Career and Bar - LLM in International Business and Economic Law
USC Gould School of Law

Career Resources

As a graduate of the Master of Laws (LLM) in International Business and Economic Law degree, you will be able to achieve greater levels of success within your current law firm or organization, or may use the degree to prepare for a career in international business law and economic law.

Throughout the academic year, we will host several career workshops to cover the basics of the job search process in the U.S. We organize career panels with alumni and industry leaders so you can learn more about possible career pathways. If you hold a first degree in law from outside of the U.S., you can participate in two LLM-exclusive job fairs in New York and Los Angeles.

You also will be able to attend USC Gould Continuing Legal Education conferences, at which you can make valuable connections with law professionals, USC Gould alumni and peers.

Domestic Trained Lawyers

If you are interested in enrolling in a specialized LLM, you should be clear about how this degree will add value to your professional development. Because of the breadth of jobs where this specialized degree may be applicable, and because your specific path will depend on your experience and interest, we cannot provide a comprehensive list of relevant jobs.

If you recently graduated from your JD, we recommend that you take time to gain work experience before enrolling in a master's degree.

Foreign Trained Lawyers

While the majority of our students choose to return to their home countries after graduation, some students seek to expand their experiences in the United States after completing their programs by looking for short-term "practical training" positions. Please note that the market for foreign-trained attorneys in the U.S. is very limited, and only a very small percentage of foreign-trained graduates from all U.S. law schools find work here. Students' citizenship or residency status can be an additional barrier to employment. Additionally, because the legal market can be very competitive, the students who are successful in obtaining employment in the U.S. typically have earned excellent grades in their graduate studies and have also passed a U.S. bar exam.

To assist you, we offer academic support resources throughout the year, bar exam preparation and help with applications, and we work with the Office of International Services to address issues regarding Optional Practical Training.

California and New York Bar Exam Eligibility

Enrollment in an LLM degree does not guarantee that you will be eligible to take a U.S. bar exam or practice law in the United States. You should review the requirements set by each state in which you wish to sit for the exam. The American Bar Association's Comprehensive Guide to Bar Admission Requirements provides additional information.

USC Gould academic advisers can assist you with choosing courses that help prepare you for the bar exams in New York and California. Download our Bar and Certificate Checklist for more information. Students are able to enroll in both a bar exam "track" and a certificate "track."

If you are an international student interested in seeking admission to the District of Columbia (D.C.) bar, you should consider the traditional LLM degree.

We also offer an Early Bar Preparation series of four daylong workshops exclusively for our students throughout the year. The workshops cover pertinent substantive law tested by the bar exam as well as guidance on essay writing, multiple choice, performance tests and general test-taking skills.

Optional Practical Training

Some LLM students choose to enhance their U.S. legal education by gaining short-term, practical training in a law firm or other legal setting after graduation. The Graduate & International Programs office will assist you with the application for Optional Practical Training (OPT) during the spring semester. For current rules on OPT - the authorization required for eligibility for such work experiences - visit the USC Office of International Students website.

LLM-JD Transfer Program

Students enrolled in the LLM in International Business and Economic Law degree are not eligible to apply to the LLM-JD Transfer Program at USC Gould. For more information on the LLM-JD Transfer Program, please visit this link.