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My current interest is in Data privacy, AI and governance (and adjacent research areas) therefore I'm thinking of pursuing an LLM from Europe, as a fourth year law student the earliest run rate to executing my plan is 5 years and I will need this much time to get my language skills up to wherever I go (currently thinking Brussels), as is I am aware that competition between Non EU and EU grads is a whole minefield so wherever I can give myself an advantage I will take it.
I can completely fund this pursuit abroad without incurring any debt of any kind for the whole duration (tuition +living expense) therefore I'm not extensively deterred from this plan based on financial feasibility.
Nonetheless, I am aware of the bloodbath that the european market is right now, I suppose I still want to do this because I find life here abysmal by any meaningful metric (short of the fact that I have my parents here). If I have to come back I will paid more for my foreign qualification so there is some win there.
I suppose I am looking for others who may be pursuing something similar their thoughts ?, others who may know better than me regarding my plans ? or in a general sense any guidance you would give to someone who came up to you with this plan.
A little different from the constant corporate craze but I hope people engage.
If not strictly policy or research I'd still want to use that experience to pivot to regulatory or advisory law firms there that do this sort of work (this is more thought out of them having the funds to sponsor me). The reason this is a little uncertain is largely due to my lack of on the ground information regarding Brussels or Netherlands (honestly struggling to narrow it down to one).
This is just "in the air" plans, but I'd consider a PHD only for largely 2 reasons (I'm hoping it's clear I have a general interest in research by now), universities have the ability to sponsor candidates and secondly most of these universities have centers of research in Technology law & policy where I'd also be able to work on this. I do realize that getting a PHD is stupendous amounts of work so this is a pretty "in the air plans".
If all hell broke lose and everything I've thought out of is full of shit I would pivot to any array of job (I don't mean minimum wage because that wouldn't serve any purpose) which staying there I realise is more "in demand" and that I had an access to, whether that be on transferability of skill, connections, luck or otherwise. (this if of course a horrible scenario I really wouldn't want happening, but then again I'm taking absurd risk in this climate).
I hope that gives you an idea ? (sorry I'm a little lost, I'd appreciate any help).