INTERNATIONAL LLM

CAREER PLANNING MANUAL

CLASS OF 2018

AUGUST 2017

Duke University School of Law || 210 Science Drive || Box 90367 Durham, NC 27708-0367
919.613.7031 || kobelev@law.duke.edu
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CAREER EVENTS AND JOB SEARCH TIMELINES .................................................................... 5-6
CHAPTER 1: THE CAREE R AND PROFESSIONAL D EVELOPMENT CENTER ....................... 7-8
Programs ........................................................................................................................ 7
Individual Counseling ..................................................................................................... 7
Job Fairs .......................................................................................................................... 7
Bar Information .............................................................................................................. 8

CHAPTER 2: UNITED ST ATES LEGAL MARKET ................................................................... 9-11

Law Firms ....................................................................................................................... 9

Temporary Positions ............................................................................................. 9
Permanent Positions ............................................................................................. 9
Visiting Foreign Attorney Positions ....................................................................... 9
Government ................................................................................................................. 10
U.S. Government ................................................................................................. 10
State and Local Governments ............................................................................. 10
Judicial Clerkships ................................................................................................ 10
International and Nongovernmental Organizations .................................................... 10
Academia and In-House Opportunities ........................................................................ 11

CHAPTER 3: VISA REQUIREMENTS AND U.S. BAR EXAMS ........................................... 12-15

Visa Requirements ....................................................................................................... 12

U.S. Bar Exam ............................................................................................................... 13
Uniform Bar Exam ............................................................................................... 13
Which Bar Exam? ................................................................................................ 13
Selected State Rules Governing Admission of LLM Graduates .............................. 13-15
New York Bar Exam ............................................................................................. 13
New York Bar Eligibility ............................................................................. 13
50-hour Pro Bono Rule .............................................................................. 14
California Bar Exam ............................................................................................. 14
Washington D.C. Bar Exam .................................................................................. 14
Connecticut Bar Exam ......................................................................................... 14
Texas Bar Exam .................................................................................................... 14
Georgia Bar Exam ................................................................................................ 15
Washington State Bar Exam ................................................................................ 15

CHAPTER 4: THE JOB SEARCH ........................................................................................... 16-27

Identifying Potential Opportunities ............................................................................. 16

Duke-Exclusive Job Search Tools ............................................................................ 16-18
Foreign Lawyer Talent Pool ................................................................................. 16
International Opportunities Listserv ................................................................... 17
Rival Edge Research ............................................................................................. 17

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 Database of International Opportunities ............................................................ 18
Other Helpful Career Search Resources ..................................................................18-20
Law Firm Websites .........................................................................................18-19
NALP Directory.......................................................................................... 18
Chambers USA and Chambers Global ....................................................... 18
NavForward.com ...................................................................................... 19
Legal Internships ................................................................................................. 19
Other websites with legal job postings include .................................................. 19
Public Interest, State Government, and Non-Profit Resources ........................... 19
Job Fairs...................................................................................................................20-21
International Reception and Dinner.................................................................... 20
Equal Justice Works Conference & Career Fair .................................................. 21
Wintersession .............................................................................................................. 21
Networking..............................................................................................................21-22
The Hidden Job Market ....................................................................................... 21
Developing a list of contacts ............................................................................... 21
Duke Law Alumni Directory ................................................................................. 22
Engaging your Contacts ...........................................................................................22-23
Networking within Duke Law .............................................................................. 23
Networking in Social Situations ........................................................................... 23
Sample Introductory Emails ......................................................................................... 24
LinkedIn ...................................................................................................................24-25
In a Nutshell ........................................................................................................ 24
LinkedIn Profile ................................................................................................... 25
Summary Page..................................................................................................... 25
Keys to Success on LinkedIn ....................................................................................26-27
Expanding your Professional Network ................................................................ 26
Collecting Contacts .............................................................................................. 26
Improving your Visibility ..................................................................................... 26
Recommendations and Endorsements ............................................................... 26
Becoming LinkedIn power user ........................................................................... 26

CHAPTER 5: RESUMES, COVER LETTERS AND OT HER CORRESPONDENCE ................. 28-47

Creating a Resume ..................................................................................................28-30

Items to Exclude ................................................................................................. 28
Format ................................................................................................................. 28
One-page ............................................................................................................. 28
Spelling ................................................................................................................ 28
Name, Address, Telephone, Email ...................................................................... 28
Education, Educational Honors & Activities ........................................................ 29
Honors and Activities .......................................................................................... 29
Grades and Class Rankings .................................................................................. 29
Experience ........................................................................................................... 29
Bar Admission...................................................................................................... 30
Additional Categories .......................................................................................... 30
Tailoring Your Resume ............................................................................................30-35

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 Tailoring Resumes for Government/Public Interest Applications ....................... 30
Sample: Resume Formatting ............................................................................... 31
Sample Resume I: Private Sector ......................................................................... 32
Sample Resume II: Private Sector ........................................................................ 33
Sample Resume III: Private Sector ....................................................................... 34
Sample Resume VI: Private Sector ...................................................................... 35
Cover Letter ............................................................................................................ 36-39
Format ................................................................................................................. 36
Content ................................................................................................................ 37
Sample – Cover Letter I (Law Firm) ..................................................................... 38
Sample – Cover Letter II (In-house) ..................................................................... 39
Tailoring Cover Letters for Public Interest Applications ......................................... 40-42
Sample – Cover Letter III (Public Interest) ........................................................... 41
Sample – Cover Letter IV (Public Interest Law Firm) ........................................... 42
Attachments to the Resume .................................................................................. 43-45
Publications ......................................................................................................... 43
References ........................................................................................................... 43
Representative Deals List .................................................................................... 44
Transcripts ........................................................................................................... 45
Writing Sample ............................................................................................................. 46
Cover Note .......................................................................................................... 46
Formatting ........................................................................................................... 46
Sample – Writing Sample Cover Page ................................................................. 46
Printing and Emailing Application Materials ................................................................ 47

CHAPTER 6: EFFECTIVE INTERVIEW SKILLS..................................................................... 48-58

Interview Preparation .................................................................................................. 48

Making a Positive Impression .............................................................................. 48
The Dress Code .................................................................................................... 48
Informational Interview ......................................................................................... 48-49
The “Screening” Interview ..................................................................................... 49-50
The “Callback” Interview .............................................................................................. 50
After the Interview ................................................................................................. 50-51
Thank You Letter Structure ................................................................................. 51
Sample Thank You Letter..................................................................................... 51
Sample Interview Questions .................................................................................. 51-52
Questions Interviewers Ask ................................................................................. 52
Questions to Ask the Interviewer ........................................................................ 52
Alumni Narratives – Riccardo Maggi ’17 (Italy) ............................................................ 53
Alumni Narratives – Edward Comber ’17 (U.K.) ..................................................... 54-55
Alumni Narratives – Einat Levy ’12 (Israel)................................................................... 56
Alumni Narratives – Maria Fernanda Diago ’16 (Colombia)......................................... 57
Alumni Narratives – Xiao Recio-Blanco LLM’12 SJD’ (Spain) ........................................ 58

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APPENDIX A - Eligibility to Take the Bar Examination 59-61
APPENDIX B - New York Bar Foreign Legal Education Section (excerpt) 62-64
APPENDIX C - California Bar Exam Legal Education Section (excerpts) 65
APPENDIX D - Certified Translation Services (non-exhaustive) 66
APPENDIX E - Non-Exhaustive List of Preparatory Courses for the NY Bar Exam 67
APPENDIX F - Action Words 68
APPENDIX G – Foreign Legal Associate Positions with U.S. Law Firms 69

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March 2018: LLM Alumni Panel
II, Tips for Bar Exam

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6
CHAPTER 1: THE CAREER & PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT CENTER

The Duke Law School Career & Professional Development Center offers a variety of services,
programs and resources to help LLM students effectively search for employment. Although
some of the information and advice in this handbook is specifically tailored to students
interested in seeing admission to a U.S. Bar and/or subsequent employment in the United
States, most of this handbook’s contents are useful to all students.

INTERNATIONAL LLM CAREER PLANNING MANUAL

The Career & Professional Development Center (CPDC) invites you to explore the broad range of career
opportunities available to you as a Duke Law LLM student and graduate. This manual serves as a roadmap for
planning your career search and seeks to answer many of the most commonly asked questions relating to your
career search. Please spend some time reviewing this manual as it will increase the quality and the usefulness of
your interaction with CPDC and its career counselors.

PROGRAMS located in room 4063. He can be reached at 919-613-

7144 and kobelev@law.duke.edu.
CPDC, in conjunction with the International Studies
Office, hosts a broad range of programs to help JD and JOB FAIRS
LLM students make the most of their career search
during the year. Some programs, such as LLM Résumé In late January of each year, Duke Law School
and Cover Letter Workshops, the LLM Mock Interview participates in the International Student Interview
Program, and LLM Career Panels, are tailored Program (ISIP) in New York City. This program is
specifically to LLM students’ needs. In addition, CPDC limited to foreign-trained LLM students only, and
hosts numerous career-related programs geared to a over 120 international employers come to interview
more general JD and LLM populations. You are always LLM students for positions both in the United States
welcome to attend any CPDC program in which you and abroad.
are interested. You can find the schedule of CPDC
Additionally, international employers may visit Duke
programs by reading Duke Law Daily or by checking
to interview students or invite students to informal
the Law School Calendar
events. More information about the ISIP program and
(www.duke.law.edu/events).
how to participate can be found in Chapter 4 of this
manual. Detailed sign-up information will be made
INDIVIDUAL COUNSELING
available later in the year. Please check your email
CPDC has an attorney counselor specifically dedicated frequently to make sure you do not miss any
to meet the needs of our LLM students. Oleg Kobelev, important information regarding this event.
Assistant Dean for International Studies, is available
to meet with LLM students to discuss career planning
and job search techniques, including everything from
advice on résumé writing to more in-depth
discussions about career choices. Oleg’s office is

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BAR INFORMATION

Most Duke LLM graduates who chose to take a bar exam sit for the New York Bar Exam. Other bar exams that may
be available to LLM graduates from Duke include: California, Illinois, Georgia, Washington State, and Washington,
D.C. Duke's curriculum is specifically designed to allow you to take the New York Bar, assuming your previous legal
education meets some basic requirement such as length of time of study. During orientation, you will be counseled
by Duke staff about some of the more specific requirements to take the bar.

We recommend that students carefully read the Foreign Legal Education Section of the New York State Board of
Law Examiners website (http://www.nybarexam.org). We also encourage students to complete an online Foreign
Evaluation Form, an important component of your New York bar application, as soon as possible. This form is free
and can be completed online in less than an hour. After you have completed the form, you should begin collecting
the supporting documentation necessary to substantiate the information in the form. Please note that if require
an LLM degree to qualify for the examination and wish to sit for the July 2018 administration of the New York Bar,
your documents MUST be received by the Board of Law Examiners no later than October 1, 2017.

For additional information relating to taking the New York Bar Exam, including the 50-hour Pro Bono Requirement,
please see Appendix B. For information about taking the bar exam of other states, such as Alabama, Alaska,
California, Illinois, Texas, or Washington D.C., please see Appendices A & C.

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CHAPTER 2: UNITED STATES LEGAL MARKET
Although the overall economy in the United States is robust, the legal job market remains
challenging, having never fully recovered from steep losses following the global recession of
2008. These challenges are particularly acute for students who have received their first law
degree outside the United States. Below is a brief synopsis of various opportunities available
to LLM students wishing to work in the United States on a short-term or a long-term basis.

LAW FIRMS

Law firms with international business practices are among the most likely employers of LLM students. The majority
of these law firms are located in New York, Washington, DC, and London. Some LLM graduates from the Americas
have also found opportunities in Texas and Florida. The availability of these types of positions depends on many
factors, including the strength of the global economy. Stronger macro-economic conditions mean U.S. law firms are
busier on cross- border transactions and have a greater demand for experienced LLM students. Although Duke
LLMs have had success with their job search in the U.S. over the past several years, LLM students should remain
cautious about the U.S. legal market. Positions offered to international LLM students by law firms generally fall into
three categories: (1) temporary internship positions; (2) regular associate positions, also known as permanent
positions; and (3) visiting foreign attorney positions, generally prearranged through law firms in the students’ home
countries.

Temporary Positions: Most law firms that would consider hiring an LLM graduate on a short-term basis will be
greatly interested in the potential legal and business contacts this person can help them develop upon returning to
their home country. The demand for LLM graduates from different countries fluctuates yearly based on the level of
business involvement of these employers in those countries. Students seeking these positions should be aware that
they are not compensated at the same rate as those with permanent positions; these jobs often carry only a modest
stipend, if anything.

Permanent Positions: These are usually entry-level associate positions with law firms, and LLM students compete
with J.D. graduates for these positions. As with temporary positions, the level of interest in LLM graduates fluctuates
depending on the country of origin and the level of experience of a given student. U.S. law firms considering LLMs
prefer those who have 2-3 years of experience in private law firms in their home countries. LLMs who secure
permanent employment with U.S. law firms typically have a common law education, excellent command of the
English language, and some work experience as a lawyer in their home country. Please note that most permanent
positions also require that you be licensed in the state in which you will practice law. Foreign-trained lawyers with
a U.S. LLM degree are limited as to where they may take the Bar Exam. New York, California, and Texas are three
of the most popular states where students may be eligible to take a Bar Examination.

Visiting Foreign Attorney Positions: Some foreign employers have “special relationships” with U.S. law firms. In
these cases, foreign law firms may be able to arrange a temporary “secondment” for their associates students at a
U.S. law firm. This should be arranged in advance of coming to Duke or shortly after arriving. Sometimes, the LLM
student will still be asked to interview with the U.S. employer. Many of the LLM positions with the best-known U.S.
law firms arise in this manner. Some law firms have created Foreign Associate Programs that are open to all
applicants. Please refer to Appendix G for the selected list of Visiting Foreign Attorney Positions; you should note

9
that this list is necessarily incomplete and other law firms may have open positions to which LLM applications are
eligible to apply.

GOVERNMENT

The United States has a diffuse system of government, with federal, state, local, and municipal government
agencies all having different hiring criteria and requirements.

U.S. Government: According to U.S. law, with some very limited exceptions, LLM students who are not U.S. citizens
or permanent residents are no longer able to work for the U.S. government in either temporary or permanent
positions.
State and local governments: Although some state governments have hired LLM students in the past, the
availability of such employment is scarce and fluctuates greatly from one state to another. Students interested in
pursuing these opportunities should begin their research by reviewing PSJD’s State-by-State list of state and local
government resources (https://www.psjd.org/State_&_Local_Government_Career_Resources_-_State-by-
State_List). Additionally, students are encouraged to review statewide hiring websites for individual states (e.g.
www.cs.state.ny.us/jobseeker). Please note that most positions require that students be either admitted or at least
eligible to take that State’s bar exam.

Judicial Clerkships: Judicial clerkships with federal courts are generally unavailable to LLM students who do not
have U.S. citizenship. The one exception to this rule are judicial clerkships in the noncontiguous United States and
its territories, i.e. clerkships in Alaska, Puerto Rico, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, etc. Some state and federal
courts also hire LLM students for non-paid summer internships and, sometimes, longer-term “volunteer” positions.
These positions are typically unpaid. If you wish to explore judicial internships, please speak with Oleg Kobelev.

INTERNATIONAL AND NONGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS

Many nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have dramatically scaled back hiring of entry-level attorneys as the
result of continuing budget cutbacks. As the result, the remaining positions tend to be unpaid and are highly sought-
after. Factors that could work in an LLM graduate’s favor, however, include relevant prior work experience and/or
research experience, language skills, and country-specific background. Many internship and permanent positions
with large NGOs are advertised on www.idealist.org and www.psjd.org. Students can also use PSJD’s resources to
research areas of law and types of organizations, which is discussed in greater depth in Chapter 4.

In addition, large supranational organizations such as the United Nations (UN), the World Bank, the World Trade
Organization, the World Intellectual Property Association, Organization for Economic Co-operation and
Development (OECD), and others have limited opportunities for LLM attorneys interested in pursuing careers in
international public service. Many of these positions are advertised on www.unjobs.org. Duke Law is fortunate
enough to have a standing agreement with the World Bank’s Legal Analyst Program, which allows for a number of
opportunities for LLM students. In the past two years, LLM graduates were also able to arrange for internship
opportunities with various UN agencies in Vienna, Austria, Geneva, Switzerland, and Paris, France. Finally, nationals
of a selected number of countries are eligible to apply for the UN Junior Program Officer Program (www.jposc.org).

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ACADEMIA AND IN-HOUSE OPPORTUNITIES

LLM students interested in teaching generally do so when they return to their home countries. With the benefit of
a Duke LLM degree, graduates have found academic opportunities in a wide range of universities around the world.
You can see a list of Duke LLM and SJD alumni in academia by going to www.law.duke.edu/internat/teachingalumni.

Additional examples of career opportunities that may be available to LLM students include in-house internship
positions with international companies that have a presence in or strong business ties to your country. These
positions arise infrequently and typically require several years of prior legal work experience, preferably in-house
or with a large law firm. For more information on in-house counsel positions, please speak with Oleg Kobelev.

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CHAPTER 3: VISAS AND BAR EXAM
LLM students wishing to stay in the United States must be aware of visa and bar exam
requirements, both of which are critical in finding employment and staying in the United
States following graduation.

VISA REQUIREMENTS

F-1 visa holders are eligible for Optional Practical Training (OPT) – a work authorization benefit which allows
students to legally work in the United States in the field directly relevant to their academic program for a maximum
of 12 months upon graduation. Due to the recent changes to F-1 visa requirements, LLM students must apply for
U.S. work authorization within 60 days of graduation and begin a paid or unpaid position in the United States within
90 days from the start of their 12-month authorization period. In other words, to take advantage of OPT, students
must begin work no later than mid-October of the year following their graduation. Please keep in mind that OPT
approval process can take up to 120 days; thus, you should plan accordingly.

Please note that Duke Visa Services provides an excellent website visaservices.duke.edu, which contains useful
information concerning F-1 Visas and OPT applications, as well as a frequently-asked questions section. For
individualized counseling on visa-related issues, please contact the Visa Services office at 919-681-8472.

Students who wish to stay in the United States beyond the OPT authorization period will need the sponsorship of
their employer to apply for a more permanent work-visa known as H-1B. Duke Law School typically hosts an
information session with an immigration attorney in the spring semester to discuss this process. In addition,
students should seek clarification from their employers regarding the process and may also want to seek legal
counsel specializing in work visa issues to determine their prospects for obtaining such a visa.

U.S. BAR EXAM

Admission to the bar is regulated by each individual state; there is no national U.S. bar exam. In most states,
admission requires a law degree from an ABA-accredited law school, good moral character, and passage of a bar
exam. Each state administers its own bar exam, which is regulated by that state’s bar admission authority (Bar
Examiners). Please see Appendix D for a non-exhaustive list of translation services that might be helpful in the
event you need to translate your home country documents into English.

Students at highly ranked U.S. law schools like Duke generally prepare for bar examinations through commercial
study courses and are responsible for bar preparation and application. Please see Appendix E for a non-
exhaustive list of commercial study courses.

The reasons for taking a U.S. bar exam include

 Permanent employment in the U.S.

 Beneficial credential for home country
 Learning additional areas of U.S. law not covered in LLM classes

Students should think carefully before deciding to take a bar exam because of the high cost and time commitment
that exam preparation entails, the overall difficulty of the exam, and the time pressure under which the exam is
conducted.

12
Although bar exams are state specific, they all share several important components. All bar exams are given twice
a year – in February and July – and may be given over either a two-day or three-day period depending on the state.
Virtually every state divides its exam into several parts, with one-part consisting of state-created questions and/or
essays that test substantive law of the state, and the second part testing applicants’ competency in more general
subject areas. Most states rely on the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) – a national organization – to
test students’ knowledge of the more generalized subjects.

Uniform Bar Exam: Over the last decade, an increasing number of states (25 as of this year) have opted to adopt a
uniformly administered, graded and scored 2-day bar exam consisting of Multistate Essay Examination (MEE), two
Multistate Performance Tests (MPT), and the Multistate Bar Examination (MBE). In addition to this test, most states
require students to take an additional jurisdiction-specific law component. Both New York and Washington, DC are
now UBE jurisdictions. For more information on this exam, please see here: http://www.ncbex.org/exams/ube/

Which Bar Exam? Most foreign-trained LLM students are only eligible to take a handful of state bar exams, most
notably the New York, Texas, and California. Additionally, Alaska, Connecticut, Illinois, Georgia, Louisiana, New
Hampshire, and Washington State allow foreign-trained LLM students to sit for the bar, assuming they meet certain
conditions. A second, larger group of states, allows students to take the bar if they have been admitted to practice
in another jurisdiction and have a requisite number of years of legal practice (generally 5 to 7 years).

For a comprehensive list of all U.S. jurisdictions and their admission requirements relating to graduates of foreign
law schools, please refer to the Comprehensive Guide to Bar Admission Requirements:
http://www.americanbar.org/groups/legal_education/publications.html. Please also refer to Appendix A,
which contains an excerpt from the guide detailing the differing approaches to the eligibility of foreign-trained
LLM students.

SELECTED STATE RULES GOVERNING ADMISSION OF LLM GRADUATES:

New York: The vast majority of Duke LLM students who chose to take a U.S. Bar exam sit for the New York Bar.
Duke Law offers a range of services in support of LLM students wishing to the New York Bar, including hosting a
Bar-related workshop and individually counseling students on the logistics of applying to take the exam.
Furthermore, we are in contact with the N.Y. Board of Law Examiners to make sure our students have the most
current information concerning the application process.

New York Bar Eligibility: Under New York Rule 520.6, foreign-trained LLM students are eligible to take the New
York bar as long as they have demonstrated both the durational and substantive equivalency of their home country
law degree. The durational equivalency is satisfied as long as a student has attended a full time program consisting
of 75 calendar weeks totaling not less than 1,120 hours of classroom study – essentially three U.S. academic years.
The substantive equivalency is a requirement that your course of study be rooted in the principles of English
Common Law and meet specific instructional requirements outlined in Rule 520.3(c).

Because most students whose first law degree is not from the United States do not meet both the durational and
substantive equivalency requirements of the New York Bar, these students must “cure” either deficiency by
successfully completing an LLM degree from an ABA-accredited law school such as Duke. Please note, however,
that an LLM degree can cure either durational or substantive deficiency but not both. Students wishing to cure the
substantive equivalency requirement, must complete a minimum of 24 semester hours of credit, including (i) at
least two credits in a legal research, writing and analysis course, (ii) at least two semester hours of credit in
professional responsibility, (iii) at least two credits in a course on American legal studies, the American legal system

13
or a similar course and (iv) at least six credits in subjects tested on the New York bar examination. Please refer to
Appendix B for a comprehensive list of courses meeting these requirements.

Please note that classes not listed as law courses, academic credit for independent studies or other directed
research, and summer courses taken outside the U.S. do not count towards the 24 credit requirement. Please read
carefully the foreign legal education section of the N.Y. Bar website (www.nybarexam.org) for important
information concerning applying for the bar exam, gathering the necessary documents, and completing the Online
Foreign Evaluation Form. Please also see Appendix B of this handbook.

New York 50-hour Pro Bono Rule: a recent change to the New York Board of Law Examiners rules requires that
students must certify completion of 50-hours of pro bono service prior to being admitted to the New York Bar. To
help students meet this requirement, the Office of Public Interest and Pro Bono is working on arraigning a fall or
spring break trip for interested students. For more information, please speak with Kim Burrucker, the Director of
Public Interest and Pro Bono. She can be reached at Burrucker@law.duke.edu or 919-613-9001.

California: There are two different ways in which for foreign-educated applicants to become eligible to sit for the
Bar Exam. The first (and easy) way is only available to applicants who are already practicing lawyers in their home
country. First, the applicant will need to obtain a certificate of good standing from their home country jurisdiction.
Additionally, in the event the applicant does not have a U.S. social security number, s/he will need to request an
exemption from that particular requirement by completing and submitting the “Request for Social Security Number
Exemption” form. If, on the other hand, you are not admitted in your home jurisdiction, the process for becoming
eligible for the California Bar Exam is far more difficult. In short, you will need to complete a year of legal education
in the U.S. at an ABA accredited law school with a minimum of 20 credits, 12 of which must be in subjected tested
by the California Bar Examiners. More importantly, one of these courses must be Professional Responsibility, which
covers the California Rules of Professional Conduct. Please see Appendix C of this handbook for additional
information. See also: http://admissions.calbar.ca.gov/Education/LegalEducation/ForeignEducation.aspx.

Washington D.C.: Foreign-educated law graduates seeking to take the Washington, D.C. bar exam must take 26
credits of subjects tested on the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE) at an ABA accredited law school. Rule 46(C) of the D.C.
Court of Appeals, which governs admission of foreign law school graduates, requires that all 26 credits must be in
courses “substantially concentrated on a single subject tested on UBE. UBE tests the following 12 subjects: Business
Associations (Agency and Partnership; Corporations and Limited Liability Companies); Civil Procedure; Conflict of
Laws; Constitutional Law; Contracts (including Article 2 [Sales] of the Uniform Commercial Code); Criminal Law and
Procedure; Evidence; Family Law; Real Property; Torts; Trusts and Estates (Decedents' Estates; Trusts and Future
Interests), and Article 9 (Secured Transactions) of the Uniform Commercial Code. For more information, please see:
http://www.dccourts.gov/internet/documents/DCCA_Rule_46.pdf

Connecticut: In the past year, the Connecticut Bar Examining Committee has modified its rules to allow graduates
of foreign law schools to sit for the bar exam if they are able to demonstrate that their foreign legal education and
LLM degree from an ABA-approved law school meet the requirements established in Article II-3 of the CBEC
regulation (https://www.jud.ct.gov/cbec/regs.htm#II). In a nutshell, Connecticut rule closely tracks the
requirements of the New York Bar. Students wishing to take Connecticut bar exam must first file a petition for
determination on foreign education, and such petitions must be submitted no later than March 1 for a July
examination and October 1 for a February examination.

Texas: Texas has significantly relaxed its LLM eligibility requirements for U.S. LLM graduates who are authorized to
practice law in their home-country jurisdiction. Under Rule XIII (4), LLM graduates whose course of law study is
substantially equivalent to that of a U.S. J.D. degree and who are admitted in their home country jurisdiction are

14
eligible to sit for the bar exam as long as they satisfy the requirements of Section 8 of Rule XIII, which proscribes a
course of study substantially similar to that of the New York bar Exam (24 credits in specific courses). For detailed
information, please see Texas Rule Book Rule 13 (section8): https://ble.texas.gov/rule13 along with the FAQs at
https://ble.texas.gov/faq (“Foreign-Trained Applicants”).

Georgia: Under Georgia’s rules governing admission attorneys educated outside the U.S. may sit for the bar exam
provided they: (1) received their degree from a foreign law school that is accredited by their government or relevant
bar-authority, (2) are authorized to practice law in foreign jurisdiction; and (3) have been awarded an LLM degree
by a law school accredited by the American Bar Association (“ABA”), which meets Curricular Criteria adopted by
the Georgia Board of Law Examiners. See Part B, Section 4(c) of the Rules Governing Admission
(https://www.gabaradmissions.org/rules-governing-admission). The criteria, as set forth by Georgia Board of Law
Examiners, require students to complete 26 credit hours of instruction, including a number of specific subjects. For
a full list, please see: https://www.gabaradmissions.org/criteriallm.

Washington State: LLM graduates are eligible to take the Washington State Bar Exam as long as they meet the
requirements set forth in rule APR 3, which states, inter alia, that students who graduate from an ABA-approved
law school and have taken 26 credit hours of instruction in specific subjects, are eligible for admission. For more,
please see APR 3(b), available here: http://www.wsba.org/Licensing-and-Lawyer-Conduct/Admissions/Rules-and-
Regulations

15
CHAPTER 4: THE JOB SEARCH
Every successful job search begins with self-assessment. According to Deborah Arron, author of What Can You Do
With a Law Degree?, self-assessment for lawyers involves answering three basic questions:

1. Who Am I?
Read LLM alumni narratives,
2. What Do I Want? in which they share their
experiences, advice, and
3. What Am I Willing to Give up to Get What I Want?
perspectives relating to the
When you answer the first question, think about your interests and skills. U.S. job search at the end of
What motivates your professionally and what type of practice appeals to you this manual. Pages 50-55
most? In answering the second question, ask yourself about your career plan
and goals for the future. Next, evaluate how prior work experiences shape your current professional goals. Finally,
to answer the third question, carefully evaluate how much time and effort you are willing to sacrifice to achieve
your objective. Remember also that your answers may change as you learn and grow during your LLM year at Duke,
and it is important to remain flexible and open to new opportunities. Be prepared to explore several goals and
avenues to employment simultaneously. Finally, to successfully market yourself to potential employers, be sure to
have given these questions considerable thought. If you do not know the answers, neither will the employer!

IDENTIFYING POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITIES

Following self-assessment, the next step in any successful job search is to identify and contact potential employers
by conducting in-depth research into your target markets. The CPDC provides many resources to LLM students
through its programming.

 Review the event calendar and attend career-related programs

 Talk to Duke Law School Faculty. If you know of a faculty member who teaches a class related to a practice
area you are interested in, make an appointment to meet with him or her to get advice and discuss job
opportunities
 Fill out the opt-in form at http://tinyurl.com/LLMOptIn to make sure your contact information can be
shared with potential employers
 Many international alumni are willing to discuss their practice area, city, and organization. Oleg Kobelev
maintains a list of international alumni mentors who would be willing to speak with you about possible
career choices.
 Before contacting the alumni and faculty members, be sure to discuss proper outreach strategies and
etiquette with Oleg Kobelev.

DUKE-EXCLUSIVE JOB SEARCH TOOLS

A. Foreign Lawyer Talent Pool. We have a standing agreement with Jaeger-Fine Consulting, a fee-based career
coaching service based in New York City, to provide current Duke LLM students with access to that company's
"Foreign Lawyer Talent Pool," a job board designed exclusively for foreign attorneys looking for permanent
and temporary positions in the U.S. With 450+ postings and daily updates, those of you considering working
in the U.S. after graduation, may find it to be a valuable supplement to other career-focused resources
available to LLM students

16
 In order to receive access, please complete the Opt-in survey; we will transmit your data to Jaeger-Fine
Consulting by Monday, September 4. Those of you who sign up will receive full access to the Foreign
Lawyer Talent Pool by the end of September or earlier.

B. International Opportunities Listserv. Duke Law School maintains a dedicated mailing list that is used to
disseminate a broad array of opportunities (permanent and temporary) involving cross-border work or
other international component. Sign up at:
https://lists.law.duke.edu/sympa/subscribe/international_opportunities_law

C. Rival Edge Research. Rival Edge is the latest research tool at Duke Law, allowing students access to
pertinent, inside information on more than 400 law firms – and their attorneys—in 70+ countries and every
state in the U.S. Rival edge monitors firms’ websites, news sources and social media to capture up-to-the
minute information on law firms that matter most to you. To create your personal account and start
utilizing this amazing tool, go to www.rivaledge.com, chose “subscriber login,” input your @lawnet email
address and click “forgot password” button. The system will email you a new password shortly.

17
 D. Database of International Opportunities. Another dedicated Duke-only resource is a repository of over
400 international organizations, law firms, and NGOs all over the globe. Students interested in exploring
careers in international public sector (i.e. human rights, environmental, trade, etc.) may find it
particualrly useful. It can be accessed at: https://law.duke.edu/career/students/llm/internships/

OTHER HELPFUL CAREER SEARCH RESOURCES

1. Law Firm Websites: The following is a partial list of websites that might be helpful to you. Some will help
to identify employers, some to seek networking opportunities, and others actually list either summer jobs,
permanent jobs, or both.

A. NALP Directory (http://www.nalpdirectory.com) profiles hundreds of law firms and large non-profit and
governmental organizations. It also gives students the option to narrow their search to employers who have
expressed interest in hiring foreign LLM students.

B. Chambers USA and Chambers Global. These two publications, available in book form in the Career Center
and online at http://www.chambersandpartners.com, rank law firms and individual attorneys by state and
practice area from a client’s perspective. As with any rankings, you should not give too much credence to
the order in which the firms are listed and certainly should not dismiss a firm simply because it is not
included.

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 C. NavForward.com. NavForward is an easy to navigate database that can help students identify target
firms and learn what a specific firm office actually does. The site tracks 1200 law firms for promotion
rates, partner to associate leverage ratios, and practice areas by headcount across offices. The site
includes firms of all sizes; you can filter by city or limit results to the AMLAW 200. You can search by
international locations, but it appears to only return results for firms with US offices.

2. Legal Internships: Internships – USA: while not exhausting, this website has lists and contact information for
hundreds of legal services offices, district attorneys, human rights groups, women’s rights organizations,
government policy contacts, corporations, and other places that hire students. Note that some groups may
not indicate legally related positions but, if interested, inquire directly. http://cei-
internship.squarespace.com/law-students/; Contact Oleg Kobelev for password/login information.

3. Other websites with legal job postings include:

http://www.abalcc.org/ (American Bar Association)

http://www.lawjobs.com
http://jobs.lawbulletin.com
https://www.acc.com/jobline/ (in-house positions)
http://www.lawcareers.net (British site)
http://www.lex.net (British site)

4. Public Interest, State Government, and Non-Profit Resources:

 PSJD.ORG (www.PSJD.org) is the largest online resource center for government and public interest legal
careers. Resources include summer and permanent job posting, organization and agency employer
profiles, guides for various issue areas, application and interviewing advice, career fair and networking
event calendars, a state-by-state guide for state and local government jobs, and post-graduate fellowship
resources. Students can access all content for free by registering using their Duke email address.
 Equal Justice Works (www.equaljusticeworks.org) primarily funds competitive, post-graduate legal
fellowships, but its website includes a wide range of resources to support students pursuing government
and public interest legal careers. Equal Justice Works also hosts an annual Conference and Career Fair,
where law students and law graduates have the opportunity to interview with over 150 government and
public interest employers nationwide.
 The Arizona Public Policy Handbook (http://arizonahandbooks.com/u/DukeLaw, password: bluedevils)
collects job postings and deadlines for public policy positions with nonprofit organizations nationwide.

19
 Students can search opportunities by geographical location, issue area, and application deadline. Students
should carefully read position details, as opportunities include both student internships and post-graduate
positions. The Government Honors Guide can be accessed through this website as well but is less useful
for LLMs as much of it focuses on federal government positions.
 The Idealist (www.idealist.org) has listings of domestic and international nonprofit organizations, including
postings for internships and jobs.
 Environlink (http://www.envirolink.org) is a directory of environmental organizations and also lists job and
internship postings.
 National Legal Aid and Defender Association (http://www.nlada.org/Jobs) provides legislative updates,
information on civil legal and public defender related legislation, and NLADA conferences. Job listings can
be found by clicking on Job Opportunities and are organized by region. Jobs are posted by civil legal
services, defender organizations, public interest organizations, and academic institutions.

JOB FAIRS

The main LLM job fair in which Duke Law participates is the NYU International Student Interview Program (ISIP).
ISIP brings together over 1,100 LLM candidates representing 75 countries to meet and interview with more than
120 of the top legal employers in the world. Although a few employers are interviewing for positions in the United
States, the vast majority of opportunities are outside the United States, most often in home countries of the
employers or their international offices.

While working in one’s home country, at least initially, is the prevailing norm, many of our graduates were sent
back to the United States by their law firms after several years of practicing in their home markets because of their

Duke LLM training. You will receive additional information about participating in ISIP during the fall semester. In
the meantime, you can take a look at the ISIP website at: http://www.law.nyu.edu/isip. Next year’s ISIP will take
place on Friday, January 26, 2018.

While ISIP is reserved exclusively for LLM students, Duke Law participates in a number of other programs both on
and off campus throughout the year. Among the highlights is the ESQ Career Symposium. This signature event
brings employers from around the United States to Durham to meet students and offer insights and advice on
professional life and career development.

International Student Reception and Dinner: The day before ISIP, all Duke Law LLM students are invited to a New
York reception where they have an opportunity to meet international employers interviewing at the Job Fair. On
average, 110-130 ISIP employers attend the event, providing Duke Law students with a great opportunity to meet
and impress these employers before their interviews the next day. The reception is sometimes by a dinner,
attended by Duke Law alumni, which provides students with another excellent opportunity for networking and
establishing ties with the alumni network.

Equal Justice Works Conference and Career Fair for Government/Public Interest Employment: Each October,
Equal Justice Works hosts its Conference and Career Fair in Arlington, Virginia. This is the largest government/public

20
interest legal career fair in the nation. Law students and graduates have the opportunity to interview and connect
with over 150 public interest employers from across the country. The conference also includes professional
development sessions that students may attend. Duke students are also invited to attend an annual Duke
Government/Public Interest Alumni Networking Reception in DC during the weekend.

This year’s Equal Justice Works Conference and Career Fair will be held Friday and Saturday, Oct. 27-28, 2017, at
the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Virginia. For more information, including an updated list of employers,
visit http://www.equaljusticeworks.org/law-school/conference-and-careerfair/. The bidding period for job
postings is from Aug. 14-Sept. 13, 2017.

WINTERSESSION

Wintersession is a week-long optional program taking place between the Fall and Spring semester, which provides
J.D. and LLM students with a number of practical professional skills through short, hands-on courses specifically
targeted at developing important lawyering skills such as contract drafting, taking a deposition, creating a business
entity, etc. In addition to practical skills development, Wintersession provides LLM students with a unique
opportunity to meet and interact with prominent law firm partners and in-house counsel who teach Wintersession
classes. More information about Wintersession will be forthcoming later in the semester; but consider keeping your
Winter Break options open so that you are able to participate in this exciting new program available only to Duke
Law students. See here: https://law.duke.edu/wintersession/

NETWORKING
Consistently, the job search method that has proven to be the most effective for LLM students in finding jobs has
been using their prior contacts to arrange for an opportunity to work in the U.S. The most common example of this
approach is to approach a U.S.-based employer who has a relationship with your past or current employer back
home. Alternatively, someone in your professional or familial network of connections may have a relationship with
an employer – but you will never know about it until you ask!

The Hidden Job Market: According to some estimates, over 80% of all job opportunities are not advertised. These
jobs are filled through networking. To be able to take advantage of these opportunities you must begin building a
robust network of connections – a network that will serve you well throughout your professional career!

Developing a list of contacts: Make a list of people you know who may have valuable information about careers or
contacts to potential employers. Examples include family and friends of family, current and previous work contacts,
acquaintances from social groups, religious organizations or activities, alumni you know from your home country
law school, Duke Law alumni, and current or former professors. Ask the people you know for further referrals.

21
Duke Law Alumni Directory: Duke Law School
maintains an easy-to-use searchable directory with
contact and employment information for many of its
alumni. The information is updated at the request of
the alumni and can be out-of-date. Therefore,
students using the database should make sure to
check LinkedIn and other sources before contacting
alumni in question.

This database is particularly useful when searching

for alumni in companies or NGOs, which, unlike most
law firms, do not make names and contact
information of their attorneys publically available. It is also great source of information for LLM students wishing to
contact alumni in their home countries – the database permits searching by: (1) degree, (2) country of residence,
(3) employer, and many other factors.

The directory can be accessed athttps://law.duke.edu/alumni/directory/searchform.php. Students logging from a

computer on a Duke network do not need a password. Students wishing to login from home or elsewhere, should
contact Oleg Kobelev for a password.

ENGAGING YOUR CONTACTS

The next step is to reach out to specific individuals that you have identified through researching your target
markets. Here are some basic rules:

 Ask contacts for information, not a job. See below some examples of emails asking for advice and direction
 Contacts are most helpful when you can ask them something to which they can respond positively. For
example, ask for advice, resources about a particular field or practice area, information about career
opportunities, or a critique of your résumé. Asking for a job prematurely may end the conversation quickly.
If contacts are impressed with you, they will inform you about potential jobs.
 When you meet contacts, focus on them, not yourself or your own needs. Ask them about their day-to-day
work activities, what they like and dislike most about their job, what led them to choose the career path they
have chosen, what they would do if they were in your position, etc.
 Although you are not asking the contact for a job, treat all interactions with the same professionalism and
courtesy you would an interview.
 Make sure your contacts have all the relevant information about you. You may provide them with a résumé
and update it when necessary. Don’t expect the contact, however, to do the heavy lifting. It is your job
search and should always remain in your control, unless your contact suggests otherwise.
 You can ask contacts to refer you further by asking, for example, "Given my interests and background, is
there anyone else you suggest I speak to?"
 Give positive feedback. Thank contacts for their time in person and in writing. Let them know specifically
how you’ve acted upon their advice.
 Keep good records of whom you spoke with and what you discussed. One method that many students found
useful was to keep an Excel spreadsheet listing the names of people you have contacted, the dates when
you contacted them, and some other basic information.

22
Networking within Duke Law: One of the best networking resources available to you right now and right here are
the faculty members and your fellow LLM and J.D. classmates. It is of vital importance that you begin building long-
lasting and productive relationships with your professors, as they have consistently been among the best resources
for students looking for networking advice, recommendations, and job opportunities after graduation. To
accomplish this, do your best to be prepared for, attend, and participate meaningfully in class. As for your J.D. and
LLM classmates, while they may not in the position to help you right now, they will become a rich source of business
connections and relationships down the road.

Networking in Social Situations: Duke Law hosts a large number of social events during the year: parties,
conferences, and career receptions are all great opportunities to meet people who may have knowledge and
experience in a geographic or practice area of interest to you. Be sure to check the Duke Law Calendar and the Duke
Daily News for a digest of various events happening that week or that day. Below are some additional tips on
networking in this context:

Before the Event:

 Study any list you can find of people attending. Decide in advance whom you will try to meet.
 Make sure to dress appropriately. Most events specify what type of dress is appropriate. “Dress attire”
means a business suit; “business casual” refers to nice slacks or khaki pants and a dress shirt for men. For
women business casual means worn with a neatly-pressed collared shirt or sweater. Sleeveless shirts,
sandals, t-shirts, and jeans are never acceptable in a business setting. If in doubt, be safe and dress formally.
 Resolve to be brave. It is very tempting to spend your time in a social setting with fellow classmates but the
potential benefit of meeting and mingling with perspective employers is invaluable. Do not be afraid to
converse with people you don’t know – that’s the whole point of networking!

At the Event:

 Avoid controversial topics: do not discuss religion, politics, or money when meeting people you do not know.
Although in some countries spirited political discussions are enjoyed by all participants, Americans tend to
avoid such topics at professional events.
 Approach strangers and introduce yourself with a smile and a handshake. State your name clearly. Look the
person in the eyes. Shake hands; Americans expect a handshake rather than a kiss or a bow.
 Remember that in networking, quality always trumps quantity. Try to learn as much as you can about each
person and don’t worry about meeting as many people as possible. It is better to make one meaningful
connection than to have ten perfunctory conversations.
 Wait for an appropriate opportunity or the end of the conversation to ask for a business card or offer your
own. Unlike many other cultures, Americans have no social norms about presenting or receiving business
cards. Do not be offended if the person does not have a card and offers to write his/her email address on a
piece of napkin or puts your cards in a pocket after writing on it. Although unusual, this kind of behavior is
not unexpected.

After the Event:

 Review any business cards you receive and make notes about the people you spoke with and topics you
discussed.
 Follow up by email with any person with whom you made a connection, if appropriate. Reference the setting
at which you met and something you discussed. Remember: a boilerplate impersonal follow up email is a
waste of time!

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SAMPLE INTRODUCTORY EMAILS

TO: Partner@lawfirm.com CC:

FROM: student@law.duke.edu BC: student@law.duke.edu
DATE: December 1, 20XX
SUBJECT: Greetings from Duke Law School
Dear Ms. Partner:

I am currently an LLM student at Duke Law School, having received my first law degree in
France. I plan to pursue a career in international law in New York. I found your information on
Duke Alumni Directory and noticed that your work is focused on international corporate matters. I
would be grateful for the opportunity to speak with you about your experience at Duke Law and
your career path. Please let me know if there is a convenient time for us to talk.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Student

TO: Partner@lawfirm.com CC:

FROM: student@law.duke.edu BC: student@law.duke.edu
DATE: December 1, 20XX
SUBJECT: From Chinese Attorney at Duke Law School
Dear Mr. Partner:

I am currently an LLM student at Duke Law School, having received my first law degree in China.
Your name is in the alumni database as an LLM graduate from China. May I set up a phone call
with you to discuss your experience with Sample Law Firm? Your insights would be greatly
appreciated, as I am now in the process of applying for internships in the U.S.

Thank you for your time,

Student

LINKEDIN

Over the past few years, global professionals have increasingly been drawn to LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com), a
professional social-networking website. It is strongly recommended that you create a profile on LinkedIn. Not
having an online profile may make you look “out of touch.”

In a nutshell: LinkedIn is a social networking website used by over 275 million people in 200 countries. Unlike
Facebook, its main rival in terms of size, LinkedIn is designed specifically for professional networking and can be
helpful to students seeking to establish a professional presence and expand the circle of their professional
contacts. For legal professionals, LinkedIn has become an essential tool to maintain professional relationships,
find professionals with whom they share common interests, and staying in touch with former colleagues.

24
LinkedIn Profile: Your profile is the foundation of your LinkedIn presence and should describe your career history
and education. Do not forget to include a photograph of yourself dressed in professional attire. You should list
your educational accomplishments and provide clear and succinct descriptions of work experiences using the
same level of care as you would with a resume. Consider listing other relevant or interesting background, such as
details about your undergraduate degrees, affiliations, articles or books you have written, volunteer experience
and other related content. You have the option to change the order of the sections in the profile page – put the
sections that highlight your strengths at the top of your profile.

Summary Page: An often overlooked feature of LinkedIn is the summary page, which serves as a written version
of your 60-second “elevator pitch.” Do not let it go to waste! It can be a great way to quickly establish your
substantive and geographic interests while listing essential skills and accomplishments. It is a “hook” that should
entice a prospective employer to keep reading. Here is a good example from the same profile on the next page:

25
KEYS TO SUCCESS ON LINKEDIN

Expanding your Professional Network: Start by joining alumni pages of your home country alma mater and Duke
Law alumni network. Next, you should also join groups on LinkedIn that match your professional interests. Make
sure that your profile is public and create a “vanity URL” rather than the generic jumble of letters and characters
that LinkedIn assigns you by default. Consider adding a hyperlink to your profile in your email signature. Finally,
when sending invitations to connect on LinkedIn, do not rely on boilerplate language; instead, craft short
personalized notes about yourself and the reasons for connecting.
Collecting Contacts

 Synchronize your LinkedIn profile with your lists of Gmail and Outlook contacts

 Qualify almost always trumps quantity when it comes to the size of your professional network. Because your
contacts can often see you first- and second-degree connections, take care not to connect with people who
reflect positively on you and the image you are trying to craft.

 Make sure your LinkedIn privacy settings are configured in a way to make it easy for prospective contacts to
add you. This means you should NOT restrict invitations to people who already have your email address.

 Use “People You May Know” feature, which uses LinkedIn algorithms to generate a list of people with whom
you have common connections, interests, or shared affiliations. It can be a great way to expand your network
and create new contacts.

 Review lists of members of organizations which you have previously joined to find new contacts. It can be
another great way to meet legal professionals in your target geographies and subject matter areas.

Improve your visibility: Building a LinkedIn presence is more than just collecting contacts and creating a
compelling profile. The “social” element of LinkedIn entails engaging with these contacts in a way that
demonstrates professionalism, passion, and dedication. To do so effectively, consider posting regular updates but
be mindful of their frequency and content. Appropriate updates can include interesting articles about a specific
legal subject, information about significant accomplishments both in Law School and beyond, volunteer activities,
etc. Unlike Facebook, be very careful not to post too much – the clutter is likely to annoy your contacts and might
even cause some of them to drop you from the network. We advise against posting more than one update a
week. In addition to posting updates, you can also comment on posts of others as long as you do so in a
professional manner. Do not start lengthy arguments on LinkedIn and avoid commenting on posts that are
inflammatory or otherwise unprofessional.

Recommendations and Endorsements: Consider reaching out to your professors, work supervisors or former
colleagues to ask them to write a brief endorsement of a particular skill or experience you have listed on LinkedIn.
You can also endorse others’ skills/experiences, provided your endorsement is based on personal knowledge of
the contact and has some basis in fact. Avoid endorsing someone who is obviously far more qualified than you or
endorsing a skill that you are not qualified to assess.

To learn more about how to become a power user of LinkedIn, consider the following articles:

1. Seven Ways to Make LinkedIn Help you Find a Job (Forbes.com):

http://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2013/04/25/7-ways-to-make-linkedin-help-you-find-a-job/

2. LinkedIn Best Practices by Dimitri Mastrocola (Partner, Major, Linsey & Africa)

26
 http://www.slideshare.net/dmastrocola/linkedin-best-practices-4818233

3. How Law Students Should Use LinkedIn (Lawyerist.com)

http://lawyerist.com/how-law-students-should-use-linkedin/

27
CHAPTER 5: RÉSUMÉS, COVER LETTERS, AND OTHER
CORRESPONDENCE
To effectively look for a job in the United States, you must prepare a U.S.-style résumé and
cover letter. This chapter also provides multiple samples of both, along with guidelines for
transcripts, writing samples, deal lists, and reference lists.

CREATING A RÉSUMÉ

To effectively look for a job in the United States, you must prepare a U.S.-style résumé. Your goal in creating this
résumé is to make it an effective marketing tool for an American audience. This means that:

1. You must portray your education and experience in the most favorable light possible in order to convince a
prospective employer to take a closer look at you, and

2. The information must be presented in the format that Americans expect.

Items to REMOVE from Your Résumé

 Personal data – such as birth date, marital status, religion, children, or physical health. These subjects
are not legally permissible interview topics in the United States.
 Title-such as "Résumé of Robert Smith."
 Job objective-instead, express your career plans in a cover letter.
 Computer skills - everyone has basic skills these days. Only list computer programming or similar skills
that are relevant to a science degree or background.

Format: Although formats vary, all Duke Law students are expected to follow the format found at the end of this
chapter. A uniform format allows employers to find the information they seek in the places they expect to find it.
This chapter also lists multiple examples of Duke LLM student’s résumés.

One-page: In most circumstances, Americans expect résumés to fit onto one page. Studies indicate that an
employer spends an average of only 15 seconds looking at each résumé when it is first received. If your résumé is
longer than one page, an employer may conclude that you are unable to present materials succinctly. Experienced
lawyers with several years of practice who find it difficult to reduce their qualifications to one page may want to
prepare a "Representative Deals (or Case) List" as an attachment to their résumés.

The visual aesthetics of your résumé can be very important. Use bullets, "white space," and font to make your
résumé easy to understand at a glance. Varying font sizes and styles can help you include more information, and
the use of bold and italics will help you emphasize certain items, such as the names of schools and employers. Avoid
using too many different typefaces or graphics, however.

Use short phrases rather than sentences. Use active verbs and avoid the use of personal pronouns in the résumé.

Spelling: Many employers will reject a résumé with typographical, grammatical and spelling errors. Please
proofread very carefully and then ask an American friend or staff member to review your résumé. Do not rely only
on computerized spell-checkers because you might misspell the word you mean by producing another word that
happens to be correctly spelled. See below for special format considerations for résumés sent by email.

Name, Address, Telephone, Email: Center your name in bold type at the top of the page. If you go by your middle
name, you should use an initial for your first name; for example, if your name is "Eva Maria Gabrielsson" and you
go by "Maria," you should consider using "E. Maria Gabrielsson." While you should not use an informal nickname
on your résumé, if you go by a name that is very different from your full name, or if you have chosen an "American"
name, you may wish to include it on your résumé, e.g., "Weeravej (William) Sirichatchai."

Typically you will use a local address and a permanent home address (from your home country), one justified with
the left margin and one justified with the right margin. Be sure to include your Durham telephone number and
Duke email address so that employers can get in touch with you.

Education, Educational Honors and Activities: Because you are currently a student, it's logical to begin the body of
the résumé with your educational background. Use "Education" for the heading, which can be centered but is
usually flush with the left margin. List institutions attended in reverse chronological order, with honors, activities
and perhaps grades (see below) listed under the respective academic institutions at which you received them. List
Duke University School of Law first, and be sure to include the city (Durham) and state (North Carolina). Indicate
the degree for which you are a candidate (LLM) and the month and year you expect to get the degree.

You should list any graduate programs you attended and then "undergraduate" program(s) following the above
format, also including the city and country in which they are located. Be sure to explain any degrees that might be
confusing to Americans and, if appropriate, consider adding the name of your degree in your native language in
parenthesis. This could be particularly useful if a reviewing attorney is familiar with the legal education system of
your home country. Finally, you should not list any pre-university education, except—and always under “Additional
Information” category—studying at an American or English-speaking high school, which indicates fluency in English.

Honors and Activities: List your educational honors under the respective academic institutions at which you
received them. Include any honors that indicate a high level of academic performance, and explain their significance
if necessary [e.g., "Presidential Scholarship (awarded to top 5% of students)"]. Be sure to include any nationally-
recognized honors. Latin honorifics and acronyms (i.e. magna cum laude) should be italicized. If you received a
scholarship or grant to pursue your LLM degree, be sure to include that to the right of the “Honors” subheading,
below the "Duke University School of Law." If you completed a thesis or major paper, you may want to indicate the
title of your thesis in italics under the appropriate educational degree.

Finally be sure to include any university team sports, positions of leadership, and community organizations in which
you participated, as employers view these as an indication of your ability to cooperate and achieve a common goal.
Likewise, if you participated in academic competitions such as moot court competitions, these should also be listed.

Grades and Class Rankings: Grades and class rankings do not have to be listed on a résumé. Your résumé is a
marketing tool designed to highlight your strengths; if your grade point average ("GPA") is an asset, you may list it.
For Duke grades, round to the nearest hundredth, e.g. 3.33. Similarly, if your university published rankings of
students, you may list your ranking. However, if your GPA or ranking is not outstanding, you do not need to list it.

Experience: The next category is "Experience." Begin with the most current or recent position you have held and
work backwards chronologically. Do not leave large gaps of time unaccounted for, as you will waste precious
interview time explaining these gaps. It is not necessary to list every job or internship you have had, however,
particularly non-legal jobs you held while a student.

In formatting this section, typically the name of the employer should be first, then the location (city and country),
the dates (months and years), and then your position title. Following the position title, you should include a brief
job description. If this section on your résumé is not particularly lengthy, you may also include activities from your
law school experience, such as Teaching or Research Assistant.

29
When describing the work you did, be succinct and use action verbs. See Appendix F for an extensive list of such
verbs. Make sure to avoid phrases such as, "My responsibilities included writing/reading/researching...." Instead,
say "Wrote/read/researched" or use other action verbs (see below for a list of suggested "Action Verbs." Use the
past tense unless you are currently doing the job. In choosing which experiences to include in your job description,
ask yourself the following:

1. What were my primary responsibilities?

2. What major tasks or projects did I undertake?

3. What specific examples of my work show my skills as a lawyer (even if this was a non-legal work experience)?

Bar Admission: Include a separate bar admission category if you have passed or a qualified to practice law in your
home country or in one or more U.S. states. If you are low on space, you may include Bar Admission as the first line
under the “catch-all” category, called “Additional Information” (below).

Additional Categories: All of your miscellaneous information should be grouped under the category “Additional
Information.” If you have published articles, a separate Publications section can be used. A lengthy list of
publications that makes the résumé longer than one page can be produced as a separate document and attached
to the résumé. Most LLMs should include their language skills, indicating level of proficiency. Although not required,
an Additional Information section could provide a good starting point for an interview. Use this category if you have
a hobby that is out of the ordinary or demonstrates dedication, such as backpacking, running marathons, SCUBA,
Flamenco dancing, or playing a musical instrument with a high degree of skill. Reading and traveling are examples
of interests held by almost everyone and are, therefore, too commonplace to include in this category.

TAILORING YOUR RÉSUMÉ

Although the basic formatting and style of your résumé will remain the same, you should consider tailoring your
résumé to different employers by emphasizing one set of skills over others or including additional descriptions to
demonstrate your competence in a particular area. The need for tailoring is particularly acute because employers
are increasingly relying on computerized programs to conduct the initial résumé screenings. These programs scan
applicants’ résumés for key words relevant to the job (i.e. tax, capital markets, cross-border, Mandarin, etc.). Only
résumés that pass the initial screening are submitted to a live person for review.

In light of this reality, it becomes ever more imperative to tailor descriptions in the “Experience” section to fit the
profile of the job being advertised. This needs not be a laborious process, and minor adjustments are generally
sufficient as long as the job being applied for is a good fit with the applicant’s experience and education.

Tailoring Résumés for Government/Public Interest Applications: The most significant quality that government
and public interest employers look for in candidates is a demonstrated commitment to public service work, and
specifically a demonstrated commitment to the mission of the particular organization. Your resume should
emphasize your public service experience, pro bono work during law school, volunteer work, leadership roles, and
experiential courses taken during law school (such as clinics and externships). One-page resumes are strongly
preferred.

30
 SAMPLE: RÉSUMÉ FORMATTING
FULL NAME
student@gmail.com
1101 University Drive, Apt 5B 13 Rav-Ashi St. Apt. 20
Durham, NC 27708 Tel-Aviv 69395, Israel
Tel: (919) 215-7608 Use both your Durham and your Tel: +972-3-6452373
dgoldstein12@gmail.com
home country addresses
EDUCATION
Use the formal Duke University School of Law, Durham, North Carolina Round to the hundredth, not to the tenth. If
LLM expected, May 2018 you are applying before you receive your fall
“Duke University
semester grades, you will not include a GPA
School of Law,” GPA: 0.00 section here.
not “College of Honors: Scholarships (description of criteria if not well-known)
Law” or “Duke
Awards (description of criteria if not well-known)
Law School.”
Activities: Student Groups, position or office
Athletic, Artistic or Other Organizations, position or office Consider adding the name of
your degree in your native
Pro Bono or Community Activities, position or office language
Previous University, City, Country
Full Name of Degree (degree name in your language) latin honors, Year of Graduation
Include if
publication-
GPA: 0.00
quality Thesis: Title of Thesis
Include activities that make
research or if Honors: Awards — description of criteria if not well-known you appealing to employers by
the topic is Activities: Student Groups, position or office demonstrating (for example)
relevant to Athletic, Artistic or Other Organizations, position or office leadership, engagement with
the legal or other relevant subject
organization
Pro Bono or Community Activities, position or office
Note: Bullet format with a period at the end matter or communities,
to which you experience working with
of each clause. If you need more space, use
are applying. EXPERIENCE fewer bullets or left justify instead of using diverse individuals, a strong
Employer, City, Country bullets (see sample résumé) work ethic or unusual skills.
Title, Month Year – Month Year
Note: Include
 Describe job functions using strong action verbs. Use past tense (unless you are currently employed in
résumé “Bar
Admission” section, the position) and active voice.
if you are qualified  If an organization is unfamiliar, incorporate a description to give it context.
to practice law in  Be succinct, but use enough detail to distinguish your experiences and achievements.
your home country
 Describe large or important projects and focus on any industry sectors, client/customer groups, or skills
or another
jurisdiction
that are relevant to your prospective employer.
Note that your résumés can exceed 1
page if your experience is extensive.
Employer, City, Country
Title, Month Year – Month Year
An “Additional  Use your descriptions to show that you have the skills employers value, including communication (written
Information”
category can
and oral), problem solving, organization, perseverance, judgment, research ability, negotiation, client
provide a good management, efficiency, team work, commitment, and an ability to work under pressure.
starting point for  Make your experience sound interesting so the employer wants to meet you and learn more.
an interview, but  Demonstrate how you added value to a project, company or organization.
is optional.
Employment that
does not rise to the ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
level of Native/Fluent/Proficient/Knowledge of Foreign Language. Describe special skills or interests.
professional
experience can be
Include unusual skills, relevant certifications, hobbies and/or a brief description of jobs or unique
included here.
experiences not found elsewhere on your résumé. Focus on interests or activities which demonstrate
discipline, teamwork, leadership, initiative, confidence or dedication—traits of successful lawyers.
Be prepared to be interviewed in the language you Avoid very general activities that are unlikely to spark conversation.
first list if you state that you are fluent or
conversant.

31
 SAMPLE RÉSUMÉ I – PRIVATE SECTOR
Dove Goldstein
dove.goldstein@lawnet.duke.edu

1101 University Drive, Apt 5B 13 Rav-Ashi St. Apt. 20

Durham, NC 27708 Tel-Aviv 69395, Israel
Tel: (919) 555-7608 Tel: +972-3-6452373

EDUCATION

DUKE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW, Durham, North Carolina

LLM expected, May 2018
Activities: International Law Society, LLM Representative

DUKE ASIA-AMERICA INSTITUTE IN TRANSNATIONAL LAW, Hong Kong, Summer 2015

COLLEGE OF MANAGEMENT SCHOOL OF LAW, Tel-Aviv, Israel
LL.B. (J.D. equivalent), with honors, Spring 2010

EXPERIENCE

HERZOG, FOX & NEEMAN, ADV., Tel-Aviv, Israel

Associate, September 2011 - present
Counseled clients, primarily in English, on general corporate matters and cross
Border transactions. Specialized in commercial law, telecommunications law,
corporate law, venture capital and M&A. Provided legal advice on Israeli commercial
and securities law in relation to M&A, corporate restructuring, listing application and
credit facility; designed transaction structures; negotiated and drafted agreements.

SHEARMAN & STERLING, LLP., Paris, France

Trainee, May 2008 - August 2009
Prepared due diligence report and drafted stock purchase agreement for the acquisition of an Argentinean
energy company. Assisted in drafting several commercial agreements, including a complex acquisition of a
European subsidiary from a large U.S. corporation.

BAR ADMISSION

The Israeli Bar Association, Israel, May 2011

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Languages: Hebrew (native speaker), English (fluent), French (proficient).

Publication: Israel Needs More Real Merger Reform and Disclosure, International
Financial Law Review, December 2013.

Interests: Enjoy competitive swimming, jazz, piano, and golf.

32
 SAMPLE RÉSUMÉ II – PRIVATE SECTOR
Francois Arnaud
1101 University Drive, Apt 25B Francois_Arnaud@lawnet.duke.edu
Durham, NC 27708 Tel: (919) 555-1234

EDUCATION
DUKE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW, Durham, North Carolina
LLM expected, May 2018
Honors: James S. Bidlake Memorial Award for Superior Achievement in Legal Analysis, Research
& Writing
Activities: International Law Society, LLM Representative

UNIVERSITÉ PARIS II PANTHÉON-ASSAS, Paris, France

Master 2 (professionnel) – Contentieux, arbitrage et modes alternatifs de règlement des conflicts, June 2016 (one-year
practice-oriented degree in litigation and alternative dispute resolution)
Thesis: The Lis Pendens Principle: A Way to Avoid Parallel Proceedings in International Commercial Arbitration
Master 2: (recherché) – Droit international privé et due commerce international, June 2015
(one-year research-oriented degree in international private and commercial law)

UNIVERSITÉ PARIS V DESCARTES, Paris, France

Master 1 – Droit international et européen, June 2013
(one-year advanced degree focusing on international and European law)
Licence de droit, June 2012
(law degree awarded after three years of post-Baccalaureate study)

EXPERIENCE
SAVIN MARTINET ET ASSOCIES, Paris, France
Intern, July 2015
As part of environmental law boutique, gained exposure to a broad cross-section of environmental litigation and
regulation. Projects included creating a presentation on mining law to be presented to outside counsel; conducted legal
research on a variety of environmental statutes. Assisted with legal translations and administrative tasks.

MIAGE, Les Contamines, France

Assistant Manager, August 2014
Assisted in all aspects of running a high-mountain lodge, including management of staff, customer service, ordering and
serving food and managing receipts. Gained exposure to the hospitality industry’s business model.

GREAT BASSIN INSTITUTE, Nevada, Reno

International Conservation Volunteer Exchange, Summer 2013
Worked on eradicating invasive plant species and helped build a trail for a spiritual Native American site without
disturbing the fragile ecosystem.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
French (native speaker), English (fluent). Weekly volunteer at the Paris Food Bank ; spent eight years training in
gymnastics and Kung Fu. Enjoy cooking, especially Korean barbeque.

33
 SAMPLE RÉSUMÉ III – PRIVATE SECTOR
Xiaoming Zhang
1101 University Drive, Apt 5B 12 Yulan Rd. Apt 149/32
Durham, NC 27708 Yi Yang, Hunan Province, 413000, China
Tel: (919) 555-7608 xiaoming.zhang@lawnet.duke.edu

EDUCATION
DUKE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW, Durham, North Carolina
LLM expected, May 2018
Activities: Environmental Law Society, Member
Trained in mediation (16 hours) at the Elna B Spaulding Conflict Resolution Center

TSINGHUA UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW, Beijing, China

LL.B., July 2010
Honors: Awarded Excellent Leadership of Tsinghua University Student Union, June 2009
Law Journal: Tsinghua China Law Review (English Version), Managing Editor, 2008—2009
Moot Court: 2008 Law Asia International Moot Competition (English-speaking), Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

EXPERIENCE
Haiwen & Partners, Beijing, China
Associate, July 2010 – July 2017

 Focused on securities offerings, M&A transactions and general corporate compliance; representative deals
include Shenzhen Development Bank’s RMB29 billion acquisition of Ping An Bank in 2012, Agricultural Bank
of China’s US$22 billion IPO in 2011 and Huaneng Power International’s RMB10.3 billion A+H share follow-
on offering in 2011.
 Acquired extensive experience in representing a broad cross-section of institutions, including state-owned
corporations, such as China Huaneng Group; financial institutions, such as Shenzhen Development Bank;
investment banks, including Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley; and private equity funds.
 Conducted legal research and prepared memoranda on a variety of legal issues, including securities law, banking,
foreign exchange, state-owned assets regulation, foreign investment in China, and Chinese companies’ overseas
investment; managed due diligence, prepared reports, and designed transaction structures for a variety of
securities offerings and M&A transactions.
 Drafted and negotiated transaction documents, including shares purchase agreements, articles of association, and
underwriting agreements; reviewed and prepared information disclosure documents, including prospectuses,
related-party transaction reports, material asset reorganization reports, and annual reports.

BAR ADMISSION
Admitted to the bar of China (2010)

LANGUAGES
Chinese Mandarin (native); English (full working proficiency)

34
 SAMPLE RÉSUMÉ IV – PUBLIC SECTOR

ANAIS CAHEN-MITCHELL
2535 11th St NW anais.cahen-mitchell@lawnet.duke.edu
Washington, DC 20009, USA (984) 555-3127
EDUCATION________________________________________________________________________
Duke University School of Law, Durham, NC
Master of Laws (LL.M.) expected, May 2018
Honors: Duke Law Merit Scholarship
Activities: Human Rights Law Society, Board Member
University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
Bachelor of Laws (L.L.B.), with honours, Second Class, Upper Division (2.1), July 2015
Activities: Refugee Rights, Co-Founder (documented experience of refugees to show the importance of the
Human Rights Ac)
EXPERIENCE_______________________________________________________________________
Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, Washington D.C.
Legal Fellow, Partners for Human Rights, December 2016 – June 2017
Assisted attorneys in the International Strategic Litigation unit with high impact human rights cases before
international and regional mechanisms - including the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights - to raise
human rights standards and awareness of important human rights abuses. Focused on the restriction of civic space in
Africa.
Rustem Guardian LLP, London, UK
Legal Intern, September – October 2015
Assisted with preparation of cases for trial and related administrative work. Attended meetings with counsel and
clients. Drafted transcripts of interviews and calls; prepared attendance notes.
Office of the Federal Public Defender, Oakland, CA
Federal Death Penalty Resource Center Intern, July – September 2014
Under supervision of the National Capital Mitigation Coordinator, worked on appeals in death-penalty cases at state
and federal levels. Worked on habeas corpus cases incorporating claims of ineffective assistance of trial counsel.
Focused on the areas of mitigation and mental health evidence.
5 King’s Bench Walk, London, UK
Mini-pupil, April 2014
Shadowed a barrister in court during a criminal trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court.
Coventry Law Centre, Coventry, UK
Intern, October 2013 – April 2014
Assisted attorneys with all aspects of immigration and asylum-related representation. Conducted client intake, legal
research, and drafting of reports and subsequent legal pleadings.
Palestinian Human Rights Organization (PHRO), Beirut, Lebanon
Intern, July – August 2013
Assisted with monitoring and documenting ongoing human rights violations against Palestinian Refugees.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION_______________________________________________ _________
Languages: English (fluent), French (native), Italian (basic), Spanish (basic).
Service: Founded Little Angels, a nonprofit aiming to build classrooms in Tamil Nadu, India (2013).
Additional Santa Clara University, Death Penalty College: attended a week-long intensive training

35
COVER LETTER

The cover letter is an important marketing tool in the job search process. The cover Because the letterhead
letter serves two purposes: (1) it provides the reader with information regarding will state your name, you
your career-related intentions; (2) it identifies and attracts attention to something do not need to write “My
about you that is unique, interesting, and desirable in the context of potential name is …” in the body of
employment as an attorney. Often LLM students feel like they are bragging by the letter.
advancing their qualifications in an American-style cover letter, but this type of
"self-promotion" is expected by U.S. employers. Remember, just like the résumé, a cover should be viewed as a
marketing device.

The cover letter will accompany your résumé and allows you to explain your qualifications in more detail. A strong
cover letter can make the difference between getting your résumé noticed (and getting an interview) and having
your résumé rejected. The cover letter is typically your first contact with a legal employer. It is, in fact, your first
writing sample that the potential employer will read. Therefore, as with any other writing sample, your cover letter
should be concise, error-free, clear, and persuasive.

Finally, before you can write a good cover letter, you must have specific information about the employer's work
and understand what you have to offer to this employer.

Form Letters: If you plan to contact a large number of potential employers, you may be tempted to write one letter
to send to all. This would be a mistake. A generic "form letter" is bland and conveys a low level of interest in the
particular employer. A good compromise is to create a strong general letter that you can particularize for each
employer, using some information about the employer that you found during your research.

A. Format

Font: Use the same typeface and 10-12 point font for your cover letters and résumés.

Address: Your home address in North Carolina will be positioned six lines from the top edge of the page and aligned
to begin at the center of the page. The date should appear two lines below your city, state and zip code.

Recipient: You should always direct your cover letter to a specific person. Deciding whom to write will take some
research on your part. The most common choices are an employer's recruiting coordinator, a firm's hiring partner,
the head of a practice group in which you are interested, someone you know who works for the employer, a Duke
alumnus, or a lawyer from your home country working in the firm. If you cannot find the intended recipient, address
the letter to “Dear Sir or Madam.”

Check on employers' websites to see if they have a preferred procedure for employment applications. You should
follow that procedure, but you may also want to send your résumé to someone who will take a personal interest in
it.

Greeting: The greeting should appear two lines below the addressee block and should always be as follows: "Dear
Mr. [or Ms.] Jones:". Use the recipient's title (Mr. for men; Ms. for women) with only the recipient's family name,
not the given name. Do not use "Esq." in the greeting. If you are not sure from the given name whether the person
is a man or a woman, try to find the person’s photo and/or profile on Facebook, Linked-in, or elsewhere online.

Body: The body of the letter should be single-spaced and may be printed in either block-style with no indentations
for each paragraph or in semi-block style with each paragraph indented five spaces. It should be left – but not right-
justified. A double space should separate the paragraphs.

36
Closing: The closing is positioned two lines below the last line of the body and should be aligned with the address
of the recipient. "Sincerely" is usually the best closing unless you have already had contact with the person, in which
case "Best regards" would be appropriate. The signature line is aligned with the closing and should be positioned
four lines below it. You may note an Enclosure" two lines below the signature line, flush with the left margin.

B. Content

Introductory Paragraph

This should define your current status ("I am a student in the LLM degree program at Duke University School of
Law...") and explain briefly why you are writing ("...and am interested in being considered for a 6-12 month
internship term beginning . . . "). If you want to be considered for a longer-term, say that you are applying for a
position as an associate. There is not a lot of room for creativity here. However, if you have an extraordinary way
of creating an immediate and positive first impression (e.g., "Having decided to attend Duke Law School after
winning my second Nobel Peace Prize, I am …”), you might consider this approach. Also, if you have a particular
contact at the firm, it should be noted in the first sentence, for example, "Jacques Doyenne, an attorney in your
Paris office, suggested I contact you."

At the end of this paragraph, you should include a "thesis" sentence where you summarize the reasons the
employer may wish to hire you. You will expand on these strengths and qualities in paragraphs three and four.

Second Paragraph - Interest In the Employer

The second paragraph should highlight why you are writing to this particular employer. This paragraph should make
clear how the employer's practice is connected to your country or your skills. With regard to the firm's practice,
this is an opportunity for you to demonstrate that you are an informed lawyer. In no more than two sentences,
explain what it is about the employer that generated your interest (practice areas, reputation, a recent matter
handled by the firm, acquaintance with members of the firm, firm size). The more specific you can be, the better.
If possible, express your interest with enthusiasm. An employer should feel that you have devoted some thought
to your selection process.

Third Paragraph - What You Bring to the Position

The third paragraph is where you "sell yourself," describing in more detail those skills and personal attributes that
you identified in step 1 above. This paragraph should emphasize how you can help the employer rather than how
the employer can help you. Your goal here should not be to reiterate facts obvious from your résumé but rather to:

(1) Establish markers of excellence that an employer expects from an LLM, such as Duke grades (if they are strong)
as well as excellent legal writing and research skills

(2) Set forth something about yourself that separates you from others in a positive way. A distinguishing
qualification may be derived from a practical work experience in your country; leadership or volunteer activities
while at Duke; or an academic experience in your home country

(3) Demonstrate your dedication, diligence, creativity, energy, perseverance, commitment, attention to detail,
ability to assume responsibility, or work ethic by using specific facts to illustrate these qualities. Strive to compose
something that the reader will remember one hour later.

Concluding Paragraph

State your interest in a personal interview at a mutually convenient time and place. If you plan on traveling to the
reader's city on a certain date, you should indicate this fact. You may say that you will call to arrange an interview
time. Offer to provide any additional information and express your thanks for his/her consideration.

37
 SAMPLE – COVER LETTER I (Law Firm)
1101 University Drive, Apt 5B
Durham, NC 27708

October 2, 2017
Robert G. DeLaMater, Esq.
Sullivan & Cromwell LLP
125 Broad Street
New York, NY 10004-2498

Dear Mr. DeLaMater:

I am attending the LLM program at Duke University School of Law and will receive my degree in
May 2018. After my graduation, I would like to work in the U.S. for up to a year before I return to my
law firm in Japan. I am particularly interested in the possibility of an internship position at Sullivan &
Cromwell because of its preeminent U.S. legal practice in Tokyo.

I received my first law degree with honors from Waseda University in Tokyo. After I was admitted
to the Japanese Bar in 2012, I began working for Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu (NO&T) in Tokyo, one
of the largest and most prestigious law firms in Japan. My practice primarily focused on general corporate
matters as well as cross-border transactions. Through advising many American and international clients
while at NO&T, I have developed strong writing and communication skills in English. My recent article
written in English and calling for disclosure reform in merger transactions in Japan was featured in the
December 2016 issue of the International Financial Law Review.

At Duke, I have had the opportunity to further develop my writing and analytical skills, as well as
my knowledge of American corporate law. I would like to enhance my understanding of American law
while being able to contribute to the work of your firm. I am especially interested in merger and acquisition
work, and work with financial institutions. Your own expertise in these areas, as well as your background
and continued work with Asian clients, is a key reason for my contacting you. I believe that my knowledge
of Japanese law, my English ability, and my experience with international corporate clients, will enable
me to make a significant contribution to your corporate practice.

Please find enclosed a copy of my résumé for your review. I would welcome the opportunity to
speak with you further about my qualifications. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely yours,

Yukiko Watanabe

Enclosure

38
 SAMPLE – COVER LETTER II (In-house)
2616 Erwin Rd. Apt.1630
Durham, NC 27705

January 24, 2018

Louis Vuitton Malletier

19 E. 57th St.
New York, NY 10022

Dear Sir or Madam:

I am writing to express strong interest in the position of Staff Counsel with your office.
I am a licensed attorney currently completing an LLM at Duke University School of Law. As a
bilingual French/English speaker and a business minded individual with a diverse range of
experiences and a love of Louis Vuitton’s creations, I believe I can make a significant
contribution to your team.

As a leading international luxury brand, Louis Vuitton’s legal department faces a broad
array of legal and business challenges. I am confident that my experience as a commercial and
tax attorney who is well versed in cross-border aspects of business transactions would enable me
to make a significant contribution to your practice. As well, I believe my familiarity with
intellectual property rights, having previously dealt with the protection of software and other IP
issues, would prove helpful in the ongoing fight against counterfeiting. Furthermore, as a person
who spends her Sunday mornings reading fashion magazines, I would simply be ecstatic to work
in the fashion house of Louis Vuitton.

I understand that you are looking for a self-sufficient, achievement oriented and business
minded individual, and believe I possess these characteristics, having previously started and ran
a tax boutique 4 years ago and a T-shirt printing business when I was still in college. My past
work experience in top tier law firms has made me comfortable working in a fast paced and
demanding environment. As counsel for a small family manufacturer, I negotiated and
implemented several types of contracts including leases, confidentiality agreements and
employment contracts and provided legal solutions to a wide range of problems while keeping
the costs down.

I will be in New York City from January 27 to January 29 and would be more than happy
to meet with you to discuss this position further. Thank you for your consideration. I very much
look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Isabelle Marcon

39
TAILORING COVER LETTERS FOR PUBLIC INTEREST APPLICATIONS

Similar to tailoring your resume for public interest employment, it is critical that students use the cover letter as an
opportunity to demonstrate an understanding of the work and mission of the organization, the clients and issues
the organization serves, a personal commitment to the mission of the organization, and an enthusiasm for working
with the challenges inherent in public interest employment.

Public interest employers often place more importance on cover letters than private sector employers when
determining whether to invite candidates for an interview.

Therefore, your cover letter should:

(1) Highlight particular skills or traits you possess that are necessary for the job (these may come out of the job
description);

(2) Note any prior experience with the issues and clients, whether through jobs, internships, coursework, a clinic,
or volunteer and pro bono work;

(3) Express an interest in the geographical area (for public interest and government positions this is often secondary
to showing a commitment to the organization's work but, depending on the employer, may still be significant); and

(4) Address additional public service work experience. Your letter should emphasize your interest and
commitment, as well as the skills and knowledge you have acquired that will serve the employer, rather than be a
simple repetition of your resume.

See next page for some examples.

40
 SAMPLE – COVER LETTER III (Public Interest)
September 1, 2018

Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia

633 Indiana Ave NW # 220
Washington, DC 20004

Dear Ms. Barksdale:

I am a U.K. educated attorney currently pursuing a Master of Laws (LL.M.) at Duke University
School of Law. I have been passionate about defending indigent clients in criminal proceedings since I
first started law school, and I hope to make public defense work the focus of my career after graduation
from Duke in May of 2018. I am particularly excited about the opportunity to join the Public Defender
Service for the District of Colombia (PDS), having fallen in love with the city while working as an intern
at the Delegation of the European Union to the United States in the summer of 2015.
I am confident that I have both the passion and the skills to excel as a PDS staff attorney. My
decision to pursue a career in public defense was inspired by my experience as a volunteer at the
Alabama Capital Assistance Center. I observed first-hand the rampant discrimination pervading the U.S.
criminal justice system. By thoroughly examining case-files and collecting evidence to support a Motion
for a New Trial, I gained insight into the process of constructing a defense theory. I discovered that I
greatly enjoy the fast-paced environment of the courtroom while developing a deep appreciation for the
significance of providing clients with high-quality legal assistance.
I continued to hone my skills as an intern with the Coventry Law Centre, a Legal Aid
organization in the U.K. I focused on building written and oral advocacy skills while interviewing clients
and assisting attorneys with research and drafting pleadings. During my exit interview, I was highly
praised by all the attorneys for the high quality of my work, my ability to take initiative, and for quickly
gaining trust of our clients.
At Duke, I am taking upper-level courses in criminal law, trial practice, evidence, and
constitutional law while also participating in the Wrongful Conviction Clinic (starting in the Spring
Semester). I am continuing to build on the skills I have already developed while deepening my
understanding of the U.S. criminal justice system.
I am confident the PDS would be a natural fit for me. I am adept at effectively communicating
with attorneys, investigators and mitigation specialists and enjoy working in a mission-drive and team-
oriented environment. The most gratifying part of my professional experience so far has been an
opportunity to work and bond with clients. I have a deep appreciation for a client-centered approach to
legal representation. Being able to provide clients with effective legal representation would be especially
meaningful and rewarding.
I would greatly appreciate the opportunity to interview with you at the Equal Justice Works in
October. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,

Michelle Vaughn

41
 SAMPLE – COVER LETTER IV (Public Interest Law Firm)

1000 McQueen Drive, Apt 11204

Durham, NC 27705

October 7, 2017

Dear Recruiting Committee:

I am attending the LLM program at Duke University School of Law and will receive my degree in May
2018. After graduation, I would like to work in the U.S. for up to a year before returning to Lagos,
Nigeria. I am particularly interested in the possibility of an internship position at Altshuler Berzon
because of its commitment to civil rights, voting rights, and impact litigation—at both appellate and trial
levels—on behalf of the public rather than corporations. I am also attracted to the firm’s location in San
Francisco –a city that is well known for its rich culture, incredibly diversity, and progressive social
values.

At Duke, I am focusing my studies on international human rights and criminal justice. I am currently
working on a paper that concerns the evolution of gender in the context of Sharia law, and the linguistic
challenges between culture and religion, which produce conflict. I have also developed strong writing and
communication skills and have a growing love for languages.

I am particularly interested in civil rights litigation in the U.S. The firm’s expertise in handling civil rights
and election law cases is incredibly attractive. I believe that my knowledge of international and
comparative law will allow me to add value to your team. My passion for working as a civil rights
attorney is borne out of the tragic loss of a family member who was a victim of a miscarriage of justice.
This experience was a catalyst of passion for defending victims. I also founded an organization that
inspires youths to grow their respective talents and purposes, and we hosted our first successful meeting
in May 2017.

Please find enclosed a copy of my résumé for your review. I would welcome the opportunity to speak
with you further about my qualifications. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely yours,

Abaeze Okojie

Enclosure

42
ATTACHMENTS TO THE RÉSUMÉ

Publications: If you have an extensive list of publications, you will need to decide whether the employer to whom
you are writing will want to see them or not. If the publications are relevant to its core business or demonstrate a
particular expertise in a related subject area, consider adding a separate sheet of paper, listing your name, your
address, telephone and email, and the title “Publications” at the top of the page. If the publication was not written
in English, consider translating the title but indicate in the parentheses the original language in which it was written
so as not to mislead the reader.

References: Americans do not expect to receive reference letters with résumés. A list of References can be helpful,
however, produced as a separate document and attached to your résumé. The reference list should include at least
your name at the top and may also include your address. The list should have at least two references: an academic,
preferably a Duke Law School professor; and an employer who knows your work. (It is not likely that a Duke
professor will be able to serve as a reference until the second semester following the results of your exams.) Of
course, you should seek permission before you list someone as a reference. Likewise, you should provide each
reference with a copy of your résumé. When you list references, you should include their name, relation to you,
and telephone number. Employers typically contact references by phone if they check references. Please see below
for an example of a reference list.

Dove Goldstein
dove.goldstein@lawnet.duke.edu

1101 University Drive, Apt 5B 13 Rav-Ashi St. Apt. 20

Durham, NC 27708 Tel-Aviv 69395, Israel
Tel: (919) 215-7608 Tel: +972-3-6452373

Professor Henry James, Constitutional Law

Duke University School of Law
210 Science Dr.
Durham, NC 27708
james@law.duke.edu
919-555-1212 Be sure to include an email address
for your references!
Ralph Touchett, Esq.
Partner
Herzogm Fox & Neemanm Adv.
Ehad Haam 31
Tel Aviv, Israel, 65202
rtouchett@hfn.com
+972-3-546-5555

John Devereux
Professor of Law
College of Management School of Law
7 Rabin Boulevard
Rishon LeZion 75190, Israel
+972-3-963-4702
j.devereux@colman.ac.il

43
 Representative Deals List: Attorneys with experience in large national or transnational commercial transactions or
cases may wish to prepare a Representative Deals (or Cases) List enumerating and discussing projects you have
worked on as a practicing lawyer. This list should use action verbs and mention major transactions or cases in which
you played a significant role, as well as describing what work you performed. Please see example below.

Natalie Vogel
Natalie.Vogel@law.duke.edu

1101 University Drive, Apt 7C 15 Albert Avenue

Durham, NC 27708 Brisbane QLD
Tel: (919) 214-7755 Tel: +61-7-3344-1234

Financings and M&A Transactions

 Swiss Telecom: $15 million combined senior secured, mezzanine and equity financing
of a Swiss telecommunications carrier. Led negotiations of terms and drafted English
documents.
Only use
client names  Next-up, Inc. (technology start-up): Formation and financing of MIT Media Lab Europe-
if based company.
confidentiality  UBS Private Equity: Ongoing responsibility for all portfolio transactions in Europe for
is not at issue. US Trust Private Funds.
If the names
of your clients  Rexel, SA.: Represented acquirer in tender offer for Rexel, Inc., in going-private
are
transaction.
confidential,  AT&T Skynet: Represented Loral Space in $725 million acquisition of AT&T Skynet.
use generic
descriptions Securities Offerings
instead (i.e.
large  ING Securities: Represented ING Securities as initial purchaser of $165 million senior
European subordinated notes of WNP Communications.
telecommunic  Merrill Lynch: Represented Merrill Lynch as underwriter of FiberNet Telecom high yield
ations offering.
company)
Restructuring
 Unofficial Creditors Committee of Arch Wireless: Represented creditors committee in
restructuring.
 Credit Suisse: Represented Credit Suisse in acquisition of equity of Southern Pacific.

Other Transactions

 Represented $55 million License and Development Agreement between Deutsche

Telekom and Siemens AG.

44
Transcript: Duke’s Registrar’s office is able to provide you with an electronic copy of your Duke grades, commonly
referred to as “unofficial transcript.” You can also create an unofficial transcript yourself following the format
described below:

Francois Arnaud
Francois_Arnaud@lawnet.duke.edu
1101 University Dr. Apt 25B
Durham, NC 27708
(919) 345-6789

UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT - DUKE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW

2017 Fall Term

Course Title Professor Official Grade Credits

Civil Procedure Conley, J 3.3 4.5
Distinctive Aspects of US Metzloff, T 3.5 2.0
Law
US Legal Analysis, Research and Writing
Izdelis, for
R Int. 3.5 2.0
students
Business Strategy for Lawyers Figueiredo, M 3.7 3.0

2018 Spring Term

Course Title Professor Official Grade Credits

Mergers & Acquisitions Hynes, T TBD 2.0
Ethics in Action Metzloff, T; TBD 4.5
Nine.A
Corporate Taxation Zelenak, L. TBD 3.0
Business Associations Cox, J. TBD 4.0

Total Credits: 25
Cumulative GPA: 3.47

45
WRITING SAMPLE

You will ordinarily not need to supply a Writing Sample with your résumé. Only when employers are seriously
considering you will they require a writing sample. If a sample is requested, work submitted for the Legal Analysis,
Research and Writing course may be useful. Alternatively, you may consider using a legal memorandum written in
English from your previous employer. When using a document produced for a client, make sure to redact any
privileged, confidential or sensitive information before submitting it as a writing sample.

Some employers may specify that they want writing samples of fewer than 10 pages. Others may ask for five or
fewer pages. Still others request "short" samples, which they expect to be less than 15 pages.

If you have a longer writing sample, you should consider omitting some of it to fit the suggested length. If it is a
legal memorandum or a brief, consider deleting your Facts section and replacing it with a short summary. You may
also cut one if your sub-issues, retaining the ones with the most sophisticated analysis. If you decide to use an
example from the Legal Analysis, Research, and Writing course, please consult your instructor for advice on
adapting the assignment into a writing sample.

Cover note: A good writing sample should be accompanied by a cover note that includes your contact information
and a short description of the sample. A writing sample cover note is something distinct from the cover letter that
you will include with most job applications. The cover letter details your interest in a position and specific
qualifications that you may have for it. A cover note for a writing sample introduces (very succinctly) your writing
sample and provides whatever critical information that a reader might need to know about it. It is also the place to
describe what you've omitted if you had to shorten your sample. Always offer to provide the entire document on
request.

Formatting: Consider adding a “footer” to your writing sample with your name and the word “writing sample” in
the title (e.g., “Oleg Kobelev, Writing Sample”). This will cause your name to show on every page, ensuring that the
reviewer knows to whom the writing sample belongs, should the cover page be separated or lost.

SAMPLE - WRITE SAMPLE COVER PAGE

Natalie Vogel
Natalie.Vogel@law.duke.edu
1101 University Drive, Apt 7C 15 Albert Avenue
Durham, NC 27708 Brisbane QLD
Tel: (919) 214-7755 Tel: +61-7-3344-1234

Writing Sample

The attached writing sample is a legal memorandum that I drafted for a client in 2016.

[Include a brief explanation of context and what you have cut, if necessary, and don’t forget to redact all privileged,
confidential, and sensitive information]

46
PRINTING AND EMAILING APPLICATION MATERIALS

Printing

With the availability of sophisticated word processing software and printers, you should have no trouble printing
your résumé, cover letter, and other attachments. Your résumé and cover letter should be printed on white or a
neutral color (ecru, very light gray) bond that has at least 25% cotton or rag content.

Email

In the United States most employers now expect job applicants to email them their application materials. When
doing so, please be sure to convert all your documents to Adobe Acrobat format (PDF). This way, you can be sure
that they can be opened by the person who will receive it. It is also customary to name your files using the following
format: Last name, first name, name of attachment (e.g. Kobelev, Oleg, Résumé). The subject line should highlight
the connection to the receiver (e.g. “Duke Law” or “Brazilian Attorney”). In addition to attaching your professional
materials, be sure to briefly state in the body of the e-mail why you're writing and what the attachments are.

47
 CHAPTER 6: EFFECTIVE INTERVIEW SKILLS
Your application materials set forth facts about you, but it is the interview that gives you an
opportunity to bring your résumé to life and to demonstrate your professionalism,
intelligence, and enthusiasm.
In the U.S., there are three basic kids of interviews: (1) informational interviews, which can last
anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour, (2) the 20 or 30 minute screening interview (which
typically occur at job fairs), (3) and longer “callback” interviews at an employer’s office, which
usually involve meeting several attorneys for 30-45 minutes each.

INTERVIEW PREPARATION

Part of your preparation should include learning to be an "active" interviewee. While a passive interviewer may
provide good responses to interviewers' questions, he or she lacks effective interview skills by failing to take charge
of an interview, even if only briefly.

To "take charge" of an interview, you must first research the firm, its attorneys, and its clients. Not only should you
read the firm's résumé, but also newspapers and other legal publications for news about the firm's growth, legal
victories, and other noteworthy events. This research will allow you to prepare thoughtful questions that will make
you stand out. Unique questions not only demonstrate your ability to interview, but also your positive commitment
to and interest in the firm.

Making a Positive Impression: Before you interview, you should carefully assess the positive qualities that you can
offer. These may include your experience, connections, writing ability, or personality. For government and public
interest positions, this again will relate more towards how you can contribute to the mission of the organization. If
you cannot convince yourself that you have something to offer, it will be impossible to convince an interviewer.
Some of you may believe that promoting yourself indicates a lack of humility. But Americans expect you to promote
yourself and to persuade them that you would be a positive, persistent, and resourceful employee.

Further preparation for interviews includes studying possible questions that may be asked and thinking about
potential answers. You do not need to memorize answers, nor should you deliver your answers as if they were
rehearsed. However, practice interviews are an excellent idea. Duke’s LLM Mock Interview Program, which usually
takes place in early January, offers students an opportunity to hone their interview skills with Duke alumni and
staff. Take advantage of this opportunity!

The Dress Code: Before you go into an interview, remember that how you dress is important. Your attire should
reflect your professionalism and contribute to your confidence level. Make sure your clothes are clean, neat and in
good repair. Shoes should be shined and well-heeled. If you smoke, avoid smoking in your interview suit – the smell
will linger during your interview! You want to stand out because of your credentials, not your outfit.

INFORMATIONAL INTERVIEW

Informational interview is a one-on-one conversation with someone who has a job that you might like, who works
in a field that you might want to enter, or who works for a specific employer that you are interested in exploring.
For LLM candidates, informational interviews are generally the first step toward an actual interview and arise out
of sustained and successful networking outreach as described earlier in this manual.

48
There are many different strategies for conducting a successful information interview. Steve Dalton, the author of
the 2-Hour Job Search and Associate Director at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business recommends the
TIARA approach.

TIARA is an acronym for the 5 topics you will cover during the Q&A phase of the informational interview: (1)
Trends, (2) Insights, (3) Advice, (4) Resources and (5) Assignments.

This structure maximizes the likelihood of having a successful informational interview that not only builds rapport
with your contact but also elicits usable information. The fundamental thesis of TIARA is that you begin the
conversation by treating your contact as an expert. Over the course of the informational interview, your questions
will shift in tone and depth so you frame your contact more personally as a mentor or coach, maximizing the
chance that you will turn them into an advocate.
Trends:
 What trends are most impacting your practice area/field right now?
 How has your practice area changed since you started?
 How do you think your practice area will change most dramatically in the next several years?

Insights
 What surprises you most about your job/your practice area, your firm/organization?
 What’s the best lesson you’ve learned on the job?
 What’s been your most valuable experience at your employer so far, and why?
 If you had to attribute your success to one skill or trait, what would it be?
 Is that trait shared by many across the organization or is it unique and you’ve adapted it to your
advantage?
Advice
 What can I be doing right now to prepare myself for a career in this field?
 If I got hired, what should I be sure to do within the first thirty days to ensure I get off to the fastest
start possible?
 What do you know now that you wished you’d known when you were in my position?
 If you were me, what would you be doing right now to maximize your change of breaking into this
industry/field/function?
Resources
 What resources should I be sure to look into next?
 What next steps would you recommend for someone in my situation?

Assignments
 What cases/deals (s) have you done that you felt added the most value?
 Have any projects increased in popularity recently at your organization?
 Have you had interns/new graduates in the past? If so, what sort of projects have they done

THE “SCREENING” INTERVIEW

The first few minutes of the interview are very important because they set the tone of the interview and have a
major impact on how the recruiter views the applicant.

When you go into the interview room, shake your interviewer's hand firmly, make good eye contact, and smile. You
may remember the interviewer's name better if you respond when you shake hands by using his or her family
name, saying, "It is nice to meet you, Mr. (or Ms.) So-and-so." Do not use the interviewer's first name unless he or
she instructs you to do so.

49
Interviewers will assess your questions and responses not only in terms of their informational content, but also in
the manner in which they are asked and answered. Your sincerity, enthusiasm, candor, humor, precision, and style
are among the many aspects that will affect the impression you make. Employers look for people with both sound
academic and interpersonal skills.

Answer questions directly and honestly; your self-confidence says more about you than almost everything else.
Never apologize for shortcomings; instead, prepare confident responses and anticipate potentially uncomfortable
questions. Interviews are also never the appropriate place to complain, because interviewers will assume your
negative attitude will continue during your employment.

As a rule, you should not take notes during the interview. With only 20 minutes to make a positive impression, this
time is better spent concentrating on the interviewer and his or her questions. If you have a transcript or a writing
sample, put them in a portfolio and bring them out when necessary. If you take a portfolio with you, set it on the
floor next to your chair. Do not be overfamiliar, such as leaning on the interviewer’s desk.

At the end of an interview, you will often be asked if you have any questions. You should always have questions
prepared based on your research of the employer and your interviewer(s). Your goal is to engage the interviewer(s)
in a lively, back-and-forth conversation and learn about the employer. This is the finale of the interview and your
chance to leave a good impression.

After you leave the interview, take a few moments to make some notes about the interview, your reaction to it,
what was said, and your impression of the interviewer(s) and the employer. These notes will help prepare you if
you are invited for a second visit.

Note that for public interest internships, some employers may make offers based only on this first screening
interview.

THE “CALLBACK” INTERVIEW

U.S. firms usually will invite applicants who impress them during the first interview for further interviews at the law
firm (a "callback"). This second round of interviews may be a bit more relaxed than your initial interview, as you
have already proven yourself with at least one of the firm's attorneys. Your callback interview will likely involve a
series of 20- to 30-minute interviews in individual attorneys' offices, perhaps followed by lunch with younger
attorneys.

It is acceptable to phone the recruiting coordinator in advance so that you can learn the names of your interviewers
and research their background and practice areas; these areas make excellent interview topics. You may also ask
about interesting things in the interviewer's office, such as photographs, plaques, or college memorabilia.

Don't worry if you find that you ask more than one interviewer the same question throughout the day; it is
acceptable to seek different perspectives on the same issue. Remember that everyone who interacts with you at
the firm may be assessing you and whether you will fit into the firm's "personality" as well. Be courteous to
everyone you meet, from the senior partner, to the recruiting coordinator, to the receptionist.

AFTER THE INTERVIEW

As soon as possible after each interview, you should write thank-you letters to the interviewers. It may not be
necessary to write to everyone you spoke with during a callback interview, but do write to everyone with whom
you had a meaningful conversation.

50
In writing thank-you letters, the goal is to confirm your interest in their firm and to elicit a response. Remind
interviewers of some concrete fact about you that you want to highlight, or refer to some part of your conversation
that will help them remember you.

Thank You Letter Structure

The first paragraph should combine thanks with context. Polite openings are, "I enjoyed meeting you on [date]" or
"Thank you for the interview I had with you on [date]." In the second paragraph state your interest in working with
the firm, give concrete reasons for your interest, and state why you would be a good fit for the firm. A third
paragraph is optional. It might refer to some concrete or personal fact that you discussed that made a connection
to the interviewer. It might also refer to enclosures you have been asked to send, such as transcript or writing
sample. The final paragraph should repeat thanks, offer to answer further questions, and indicate that you are
awaiting a response.

SAMPLE THANK YOU LETTER

1101 University Drive, Apt 5B

Durham, NC 27708

February 2, 2017

Martha Brown, Esq.

White & Case LLP
1155 Avenue of the Americas
New York, New York 10036

Dear Ms. Brown:

Thank you very much for meeting with me at the New York LLM job fair last week. I
very much enjoyed interviewing with you and remain interested in a position with White & Case.
I was surprised and pleased to meet with another lawyer from France, both because it was nice to
speak French again briefly, but also because it helps to see someone who has taken a path similar
to mine and has been successful.

As you know, I am very interested in competition law and would like, at least initially, to
work in Brussels or another White & Case office outside of France. I believe that this will improve
my international legal skills and make me a better international lawyer.

Please let me know if you need any additional materials from me. I hope to meet with you
again. I would welcome another interview at your convenience.

Sincerely,

51
SAMPLE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

QUESTIONS INTERVIEWERS ASK

1. Why did you decide to pursue an LLM degree at Duke? What prompted the decision?
2. Why did you select the particular focus of your LLM degree? What are your interests in this area?
3. Why are you interested in working in the US? How long do you plan to stay here?
4. Tell me about yourself. Where do you see yourself five years from now?
5. Why did you decide to interview with us? What do you know about our firm/agency/company?
6. In what kind of environment are you most comfortable? What two or three things are most
important to you in a job?
7. What are your grades? Do you think they are a good indication of your achievement?
8. What are some of your weaknesses?

QUESTIONS TO ASK THE INTERVIEWER

1. What is on your desk and, if I started today, how could I help you with your project/case?

Goal: to demonstrate enthusiasm for the practice, weave talking points from the résumé, start a
discussion regarding key priorities

2. What do you see as the biggest challenge facing the person in my position?

Goal: create an opportunity for a follow-up discussion focused on conveying how your strengths can
help meet these challenges

3. In your experience, what are some of the essential attributes of a successful

associate/attorney?

Goal: an opportunity to discuss how these essential attributes play into your strengths as an attorney
and a professional

4. What do you enjoy most about working for the firm/organization/agency?

Goal: give the interviewer an opportunity to describe a positive experience and follow-up with a
demonstration of your enthusiasm for this position

52
ALUMNI NARRATIVES – RICCARDO MAGGI ’17 (ITALY)
I graduated in law from the University of Turin, Italy, in 2011 with a final thesis on the interactions between
International Investment Law and European Union Law. After graduation, I joined White & Case LLP in
Milan, where I worked from 2012 to 2016 in the M&A and Capital Markets department. In the meantime, I
became an Italian qualified lawyer in 2015 and enrolled with the bar association of Milan. At that point of
my career, I felt the necessity to deepen my knowledge of U.S. corporate and securities laws, which
constitute a fundamental part of the work in any international law firm.

I joined the LL.M. program at Duke School of Law in August 2016 and graduated in May 2017, pursuing the
certificate in business law. My experience at Duke was simply unforgettable and gave me the opportunity
to meet with great professors and extraordinary talents from all over the world. Talking with professors
and friends, I realized that I could not missed the opportunity to put into practice what I learned during the
LL.M., and soon resolved to try to pursue a legal career in the U.S. market. Therefore, I decided to stay a bit
longer and study for the bar exam for admission to practice in New York, where I will start working in
September 2017 at White & Case.

I cannot hide that this is a difficult and challenging task, especially at the beginning. The level of the
competition is very high and, unfortunately, I discovered that for Italian qualified lawyers things may be
very difficult. If you are lucky enough to be a native Spanish speaker, the quantity of offers is incredibly
higher and would help you in entering the U.S. legal market with much less efforts. However, this is not an
impossible mission.

First of all, if you had a previous working experience in your home country and worked for an international
law firm with offices in the U.S., I strongly suggest to remain in touch with your former employer, since
keeping good relationships is fundamental to help you stay in the U.S. This means that you should update
the partners and senior associates you used to work with of the subjects you are taking, of your
extracurricular activities and, of course, of your desire to stay in the U.S. after graduation. This was central
in helping me in finding a position in New York with my former employer.

Secondly, I strongly encourage you to make a coherent choice in the selection of the subjects you decide to
take during your LL.M. From my personal experience, I can say that this is something that employers highly
evaluate and ask for during the hiring process. For example, since my main field of practice is corporate law,
I selected the vast majority of subjects in this field. Of course, since Duke offers many interesting courses
in other subjects, you can also attend a few other classes for your own personal interest, but remember to
stay focus on the career you want to pursue after graduation.

Finally, I suggest you to attend networking events and ask for alumni contacts to the faculty members. Duke
has an extraordinary alumni network, with associate and partners working in the main law firms, both in
the U.S. and internationally. Depending on your “seniority”, write to associates, senior associates and even
partners, asking for their experience and suggestions on how to pursue a career in the U.S. legal market.
The suggestions I received were fundamental in guiding me during the exhausting process that looking for
a job is!

53
 ALUMNI NARRATIVES – EDWARD COMBER ’17 (U.K.)
My background: I’m from the United Kingdom and will be joining the Financial Institutions Group at Latham
& Watkins in New York (on the happier side of the bar review course!). Before studying the LL.M., I was a
mid-level financing associate at Slaughter and May in London. I’m moving across the pond for personal
reasons and decided on New York because of its many similarities and overlaps with the London financial
markets. New York offers the smoothest transition for someone with my skill set. My primary reason for
studying the LL.M. was to establish eligibility for the NY bar. However, I’ve discovered that it also really
helps to have a degree from a US institution for the job hunt – and having Duke on your resume really gets
people’s attention!

The early stages of the recruitment process: Hunting for jobs in the U.S. is quite a daunting process and
requires a lot of time – equivalent to a two-credit course per semester, I’d say. However, with the right
approach, you can persevere. You also have some great resources here at Duke to help you with the
process, so be sure to make the most of all the organised skills workshops, talks and networking events to
maximise your chances of success.

As an international candidate, getting your foot in the door can be difficult and, even when you manage to
do this, you need to present more of a business case to the firm to persuade them to hire you over a J.D.
candidate. This is largely due to most U.S. firms' unfamiliarity with overseas legal systems and
qualifications. Be prepared to explain how your background will bring value to the firm. For example, think
about how to sell yourself as a "J.D. plus” candidate – i.e. someone possessing international breadth and
depth of experience, language skills and/or valuable client contacts in addition to U.S. legal knowledge you
will acquire through the LL.M. programme.

Also, be aware that most U.S. firms complete their local hiring needs from the 3L pool in August-October
each year (mostly off the back of their 2L summer internships). Conversely, for many firms, the LL.M.
recruitment cycle doesn’t kick off formally until the Spring semester, once you have your first semester
grades, so timing is a little difficult. You therefore need to get on firms’ radars early to maximise your
chances of success.

The best way to get a head start is to scope out your personal network of contacts in the U.S. to see who
can open doors for you. Ask everyone you know if they might be able to connect you with lawyers over
here. Think about contacting your professors, careers services and previous employers, as well as friends
and family back home. Consider the Duke alumni network as well – it is an extremely valuable resource.

Be careful to frame your early enquiries as information gathering, as opposed to asking for a job – you’ll
find people to be much more receptive to helping. Giving information is easy but, when you ask people
directly for a job, it can make things awkward and may shut down the conversation prematurely. Start by
asking for advice on what U.S. firms generally look for in international candidates so that you can identify
any gaps in your resume. Also, consider asking what advice they have for someone in your shoes. This
approach will allow you to engage with your contacts more openly, and to build a relationship with them
so that they can endorse your candidacy further down the line. The more conversations you have, the more
you will build your U.S. network and the more insights you will gain into what firms are looking for – and
that way you’ll be able to tailor your applications and interview responses better. If you are speaking to
multiple people within a firm, be sure to keep them all in the loop so that you can build an internal network
at that firm (and so that your contacts don’t duplicate their advice).

Another tip is don't rely on the ISIP in January to find a job in the U.S.. Personal contacts work far better
and may allow you to circumvent the recruitment departments within firms (whose default answer is

54
usually “no” in the first instance). It is much better to engage with partners and associates first, as they can
loop in the recruitment department at the firm as and when appropriate, once you’ve got your foot in the
door.

The application stage: When it comes to the substantive application and interview process, in my
experience there are two threshold challenges that you will need to address as an international candidate.

The first challenge is how to convince the U.S. firm that you’re not a “flight risk.” It’s unlikely that firms will
ask you directly about visa status in the application process, but U.S. firms are extremely wary of hiring
people who do not have long-term leave to remain in the U.S.. You therefore need to evaluate your long-
term plans in the U.S. and think about how you will be able to stay on after the end of your OPT visa
extension. If you’re hoping to get an H1-B visa, for example, you will need to be able to convince a firm to
sponsor you for this. As the H1-B is a burdensome and expensive process for the firm, you will need to have
strong arguments prepared.

There are two alternatives to the H1-B, however, which are the L-1 visa and international lawyer
programmes. The L-1 visa gives you the option to join the firm’s office in your home country and lateral
back to the firm’s U.S. office later. This is a simpler process than for the H1-B visa and a number of firms
prefer it to direct hires within the U.S.. The downsides are that you’ll have to return home in the interim,
and any secondments to the U.S. office may be of limited duration (e.g. up to 18 months only). Also, the
firm may not have a local office in your home country, meaning this route is not available. If it is available,
though, it would be worth having a commitment in writing from the firm that you will be able to spend time
in the U.S. as part of your contract with them.

International, or visiting, lawyer programmes are structured around the OPT to allow overseas candidates
to spend time in a firm’s U.S. office before returning to the firm’s local office in your home country. As the
programmes tend to be tied to the OPT, you’ll generally only be able to stay for up to a year following
graduation. However, this route may open up the opportunity for an L-1 transfer back to the U.S. later.

The second challenge comes down to academic merit. I can’t speak to any other jurisdictions but, for the
large New York firms, you need to achieve at least a 3.4 GPA in your Fall semester exams to be eligible to
apply. While this requirement may vary for smaller firms and different areas of the law, you need to set
this as your goal for the first semester if you’re serious about joining one of the leading New York firms.

Final thoughts: One final piece of advice is be flexible with your goals and don’t close your mind to
opportunities that don’t sit directly with your ambitions. I can only speak for New York, where the job
market is extremely competitive, but be aware that you may need to be pragmatic wherever you are looking
in the U.S.. I have yet to meet an international hire who did not compromise on their plans or level of
seniority in some way on making the move to the U.S..

You may face several dilemmas with the job hunt, such as whether to take an in-house position in the U.S.
instead of going into private practice, or starting out with an internship that potentially turns into a full-
time position. Nevertheless, these compromises can still lead to incredibly rewarding and successful
careers, and you will network with several LL.M. alums who will tell you the same, so be open-minded and
keep your options open. Best of luck with the process!

55
 ALUMNI NARRATIVES – EINAT LEVY ’12 (ISRAEL)
I was born in Israel and moved to New York after graduating from Tel Aviv University School of
Law. Since I had a degree from a common law country, I was able to take the New York Bar Exam prior to
attending Master of Laws (LLM) Program. After passing the bar I looked for a position in New York and
realized that most US employers feel more comfortable considering a foreigner as a candidate only after he
or she go through some type of US legal education training. Nevertheless, I was able to join the legal
department of Taro Pharmaceuticals as in house counsel for a year and planned to apply for the LLM
Program during that time.

While at Duke, I focused my studies in corporate and securities transactions. I was advised to take
courses with Professor James Cox, who is a leader in his field, such as Securities Regulation, Business
Associations and Strategic Business Transactions. I also took courses in subjects that seemed most interesting
to me, including Advising the Entrepreneurial Client, the Business and Economics of Law Firms and Deal Skills.
Later I found that law firm employers were curious and focused about which courses I was taking and what
my previous practice experience had been. They wanted to see that I was focused in the area of law I was
pursuing a career in.

Like most of the LL.M students, I prepared myself for the job search and used every opportunity
to fly to New York to network and create connections with the Duke Alumni community. As an Israeli, there
was no added value in my foreign language (Hebrew) and I had to prove that I am capable of expressing
and conducting myself in English in a high level and provide the above average grades to back it up.

After graduating from Duke in 2012, I was offered and accepted, a position with the Capital Market
group of White & Case LLP in London. The firm was a good fit for me because their international practice
and diversity. I was also able to work on cross-border corporate and securities transactions, involving
jurisdictions such as Israel, France, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Sweden, Nigeria, among others. After two years in
London, I have decided to move back to New York and join the Corporate Finance Department of Skadden,
Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP. The US based practice was more focused on US regulated transactions
and my work experience now included representing underwriters and issuers (public and private) on various
corporate and securities transactions, including initial public offerings (IPO), private offerings, debt and
equity financing, corporate governance, disclosure and compliance matters. In addition, both firms allowed
me to be exposed to diverse industries, from REITS, pharmaceutical companies, retail, infrastructure, oil
and gas to online advertising and video games.

Studying at Duke Law School was extraordinary, formative, enriching, and was defining part of my
professional and personal development. It gave me another layer of understanding the US legal framework
and the way the private practice in the US works.

56
ALUMNI NARRATIVES – MARIA FERNANDA DIAGO ’16
(COLOMBIA)
Prior to attending Duke, I was an associate at a law firm in Bogotá, Colombia, where I worked in capital
markets, private equity, financings and M&A cross-border deals, and advised clients in corporate, derivatives,
banking and securities regulation. I decided to go to Duke because it offered the perfect combination of
business law classes that I was looking for (given the diverse but very specialized work that I do) in small classes
where I could be an active participant. Little did I know that Duke Law was going to open so many doors in my
professional career and not just in my academic life.

Prior to coming to the U.S., I was told that it was almost impossible to get a job here if you are not a
J.D. and that taking the Bar was an unnecessary burden. It is difficult, that’s for sure, but with discipline,
persistence and the use of Duke resources, it is definitely not impossible. I participated in the ISIP Job Fair, and
by the end of the process I received two job offers from top New York law firms, one as a permanent associate
and the other as an international lawyer. I also devoted my summer to study for the NY Bar and passed the July
examination.
Different factors may affect your job search, including your previous experience, nationality, interests
in certain areas of law, current market conditions and LL.M. grades. Some of these factors are external and you
are not able to change or control them. However, here are three tips that will hopefully help you in your search
that depends entirely on you: (1) preparation, (2) networking and (3) confidence.

Finding a job requires time and commitment, which is why this first tip, preparation, may be the most
important one. You should start by reading this Career Manual from front to back, as it will be your best friend
throughout this process. I followed every recommendation in this manual, from preparing a U.S.-style resume,
cover letter and relevant deals sheet, to writing thank you notes and follow-up emails. I also attended every
conference, lunch session and training that Duke Law offered, to have as much information about the job market
as I possibly could. Participating in the mock interviews was especially useful, not only to prepare myself, but
also as a networking experience with my interviewer.

Which leads me to my second tip, networking. This is hard for international lawyers, as many of us are
not used to what seems like an “aggressive” approach to getting to know people. What we don’t know, however,
is that people here are more than happy to help, especially if they are Duke alumni, and that they are also glad
to get to know us and grow their own network of professional contacts. My advice here is that when reaching
out to someone for the first time, you should not do it with the intention of getting an interview, but with the
hope that you will be meeting someone interesting who will provide good advice in your search, because they
were once in your shoes. Every Duke event is an opportunity to network, even the free lunches at the school.

Finally, it’s all about confidence. During this process you are competing with some of the best lawyers
in the world, but the fact that you have a seat here should tell you that you are one of those as well. Being a
Duke Law student gives you a ticket in and already puts you way ahead of the curve. So during your interviews
focus on what makes you special, what separates you from other LL.M. students. It may be that you are
proficient in more than one language, your expertise in a certain topic, or your knowledge of your country’s or
region’s market. If you have experience, talk about specific deals you worked on. And if you don’t have a lot of
experience yet, mention your interest in specific LL.M. classes you are taking and your participation in law school
projects and activities. Duke’s clinics, pro bono work and even class papers, examinations and projects are great
ways to show your skills as a lawyer, so talk about these during your interview. Also, show other interests you
have outside work, as law firms are looking for someone who will be a good fit to their work environment. Be
yourself!

57
 ALUMNI NARRATIVES – XIAO RECIO-BLANCO LLM’12
SJD’ 15 (SPAIN)
I graduated from Duke Law’s LLM program in 2012 and right after that I joined the SJD program,
from which I graduated in 2015. I am currently the Director of the Ocean Program at the Environmental
Law Institute in Washington D.C.

I earned my first law degree from the Complutense University in Madrid and worked for three
years as a corporate lawyer in Spain. Before coming to Duke, I was an international law professor at the
Centro de Investigación y Docencia Económicas (CIDE) in Mexico City. During my time at CIDE I worked on
some research projects on environmental policy and fisheries management, and that spurred my interest
on legal studies for ocean conservation.

At the time I applied to Duke, my main goal was to strengthen my career opportunities as an
academic specialized in ocean resources management. If you want to be a tenured professor of law in
Mexico you need to hold a doctoral degree from an internationally-recognized academic institution. I
applied to the LLM at Duke with the purpose of being accepted to the SJD program upon graduation. In
case I succeeded, I had good expectations that the doctoral degree would help me find a better job as a
Law School professor back in Mexico City and thus at that time I was not particularly focused on finding a
job in the U.S.

I did some research before applying to Duke and was attracted by the Law School’s strong focus
on environmental law, and especially by the possibility of enrolling in the Certificate on Environmental Law.
I read some of Professor Jim Salzman and Professor Jonathan Wiener’s articles and thought that learning
from brilliant scholars like them would be the ideal way to try to become the best environmental law
researcher I could be.

I was lucky to be accepted to the SJD program and I spent three wonderful years preparing my
doctoral dissertation. During that time, I realized two things: first, that environmental law problems and
solutions are evolving at such a fast pace that if you want to understand them and try to make a difference
you need to be in constant contact with on-the-ground, specific environmental problems. Second, that the
Washington DC area hosts a breadth of domestic and international NGOs and organizations specialized in
ocean conservation that are not available anywhere else on the planet. Sometime around my first year, I
realized that I wanted to try to stay in the U.S. and join the DC ocean conservation community.

There are several things you can do to boost your job search while at Duke: first, Duke Faculty
professors are very friendly and are usually available to offer amazingly good advice. Second, find internship
opportunities: I did a summer internship at Defenders of Wildlife thanks to a Stanback Internship (be sure
to check them out!). Third, I conducted many phone interviews with ocean management experts when I
was doing research for my dissertation, and that helped me build some connections. Forth, and above all,
there is a broad Duke alumni community working on environmental conservation institutions in the DC
area. Do not hesitate to find and contact them. If you are interested in careers in environmental law,
remember that your OPT allows you to work in the U.S. during one year. That is a great advantage if you
want to try to get a permanent job here.

58
APPENDIX A: ELIGIBITLIY TO TAKE A U.S. BAR (EXCERPTS) 1
Alabama: Applicant must meet and show proof of the
following requirements: (a) that the foreign law school from
which the applicant graduated was approved in the foreign
jurisdiction where it is located; (b) that the applicant has been
admitted to the practice of law in the jurisdiction in which
that university or college is located; and (c) at least one of the
following: (i) that the law degree program completed by the
applicant includes a substantial component of English
common law; or (ii) that the applicant has satisfactorily
completed at least 24 semester hours of legal subjects
covered by the bar examination in regular law school classes,
under ABA or AALS standards; or (iii) that the applicant has
been admitted to the practice of law before the court of
highest jurisdiction in a U.S. jurisdiction, has been
continuously engaged in the active practice of law for at least
3 years in that jurisdiction, and is a member in good standing
of the bar of that jurisdiction
Alaska: A graduate of a foreign law school in which the
principles of English law are taught may be eligible to take the
bar exam if he or she submits proof that 1) the law school
from which he/she graduated meets the ABA’s standards for
approval; and 2) he/she has successfully completed 1 year at
an ABA-approved law school, including successful completion
of 1 course in U.S. Constitutional Law and 1 course in U.S. Civil
Procedure, or is a member in good standing of the bar of 1 or
more states, territories, or the District of Columbia and was
admitted to the bar of that state, territory, or the District of
Columbia after written examination.
California See requirements on PAGE 11 of the Career
Manual; additional extended information is in Appendix C.
Colorado Must have practiced actively and substantially for 3
of the previous 5 years in jurisdiction where admitted.
Connecticut: See requirements on PAGE 12 of the Career
Manual
1
Subject to change, please check websites of the bar examiners for each state before applying
59
District of Columbia: See requires on PAGE 12 of the Career
Manual
Florida After 10 years’ active practice in another jurisdiction
(District of Columbia or other states in the United States or in
federal courts in the United States or its territories,
possessions, or protectorates) in which applicant has been
duly admitted, the applicant may file a representative
compilation of work product for evaluation by the Board.
Georgia: See requirements on PAGE 11 of the LLM career
Manual.
Hawaii: An attorney admitted to practice and in good
standing before the highest court in a foreign country where
English common law is the basis of that country’s
jurisprudence and where English is the language of
instruction and practice in the courts of that jurisdiction shall
be eligible for examination and admission if he or she
presents satisfactory proof to have actively practiced law in
that jurisdiction for 5 of the 6 years immediately prior to
application.
Illinois: Graduates of foreign law schools who are licensed
and in good standing in country conferring law degree or in a
U.S. jurisdiction, who have actively and continuously
practiced under such license(s) for 5 of the 7 years
immediately prior to making application in Illinois, having
verifiably devoted an annual minimum of 1,000 hours of
practice of law where licensed, and the quality of whose legal
and other education has been determined acceptable by the
Board may apply to take bar exam
Kentucky: An attorney who is a graduate of a foreign law
school can apply for an education evaluation to determine if
applicant’s legal education is substantially equivalent to the
Kentucky law school education. If the law school is approved,
the applicant may sit for the bar exam if he/she has been
actively and substantially engaged in the practice of law for 3
of the last 5 years.
Louisiana: Foreign attorneys can apply to take the bar exam
but must first have an educational equivalency evaluation
conducted and complete 14 hours at an American law school.
Maine: Must satisfy requirements of Regulation for
Determining Equivalency of Foreign Legal Education and have
practiced for 3 years in the jurisdiction where licensed.
Maryland: A graduate of a foreign law school may qualify to
apply for a waiver to take the Maryland Bar Examination if he
or she has been admitted by exam in another U.S. jurisdiction
or is admitted in a foreign jurisdiction and has completed a
minimum of 26 credit hours of study at an ABA-approved law
school in Maryland in the subjects covered in the Maryland
Bar Examination.
Massachusetts A graduate from a foreign law school (other
than those Canadian law schools that are prequalified) may
be permitted to sit for the bar exam after taking further legal
studies designated by the Board at an ABA-approved law
school or a Massachusetts-accredited law school. Foreign law
school graduates must obtain a determination of their
educational equivalency from the Board prior to making
application.
Missouri Graduates who have passed the bar exam in
another state and hold an active law license are eligible to
take the bar exam with either (1) full-time practice for 3 of
the 5 years preceding application or (2) completion of 24
credit hours in residence at an ABA-approved law school
within the 3 years prior to application. Graduates who are not
licensed in another state must be admitted to practice law in
the foreign country where the foreign law degree was
conferred and be in good standing with either (1) full-time
practice for 3 of the 5 years preceding the application or (2)
completion of 24 credit hours in residence at an ABA-
approved law school within the 3 years prior to application
New Hampshire: Graduate must be legally trained in
common law, and a determination of educational
equivalency is required. Graduate must be a member in good
standing in home jurisdiction or in another state, after being
admitted by exam.
60
New Mexico Applicant may take exam if he/she is licensed in
another state within the United States and has practiced
there 4 of 6 years prior to application.
New York: See requirements on PAGE 10 of the Career
Manual; additional detailed information is in Appendix B.
North Carolina: The eligibility of foreign-trained applicants is
limited to those who had an LLM conferred prior to August 1,
2005, the date of the pertinent rule change.
Ohio: If an applicant’s legal education was not received in the
United States, the education must be evaluated and approved
by the Supreme Court as equivalent to ABA-approved law
school education. For equivalency, an applicant must show
successful completion of 30 credit hours at an ABA-approved
law school in addition to a foreign law degree. The registration
application may not be processed until the education is
approved by the Supreme Court.
Oregon: Applicant must be admitted to practice in a country
where common law of England is the basis of its jurisprudence,
and where requirements for admission to the bar are
substantially equivalent to those of Oregon, and applicant
must be a graduate of a law school determined by an Oregon
equivalency panel to be equivalent to an ABA-approved law
school.
Pennsylvania: Applicant must have completed law study in a
foreign law school, have been admitted and in good standing
at the bar of a foreign jurisdiction, and have practiced in the
jurisdiction for 5 out of the last 8 years. Applicant must also
complete 24 credit hours taken in specified subjects at an ABA-
approved law school.
Rhode Island: Foreign-educated applicants who are admitted
in another U.S. jurisdiction may apply for admission under
Article II, Rule 2(a).
Tennessee: Applicant must prove that undergraduate and law
school education are equivalent of that required by an
applicant who attended an ABA-accredited law school or
Tennessee law school approved by the Board of Law
Examiners. Additionally, applicant must have received an LL.M.
degree for Practice of Law in the United States from an ABA-
accredited law school or Tennessee la school approved by the
Board. The program must be taught in English and must be
attended on site at the ABA-accredited or Tennessee law
school.
South Dakota: An applicant for admission who is a graduate of
a foreign law school not accredited by the ABA may apply for
permission to take the […] Bar Examination upon good cause if
the graduate has passed the bar examination in another state
and is a member in good standing of that state.

Texas: See requirements on PAGE 12 of the Career Manual.

Utah: A foreign lawyer with a law degree from an English

common-law jurisdiction may sit for the bar exam after
practicing law for 2 years in a common-law jurisdiction and
completing 24 semester hours at an ABA-approved law school.

Vermont: Foreign law school graduates can be admitted on

motion if admitted in another jurisdiction. Otherwise, if
applicant has been admitted to practice before highest court
of a foreign country which is a common-law jurisdiction, Board
may allow credit for such study as it deems proper, and
applicant must pursue the study of law in Vermont for at least
2 years immediately preceding examination under the
supervision of an attorney who has practiced at least 3 years
in Vermont.

Washington: See requirements on PAGE 12 in the LLM Career

Manual.

West Virginia: Applicant may sit for examination if a law school

graduate from a foreign country where the common law of
England forms basis of jurisprudence, if educational
requirements for admission in said country are substantially
the same as in West Virginia and applicant is admitted in good
standing there, and if applicant successfully completes 30
credit hours of basic courses at an ABA-approved law school.

Wisconsin: Applicants with foreign credentials are reviewed

on a case-by-case basis and may qualify to take the bar exam.

Puerto Rico: Applicant must validate his or her studies and

obtain a law degree from a law school approved by the ABA
and by the Supreme Court.

Virgin Islands: Eligibility is limited to applicants who come in

under special admission provisions as set forth in the rules

61
 APPENDIX B: NEW YORK BAR FOREIGN LEGAL EDUCATION
ADVANCE EVALUATION OF ELIGIBILITY
To establish eligibility for the bar examination, all first-time
applicants under Rule 520.6 must complete an online Foreign
Evaluation Form and submit other required documentation
such as transcripts. Please note that in most instances, a
transcript alone will NOT be enough to determine your
eligibility for the examination. We urge you to carefully review
Section VI, below, for a complete list of all the supporting
documentation you will be required to submit.
DEADLINES FOR REQUESTING ADVANCE EVALUATION OF
ELIGIBILITY
A. Applicants requiring an LL.M. to qualify for the
examination. If you need to “cure” a deficiency in your foreign
legal education by completing an LL.M. degree at an approved
law school in the United States, you MUST seek an Advance
Evaluation of Eligibility from the Board. Because of the volume
of these applications, their complexity and the frequent need
to communicate with these applicants and request more
information concerning their eligibility, it can take up to six (6)
months from the date of the Board’s receipt of all required
documentation for an eligibility decision to be made. While we
encourage applicants to seek an evaluation at least one year in
advance of taking the bar exam, to ensure that you receive a
timely decision on your eligibility, the Board requires that you
submit all documentation at least six months prior to the first
day of the application period of the examination you plan to
take. The following deadlines apply:
Exam Documents Deadline
Online Evaluation AND
FEBRUARY May 1
required documents
JULY Online Evaluation AND October 1
required documents
Synopsis of the Requirements of Section 520.6(b)(1)
(1) Qualifying Degree (520.6[b][1]). The foreign-educated
applicant must have fulfilled the educational requirements for
admission to the practice of law in a foreign country other than
the United States. The applicant must have a qualifying degree,
which must be a degree in law.
62
(2) Accreditation (520.6[b][1]). The qualifying degree must be
from a law school or schools recognized by a competent
accrediting agency of the government of the foreign country
and must be deemed qualified and approved.
(3) Durational Equivalence (520.6[b][1][i]). The applicant’s
period of law study must be successfully completed and also
be “substantially” equivalent in duration to a full-time or part-
time program required at an American Bar Association (ABA)-
approved law school in the United States. The definition of a
full-time or part-time program is contained in Rule 520.3 (d)
and (e).
(4) Substantial Equivalence (520.3[b][1][i]). The foreign
country’s jurisprudence must be based upon the principles of
the English Common Law, and the "program and course of law
study" successfully completed by the applicant must be the
“substantial” equivalent of the legal education provided by an
ABA-approved law school in the United States. The specific
instructional requirements are contained in Rule 520.3(c).
“Cure” Provision (520.6[b][1][ii]). Applicants enrolled in a
program commencing in the 2012-2013 academic may cure
the durational or substantive deficiency (but not both) by
obtaining an LL.M. degree (Master of Law) at an ABA-approved
law school in the United States.
LL.M degree. Applicants who commence a program in the
2012- 2013 academic year must successfully complete the
requirements of and be awarded an LL.M. degree within 24
months of matriculation. A completed transcript showing that
a qualifying LL.M degree was awarded will be required before
an applicant is qualified to sit for the bar exam.
Minimum of 24 Semester Hours of Credit. For applicants who
commence a program in the 2012-2013 academic year, the
LL.M. degree program must consist of a minimum of 24
semester hours of credit. All 24 credits (except as otherwise
permitted) must be in courses requiring classroom instruction
with a minimum of 700 minutes of instruction time per credit,
exclusive of examination time.
Period of Instruction. For applicants who commence a
program in the 2012-2013 academic year, the LL.M degree
program must take place over at least two (non-summer)
semesters of at least 13 calendar weeks each, or the
equivalent, exclusive of reading periods, examinations and
breaks. The program cannot be completed exclusively during
summer semesters; however, a maximum of four credits may
be earned in summer courses.
All coursework to be completed in the United States. All
coursework must be physically completed at the campus of the
ABA-approved law school in the United States. ANY class taken
at a law school’s campus in a foreign country does NOT qualify
toward the 24-credit requirement for the LL.M. degree. No
credit is allowed for distance, correspondence or external
study or for an on-line program or course.
Required Coursework. For applicants who commence a
program in the 2012-2013 academic year, the LL.M degree
program must include: (i) at least two semester hours of credit
in professional responsibility, (ii) at least two credits in a legal
research, writing and analysis course (which may NOT be
satisfied by a research and writing requirement in a
substantive course), (iii) at least two-credits in a course on
American legal studies, the American legal system or a similar
course designed to introduce students to U.S. law, and (iv) at
least six credits in subjects tested on the New York bar
examination (where a principal focus of the course includes
material contained in the Content Outline published by the
Board).
Approved Law School - Approved law school means a U.S. law
school approved by the ABA. All of the courses must be taken
at an ABA-approved law school. Please note that the Board
cannot recommend a particular law school nor does the Board
maintain a list of schools that offer programs that will satisfy
Rule 520.6. You may consult the ABA's Section on Legal
Education and Admissions to the Bar at their website
(http://www.abanet.org/legaled) to obtain a list of ABA
approved law schools.
Permissible Coursework. For applicants who commence a
program in the 2012-2013 academic year, the LL.M. degree
program may include: (i) a maximum of four credits in clinical
courses (so long as the clinic course has a classroom
component, any clinical work is performed under direct
supervision of a non-adjunct faculty member and the
educational benefit is commensurate with credit awarded)
and (ii) a maximum of six credits in other courses related to
63
legal training (so long as the course is taught by a faculty
member at law school awarding the LL.M. or an affiliate school
and the course is completed at a campus in the United States).
Supporting Documentation Required to comply with Rule
520.6. You will be required to submit to the Board the
supporting documentation listed below directly from the
issuing institutions and/or government agencies, as well as
English translations if necessary. The documentation must
consist of originals or copies certified directly by the issuing
school or institution. Faxed copies, photocopies certified by a
notary public, and photocopies certified by anyone other than
an official at the issuing school or institution will not be
considered. All documentation and correspondence which is
submitted to the Board should contain the applicant’s unique
Board Identification Number (BOLE ID) which is assigned to
each applicant at the time of completing the Online Foreign
Evaluation Form. All documents submitted become the
property of the Board and will not be returned.
Required Foreign Documentation:
(a) Official Transcript(s). Submit a final, official transcript from
every law school attended that includes the dates of
attendance for each period of study, the courses taken and
passed for each period of study, the grades, the degree
awarded, and the date the degree was awarded. All transcripts
and other law school documentation must be received by the
Board directly from the issuing law school in a sealed school
envelope. The records must come directly from the school;
records received from the candidate will not be accepted. If
the school or university issues only one original to the
graduate, then we will accept a certified copy of the transcript,
but it must be certified by the issuing school as a true and
correct copy of the original, and it must still be mailed to us in
a sealed school envelope from the school. Copies certified by
a notary will not be accepted in place of the school’s
certification.
(b) Degree Certificate. If the official transcript does not clearly
state the degree awarded and/or the date such degree was
awarded, you must also furnish the degree certificate.
(c) Proof of fulfillment of the educational requirements for
admission to the practice of law in the foreign country.
 (1) If you are admitted to practice law in a foreign country,
attach a copy of your admission certificate, OR
(2) If you are not admitted to practice law in a foreign
country, submit proof of the educational requirements for
admission to practice law in your country and proof that you
have fulfilled these requirements.
(d) Accreditation. Submit a written statement from the
competent accrediting agency of your foreign government
that the law school or schools you attended were recognized
by them as qualified and approved throughout your period of
study.
Additional Documentation (if required):
(a) Supplement to transcript. If the Board determines that
your official transcript does not confirm that your legal
education complies with the durational and substantive
requirements of Rule 520.6 (b) (1), additional documentation
from your law school will be required. You will be advised if
such additional documentation is needed.
(1) Proof of durationally equivalent legal education. Section
520.6(b)(1) of the Rules of the Court of Appeals requires
successful completion of law school study that is at least
substantially equivalent in duration to that required under
subdivisions (d) and (e) of Section 520.3. If your official
transcript does not clearly confirm that your law degree was
based on classroom study that is substantially equivalent in the
number of hours and the number of calendar weeks in
residence as required by section 520.3(d) (full-time program)
or 520.3(e) (part-time program), then it will be necessary for
you to provide a written statement from your law school or
schools confirming the total number of calendar weeks in
residence and the total number of classroom hours
successfully completed during your program of study.
(2) Proof of substantively equivalent legal education. Section
520.6(b)(1)(i)of the Rules of the Court of Appeals requires
successful completion of law school study that is substantially
equivalent of the legal education provided by an approved law
school in the United States. If your official transcript does not
clearly confirm that your law school study is substantially
equivalent of the legal education provided by an approved law
school in the United States, then it will be necessary for you to
64
provide from your law school or schools any additional
documentation as requested by the Board.
(b) English translation. If the law school transcripts, degree
certificate, or any of the other documentation requested
above are not in English, you must also furnish English
translations of the documents prepared by an official
translator. Translations made by the applicant will not be
accepted. Translations may be mailed to the Board under
separate cover and need not come directly from the issuing
school or university. If you do not have a copy of the transcript
from which to produce an English translation, then you should
order a second original from your school – one to be sent
directly to the Board, and one to yourself – to be used as a
reference for the English translation.
50 Hour Pro Bono Requirement for the New York State Bar
Under the New York State Pro Bono requirements, persons
who are admitted to the New York State bar after January 1st,
2015 will need to file an affidavit showing that they have
performed fifty hours of pro bono service, even if they apply
for admission before January 1, 2015. You will need to
complete the affidavit form, including certification by your
supervisor, for each qualifying pro bono project that you do. It
is recommended that you complete the form at the time you
complete your qualifying pro bono work.
You can find the affidavit form, along with Rule 520.16 of the
Rules of the Court of Appeals which explains the new
requirements, and Frequently Asked Questions, on the New
York State bar’s website: https://www.nybarexam.org (click
on Foreign Legal Education” link)
For additional information, please contact Kim Burrucker,
Director of Public Interest and Pro Bono at
Burrucker@law.duke.edu or 919-613-7008.
APPENDIX C: CALIFORNIA BAR EXAM FOREIGN LEGAL
EDUCATION SECTION (EXCERPTS)

General Applicants with First Degrees in Law from Foreign Law Schools

1.1 A general applicant who has a first degree in law from a law school located in a foreign state or country must:
(A) Obtain from a credential evaluation service approved by the Committee a certificate that the applicant’s first
degree in law is substantially equivalent to a Juris Doctor degree awarded by a law school approved by the American
Bar Association or accredited by the Committee; or (B) Obtain from a credential evaluation service approved by the
Committee a certificate that the applicant’s first degree in law meets the educational requirements for admission to
practice law in the foreign state or country in which it was obtained.

1.2 In addition to submitting to the Office of Admissions the certificate required by Guideline 1.1, an applicant must
submit a certificate from a law school approved by the American Bar Association or accredited by the Committee
certifying that the applicant has either: (A) Been awarded a Master of Law degree (LL.M) based on a minimum of
twenty (20) semester or equivalent units of legal education that included a minimum of one course in four separate
subjects tested on the California Bar Examination of not less than a total of twelve (12) semester or equivalent units.
One of the four courses must be Professional Responsibility that covers the California Rules of Professional Conduct,
relevant sections of the California Business and

Professions Code, the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct, and leading federal and state case law on the
subject; or (B) Successfully completed twenty (20) semester or equivalent units of legal education that included a
minimum of one course in four separate subjects tested on the California Bar Examination of not less than a total of
twelve (12) semester or equivalent units. One of the four courses must be Professional Responsibility that covers
the California Rules of Professional Conduct, relevant sections of the California Business and Professions Code, the
ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct, and leading federal and state case law on the subject.

All course work for the degree required by Guideline 1.2(A) and all course work for the legal education required by
Guideline 1.2(B) must be graded using the standards the law school uses in grading course work of students in its
J.D. degree program. An applicant must receive a passing grade in all courses.

1.4 The degree required by Guideline 1.2(A) or the course work required by Guideline 1.2(B) must be awarded or
completed, as applicable, within three calendar years of the date the applicant began qualifying study at a law school
whether or not the LL.M degree is awarded by or the course work is completed at that law school. An applicant
begins study on the first day of his or her first semester or term of qualifying study.

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APPENDIX D: CERTIFIED TRANSLATION SERVICES (NON-
EXHAUSTIVE) IN NORTH CAROLINA

Accessible Languages, Inc 1-888-389-0446 Call for pricing.

5413 Fayetteville Rd.Raleigh, NC 27603 http://www.berlitz.com/
(919) 567-3383 - MULTIPLE LANGUAGES-
www.accessiblelanguages.com Bruton Translations
For pricing, you must submit a request.
1310 Kent St. DTS Language Services
Durham, NC 27707 7780 Brier Creek
- LANGUAGES: CHINESE, JAPANESE, http://www.brutontranslations.com/ Raleigh, NC 27617
SPANISH, FRENCH, RUSSIAN, AND Email: chris@brutontranslations.com (800) 524-0722
ROMANIAN - Pricing: $35/hour www.dtstrans.com
Free quote online or call for pricing.
ALS Translation & Interpreting Spanglish Unlimited Inc
100 W Morgan St 4816 Six Forks RD - LANGUAGES: DUTCH, FRENCH,
Raleigh, NC Raleigh, NC ITALIAN, PORTUGUES, AND MORE -
(919) 834-2120 (919) 833-7967
www.alsintl.com http://www.spanglish-unlimited.com Fluent Language Solutions Inc.
Free quote online. Free quote online or call for pricing. 123 Capcom Ave.
Wake Forest, NC 27587
- MOST LANGUAGES AVAILABLE - - MOST LANGUAGES AVAILABLE - (919) 570-8686
Contact: Daniel Roux
ATI American Translating & InterpretingBilingual Communications Inc. www.fluentls.com
4501 Ryegate Dr. 315 N. Academy St. Free quote online or call for pricing.
Raleigh, NC 27604 Cary, NC 27513 E-mail: translations@fluetls.com
(919) 872-9575 (919) 380-7066
http://www.ostreps.com/cirministry http://bicomms.com - MOST LANGUAGES AVAILABLE -
For pricing, you must submit a request.
For pricing, you must submit a request. E-mail:
translate@ciraleigh.org La Oficina
- LANGUAGES: ARABIC, FRENCH, 4020 Capital Blvd
- SPANISH ONLY - ITALIAN, SPANISH, PORTUGUESE - Raleigh, NC
(919) 878-3800
Berlitz Chen Language Services, LLC http://www.laoficinanc.com
5974-A Six Forks Road 1413 Preston Grove Ave. For pricing, you must submit a request.
Raleigh, NC 27609 Cary, NC 27513
Contact Ian Luecht: (919) 986-1006
http://www.chenlanguageservices.com /

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 APPENDIX E: NON-EXHAUSTIVE LIST OF BAR EXAM
PREPARATION COURSES FOR THE NY BAR EXAM
(IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)
BarBri

BarBri offers a broad range of courses to help JD and LLM students study for the bar exam. The
main course takes place after graduation and lasts from late May until early July. Please see
www.BarBri.com for more information

LLM focus: BarBri also offers a special LLM-specific online course for students wishing to get an
early start on preparing for the exam. The course consists of 22 classes, broken down into two
modules: (1) the academic success module and (2) substantive top-ten topics tested on the New
York Bar exam module. Students have ability to choose different packages when picking a module.
For more information, please contact Kelly Gibbs, Manager of Legal Education, at
kelly.gibbs@barbri.com.

Kaplan PMBR

Kaplan is a main competitor to BarBri. It offers a similar Bar Review Courses for multiple states,
including New York. More information can be found on www. Kaptest.com

LLM focus: every year Kaplan offers free Live Online Webinars on preparing for the bar exam
geared toward LLM students. Webinars are usually offered in early fall. For more information
about webinars, please contact the LLM Director, Diran Ajayi at oladiran.ajayi@kaplan.com or
Regional Director, Randi Maves, at randi.maves@kaplan.com.

LLM Bar Exam

LLM Bar Exam is a bar review course designed specifically for LLM students to prepare for the New
York Bar Examination. It is offered both live and online. For more information, please see
www.llmbarexam.com

Themis Bar Review

Themis is another competitor to BarBri and offers online only Bar Review courses, which include
lectures, tests, and personalized feedback. For more information, please see www.themisbar.com

67
APPENDIX F: ACTION VERBS
accelerated constructed explained measured reproduced
accomplished contacted explored mediated researched
achieved continued facilitated modeled resolved
acquired contracted figured modified responded
activated convened financed molded restored
adapted conveyed focused monitored retained
adjusted coordinated forecasted motivated retrieved
administered corresponded formed named reviewed
advised counseled formulated negotiated revised
allocated created fostered observed rewrote
analyzed critiqued founded obtained routed
annotated decided functioned operated scheduled
anticipated defined generated ordered searched
applied delegated governed organized selected
appraised delivered grouped originated served
arranged demonstrated guided outlined shaped
articulated derived helped oversaw shared
assembled designed identified perceived showed
assessed detected illustrated performed simplified
assigned determined immunized persuaded solicited
authored developed implemented planned solved
balanced devised improved planted specified
briefed directed increased presented spoke
budgeted distributed informed presided stimulated
built drafted initiated printed structured
catalogued edited instituted produced studied
categorized educated instructed protected supervised
chaired effected interpreted provided supported
clarified elicited interviewed publicized synthesized
cleared encouraged introduced questioned targeted
coded established invented raised taught
collaborated evaluated investigated recommended tested
compared examined judged recorded trained
compiled executed led recruited translated
completed exhibited listened reduced tutored
composed expanded maintained rendered updated
computed expedited managed repaired utilized
conducted experienced marketed reported verified
consolidated experimented mastered represented wrote

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APPENDIX G: FOREIGN LEGAL ASSOCIATE POSITIONS
WITH U.S. LAW FIRMS

(Current as of August 2017)

Alston Bird: https://www.alston.com/en/careers

Baker & McKenzie: (International Clerkship Program):

http://www.bakermckenzie.com/en/careers#international%20clerkships

Cleary Gottlieb: https://www.clearygottlieb.com/locations/new-york/legal-landing-page/careers-interior-

pages/opportunities-and-application-information

Crowell & Moring (Int’l; Arbitration only): https://www.crowell.com/Practices/International-Dispute-

Resolution/International-Arbitration

Curtis Mallet: http://www.curtis.com/sitecontent.cfm?pageid=45

Debevoise: http://www.debevoise.com/other-pages/associates-faq

Dechert:
https://careers.dechert.com/careers/uslateral/opportunitiesforyou/internationalvisitingadvisorprogram/
(International Arbitration)

Fox Horan & Camerini: http://foxhorancamerini.com/recruiting/ (Look for Foreign Lawyers)

Freshfields: http://www.freshfields.com/en/united_states/careers/LLMs/

Gibbons: http://www.gibbonslaw.com/careers/referendare/ (German only)

K&L Gates:
https://lawjobs.klgates.com/%28S%28akpncv55kbqqzvrjsjjq4145%29%29/default.aspx?job=SA

Masuda Funai: http://www.masudafunai.com/careers.aspx?Show=92

Shearman & Sterling: http://www.shearman.com/en/careers/americas/united-states/international-

associate-program

Skadden: https://recruit.skadden.com/law-students-graduates/united-states/entry-level-associates/

Sullivan & Cromwell: https://careers.sullcrom.com/vlp

White & Case: https://uslawcareers.whitecase.com/faqs (look under “Do you accept applications from
LLM students)

Zuber: http://www.zuberlaw.com/lawfirm/careers/visiting_foreign_attorney_internship_program

*Many other U.S. law firms claim to occasionally hire Foreign-trained students pursuing an LL.M. For a
complete list, please go to the www.nalpdirectory.com and select “Foreign LL.M.s” from “Organizations
that hire” dropdown menu.

69