Just reiterating what others have already said. PQE is paramount. Chances of a person with good enough PQE but without an LLM>>>>>>>>chances of a person with an LLM without PQE. Simple as that.
@OP: LLM is not a ticket to a law firm job in the UK or US, in my experience very few have been able to leverage their LLM into a job in the UK and all of them (unless they had a prior TC) had previous PQE and moved laterally or at a 1or2 yr disadvantage; also those people who made the shift successfully were preparing for it before they joined LLM, so please do your homework again.
It's very tough or even impossible to get a visa after a US LLM - NO employer will sponsor your H1B.
Canada & New Zealand?
You will get a job and visa. But the job will be in an immigration clinic getting minimum wages. Immigration Clinic work is less satisfying than in a third rate lawyers chambers.
While not being from an NLU is certainly not a problem at all (no foreign institution gives a flying duck about NLUs), I have to be that person to burst the bubble: the LL.M. will not be a pathway to a foreign career without experience. An LL.M. will make no difference, except that you would lose one year of experience in India which would be rather more beneficial to you for a foreign career than an LL.M..
All of this is assuming you do not mean working in the UK/US as being in academia. Then, what you said is perhaps the best way to go about it.
Nope - not spending my own money but would have to rely on scholarships/loans/other modes of funding. I'm not from an NLU but have a decent CV otherwise. Would that be a problem? On why I want to an LLM straight out of law school - multiple reasons tbh - working in the UK/US is the one, although getting to experience the culture there and coming back to India is always an option I'm open to.
if you are spending your own money do not apply beyond oxbridge+lse in the UK
in these 3 unis, you would need min of 65% from any of the NLUs, a decent sop which clearly articulates what you want to do with your LLM and why you think you are suitable for a place in that uni, good ref, above avg cv which aligns with your sop
BTW, why do you want to do llm straight out of law school?
Hi - is it easy to get into a good LLM programme in the UK as opposed to USA as a fresher? Majority of the profiles I've seen does reflect that.
Also, apart from grades what does it boil down to? I don't have many publications but have solid international work experience as an intern + T1 law firm internships. Is there a specific thing they scrutinise more?
It's very tough to get a job in UK after LLM.
It's very tough or even impossible to get a visa after a US LLM - NO employer will sponsor your H1B.
Canada & New Zealand?
You will get a job and visa. But the job will be in an immigration clinic getting minimum wages. Immigration Clinic work is less satisfying than in a third rate lawyers chambers.
All of this is assuming you do not mean working in the UK/US as being in academia. Then, what you said is perhaps the best way to go about it.
in these 3 unis, you would need min of 65% from any of the NLUs, a decent sop which clearly articulates what you want to do with your LLM and why you think you are suitable for a place in that uni, good ref, above avg cv which aligns with your sop
BTW, why do you want to do llm straight out of law school?
Also, apart from grades what does it boil down to? I don't have many publications but have solid international work experience as an intern + T1 law firm internships. Is there a specific thing they scrutinise more?
Cheers and Thanks!