whole lot of sense.
I guess my position now is as about the same as most combined degree LLB students as I'm entering into a law degree after finishing my current. I do not have employment history and as you mentioned that would differentiate the JD graduates from LLBs.

o, I guess it doesn't really matter whether I do the JD or LLB at this point.
Thanks again for the helpful reply.

 

[RogueAcademic]

I guess my position now is as about the same as most combined degree LLB students as I'm entering into a law degree after finishing my current.

Well you've posed your own conundrum here where you say "about the same as most" and where you say "I guess it doesn't really matter". Maybe by doing the JD, it could be a way for you to differentiate from the others in that you are not one of the combined LLB graduates, presuming that at present, there are still far more LLB students being churned out of the proverbial law school factories than there are JD students. Having a JD would place you in a slightly different light and it would be up to you to use that to your advantage.

Anyway, the point is, it's not all black and white. You may also base your decision on cost, location, apparent prestige of the university, do you want to project yourself as an undergraduate or a postgraduate, there are a number of other factors that you might take into consideration. And because what I say is only worth 0.01 cents, maybe none of all this matters anyway.

One thing continues to stand out and that's academic results. That's still the number one priority to get you through the initial stages of a top/mid tier law firm selection process.