Professor George Edwards, who is the author of LL.M. Roadmap, traveled to Panama City, Panama to discuss non-U.S. students coming to the U.S. to study for a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree.  On 30 June 2014, Professor Edwards presented at the University of Panama Faculty of Law and Political Sciences (Faculty of Law), and at the Advising Center of EducationUSA, which is a U.S. Department of State program.

Professor Edwards highlighted important information that Panamanian students should know if they want to study law at a law school in the U.S.

He addressed how students should choose the best U.S. law school and LL.M. program for each student, the possibility of considering school or LL.M. program "ranking" in making decisions to apply to or attend specific schools, tips on specializing in specific law areas, the LL.M. application process and getting admitted, English language requirements, U.S. law school teaching methods, sitting for a bar exam in the U.S. after students receive their LL.M. degree, and fulfilling career aspirations after graduation.

Professor Edwards also discussed scholarships and grants available to help students defray the high costs of obtaining a U.S. law school degree.

EducationUSA – U.S. State Department Program  -- Panama
At the EducationUSA Advising Centre, Professor Edwards was hosted by Mr. Paul Alba, who is the resident EducationUSA Adviser. Mr. Alba, who is a former intern at the U.S. Embassy - Panama, was joined by Ms. Allison O’Brien who is a student at Cardozo Law School (New York). Ms. O’Brien is a current U.S. Embassy – Panama intern.

EducationUSA is responsible for providing information to Panamanian students who wish to study in the U.S. Each of its 450 Advising Centers in almost 200 countries offers services to students at any level and in any field. Anyone in Panama with interest may visit the EducationUSA Advising Center located in that city. Unlike some EducationUSA Advising Centers that are located at a

U.S. Embassy or U.S. Consulate, the Center in Panama City is located in the facilities of the Center for English Language Immersion (CELI). CELI is a partnership between Universidad Latin and the U.S. Embassy - Panama. Professor Edwards also met with Axela Zelaya de Corror, who is CELI’s Executive Director.

Mr. Alba noted that many Panamanians are interested in studying law in the U.S. He said he would like to share U.S. law school and LL.M. program information with Panamanians widely, and that he wants “to give U.S. law school program presentations to students at different law faculties in Panama”. 

Professor Edwards said “I am happy that Mr. Alba and the Fulbright Commission and EducationUSA Panama have taken the lead to promote U.S. legal education for Panamanian students. Mr. Alba, law faculty members, students and others with interest are welcome to contact me for further information about studying law in the U.S. 

University of Panama Faculty of Law
At the University of Panama Faculty of Law, Professor Edwards was hosted by the Dean, Dr. Gilberto Boutin. Dean Boutin led a U.S. legal education round-table discussion with faculty, staff, and students. Professor Edwards again presented about U.S. law school opportunities for Panamanians, and fielded many questions about the application process, success in a U.S. law school, scholarship opportunities, and work post-degree. He was joined by co-presenters Mr. Alba and Ms. O’Brien.

Dean Boutin expressed full support for his students traveling to the U.S. for advanced law degrees. He also expressed strong interests in the Faculty of Law establishing further links with institutes and programs at U.S. law faculties. It is hoped that a U.S. law professor could travel to the Faculty of Law in Panama to help prepare students for their LL.M. program in the U.S. by instructing on, for example, legal English.

Professor Edwards was asked about international human rights law, pro bono, and public interest work at U.S. law schools. He spoke about recent work that he and his Indiana students have done involving the U.S. Military Commissions at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and he spoke about his recent trip to Guantanamo Bay. He also spoke about work he and his students performed on behalf of the defense of Slobodan Milosevic, the former president of the former Yugoslavia who was on trial at the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) for genocide and other international crimes, and spoke about work they performed related to an ongoing extradition proceedings of an alleged war criminal from Australia to Croatia.

Professor Edwards explained that Panamanian students can benefit greatly if they join a U.S. law school program that affords the students an opportunity to get involved in experiential learning opportunities, such as working on real-life, pending criminal or other law cases.

Dr. Virginia Arango Durling, who is a law professor at the University of Panama, commented on the importance of international human rights law, which is an area of law in which she has expertise. She is widely published in the field, with many of her publications and teaching materials being available on her website:  Pensamiento Juridico Panemano. She too recognizes the importance of experiential learning. 

Professor Edwards said “The students I met at the University of Panama were all leaders in their student body, and they all possess skills important for studying law in a different legal system and in a country other than their own. They would benefitfrom the classroom experience in the U.S., and would also benefit from legal education that happens outside the classroom, in the form of experiential learning.”

One Panamanian student explained that she is now convinced that attaining a law degree in the U.S. is an achievable goal for students from her law school class.

Conclusion

In both Panama presentations, Professor Edwards recognized the value of students receiving an overseas law degree.

He said “When you are studying at a U.S. law school, you will acquire knowledge and skills that will be useful in your legal careers, wherever you choose to work. You will share with your U.S. law school colleagues your Panama experience, and you will bring back to Panama what you have learned in the U.S., inside and outside the law school classroom”.

Professor Edwards hopes to return to Panama for additional presentations. He said “It was exciting to learn of Panamanians’ high level of interest in U.S. law study. I look forward to returning to Panama for further discussions. If any Panamanians have further questions, they should feel free to contact me. They can also check our website, www.LLMRoadMap.com.”

Professor Edwards is The C.M. Gray Professor of Law at Indiana University McKinney School of Law, and the law school’s Special Assistant to the Dean for Inter-Governmental and Non-Governmental Organizations. He is also Faculty Director (Founding) of the law school’s Program in International Human Rights Law.

Professor Edwards is also the author of LL.M. Roadmap: An International Student’s Guide to U.S. Law School Programs (624 pages). He is also the creator of the book’s website:  www.LLMRoadMap.com.

For additional information, you may reach Professor Edwards at LLMRoadMap@yahoo.com. 

For information about EducationUSA or Fulbright in Panama, please contact:

Paul Alba
Adviser – Director 
EducationUSA Panama City
U.S. Department of State Network 
Office: +507 380-2200/2202
panamacity@educationusa,info

http://www.educationusa.info

https://www.facebook.com/EducationUSAPTY

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The most important thing for you to know about LL.M. recommendation letters is that LL.M. admissions committees rely heavily on these letters when they decide whom to admit into their LL.M. programs. 

Some LL.M. programs receive many hundreds of LL.M. applications of very highly qualified students from around the world. Recommendation letters, written by credible and knowledgeable referees, play a large role in admission committee decisions.

So, you are cautioned to take great care in soliciting recommendation letters that will help you convince LL.M. admission committees to admit you.

You may be an excellent applicant, with excellent academic credentials, broad practical legal experience, superb English language skills, numerous other professional and personal accomplishments, and a dynamic personality. However, unless your referees can address those and similar qualities in your recommendation letters, you may lose out on a spot in the LL.M. program you choose.

Here are 7 things to remember about LL.M. recommendation letters:

1.      Remember why LL.M. admissions committees want recommendation letters.

LL.M. admission committees want to get to know you, the applicant, as a person. Your test scores, marks / grades, and degrees provide substantial objective information. But, that does not paint a full picture of you.  You will likely not have a chance for a personal interview. Your personal statements are helpful, but they are written by you.

Thus LL.M. programs typically require you to submit at least 2 recommendation letters written by “referees”. These letters help cement an image for the school about who you are. They help the admission committees learn as much about you as possible, from people who know you, your accomplishments, and your potential.

2.      Do not pick the "wrong" referees to write your letters.

The best recommendation letters come from referees who personally know you, and who are familiar with your intellectual abilities, your work and other accomplishments, and your actual personality.
 
Your referees should have confidence in you. They should be able to inform the LL.M. admission committee, with relative specificity, that you will likely succeed in the LL.M. program.

Good recommendation letters can be written by current or former professors, employers, work colleagues, or even clients. All of these people should be in good positions to know you and your work well.  People in these categories would have been exposed

All LL.M. program websites in the U.S. list “deadlines” for applicants to submit their LL.M. applications. However, there are different “types” of deadlines. And different schools treat “deadlines” in different ways.

Below are some tips, secrets and surprises on LL.M. application deadlines. Follow them to help ensure that you meet the deadline of the U.S. law school(s) you want to attend!

Also, click here to find the LL.M. application deadlines for 148 different U.S. Law Schools in over 40 U.S. States, Puerto Rico and Washington, DC. 

                               8 Tips, Secrets & Surprises for LL.M. Application Deadline

1.       The LL.M. deadline is part of the “formal component” of your LL.M. Application.

All LL.M. applications have two components: (a) a formal component; and (b) an informal component.

On the formal side, your LL.M. application will contain proof of your academic success such as transcripts, diplomas, certificates, list of honors, record of work experience and extra-curricular activities, recommendation letters, personal statements and essays, CV or resume, English language proficiency test scores, and possibly a phone or in-person interview.

An important part of the formal side of the application is the deadline – you must formally submit your application by the deadline identified by the school. Your accomplishments and merit will not be persuasive if your application is not received in a timely fashion.

The informal side of your LL.M. application consists of impressions the admission committee may gather from the courteous or non-courteous manner in which you communicate with them, your application’s tidiness or sloppiness, your perceived ability or inability to follow directions, and your general attitude, as perceived by the admission committee and others at the law school with whom you come into contact during the application process. The admission committee might form an impression, favorable or otherwise, based on the timing of your application – Did you meet the deadline? Did you beat the deadline? Did you miss the deadline? Does it appear as though your application is sloppy because you rushed to meet the deadline?

Please respect and follow all LL.M. applications deadlines! Begin preparing your application early enough so you do not have to rush to submit by the deadline.

2.       Identify and understand the different types of LL.M. Application Deadlines

There are multiple types of LL.M. application deadlines, including: (a) Fixed deadline; (b) Rolling admission deadline; (c) Early admission deadline; (d) Flexible deadline; (e) International v. U.S. student deadline; (f) Part-Time deadline; and (g) Full-Time Deadline.

a.       Fixed LL.M. Application deadline. 

Schools with a “fixed deadline” set a date on which all applications must be submitted. The school will not consider for admission any applicant who submits an application post-deadline. If you miss the deadline, you are out of luck for that year! However you

There are many things to consider when preparing your LLM Application. You can find 12 LLM Application Tips here. 

Below are 23 additional ideas to help may your LLM Application great! Keep these tips and hints in mind as you prepare your LLM Applications for US law school LLM programs.

1.        The entire application process is about marketing yourself to the admission committee.

2.        Applications contain information about what you have accomplished and your potential. What have you done? What will you do?

3.        Get involved in extracurricular activities now--before you apply.

4.        Contact EducationUSA for guidance and advice.

5.        Find alumni of schools—ask about their experiences.

6.        Be realistic about your goals, attributes, and finances.

7.        What are your research interests?

8.        Clearly state who you are—advocate on your own behalf.

9.        Meet, or beat, deadlines. Begin early—months in advance.

10.     Follow directions.

You have one goal with your LL.M. application – to persuade a U.S. law school to admit you into their LL.M. program!

Preparing your LL.M. application is one the most difficult parts of your LL.M. But you can meet this challenge.

You need commitment, positive energy and determination.

And you need to complete a careful self-examination to make sure you are moving in the direction that is best for you. Are you applying to the LL.M. programs that are best for you, in the cities you desire, in the specialized areas of law that fit your fit your interests and career goals? Once convinced that you are on the right track, it's time to persuade U.S. law schools to admit you!

Chiefly, your application should portray your achievements, and provide evidence of your potential to succeed in a rigorous academic program. But this may not be as easy as it sounds.

Your application will have many components, both formal and informal.

Formal Part of Your LL.M. Application.
This is the concrete, tangible part of your LL.M. application. This includes the specific, detailed requirements that the school outlines on its website. The formal part of your LL.M. application includes:

1.      Evidence of your law training or bar membership
a.    Your non-U.S. law degree; or
b.   Your being already admitted to practice law in a non-U.S. jurisdiction; or
c.    If you do not have a non-U.S. law degree or admission to a non-U.S. law practice, then you need a law degree or law practice substitute.

2.      Recommendation letters. These letters are testimonials from your undergraduate or graduate professors, work supervisors, or others about you and your accomplishments, your past work and other attributes that make you suitable for 

Why do U.S. law  schools require LL.M. recommendation letters?

LL.M. admission committees want to know who you are as an applicant. Your test scores, marks in your earlier degrees, and other objective criteria are not enough. The committees usually cannot meet LL.M. applicants, so they need another way to get to know you. Your personal statements are helpful, but they are written by you!

Thus LL.M. programs typically require you to submit at least 2 recommendation letters written by “referees”. These letters help cement an image for the school about who you are.  Admission committees rely heavily on these letters.

Who should write your recommendation letters? Why?
The best recommendation letters are written by people (referees) who personally know you, and who are familiar with your intellectual abilities, your work and other accomplishments, and your actual personality.
 
Your referees should have enough knowledge about you, and confidence in you, to be able to inform the LL.M. admission committee, with relative specificity, that you will likely succeed in the LL.M. program. The best letters will be able to state that you will do very well in the LL.M. program, and after you graduate.

Good recommendation letters can be written by current or former professors, employers, work colleagues, or even clients. All of these people should be in good positions to know you and your work well. They can easily attest to your professional and academic merits. 

Is there such a thing as a “bad” recommendation letter?
Be careful about who you ask to write a recommendation
letter!

Law faculty deans, judges, prominent lawyers, legislators or other public figures are great people to write letters only
if they have sufficient personal knowledge of you and your work or accomplishments, and personal knowledge of characteristics that would make you an excellent LL.M. candidate. Letters from these people will not help much if they do not speak with specificity and with personal knowledge.
 
Choose referees based on what they personally know about your merits. Do not choose referees based solely on their professional or societal “status”.

It's LL.M. application time!  Deadlines are approaching fast!

There is no reason to panic. Stop. Take a deep breath. And consider the following dozen pre-application tips.

Before you submit your LL.M. applications, ask yourself these 12 important questions:

1.   Setting goals.   Did I decide what my career, professional, personal, academic goals are? Did I remember that to reach my goals successfully, I need to know what my goals are? How can I achieve my career goals if I have not identified my career goals in advance?

2.   Honest self-inventory.   Did I take a thorough, honest inventory of my own academic background and accomplishments, test scores, and experience to determine which schools might be “best” for me, and apply to those schools? To look forward, I need to look back first.

3.   Realism.   Was I you realistic about my goals, experience, attributes and finances? I will be disappointed if I set unrealistic goals.

4.    Promote Self.   In my applications did I clearly state who I am and advocate on my own behalf? I have to take put my best foot forward!

5.    Convey my LL.M. goals? Did I inform the schools about my career and personal goals and about other traits of mine that cannot be discerned from my grades, test scores, or class rank? I have to figure out how to make sure that the schools sees everything about me and my background so that the school will be convinced that I’m a great candidate to join their LL.M. program.

6.    Paint convincing picture.   Did I demonstrate to the schools that I am mature, professional, collegial and hardworking? I have to do a great job of advocating on my own behalf.

7.    OK to ask for help!   Did I ask a classmate, professor, or academic advisor to assist by reviewing my documents, while at the same time making certain that I prepared my own application, and that I wrote my own personal statement or essay? I have to