Law School in the UK Vs Law school in the US
I am a recent US college graduate. I am considering applying to law schools both in the US and the UK this year. I was wondering what advantages a legal education in the UK offers in terms of being able to pursue professional opportunites in the legal field internationally. Any input would be much appreciated. Thank you.
Regards,
Pranav
Re: Law School in the UK Vs Law school in the US
This is a really good question.
Both the US and the UK are common-law countries, meaning that the statutes passed by the legislative bodies are interpreted by the courts and the law of the courts is just as much the law of the land as are the statutes. This differs from civil-law countries (like most of western Europe), where the law is based solely in the statutory code.
I went to law school in the US where we learn from both US and UK caselaw. I have no idea whether the UK law student learns US caselaw.
I would say that your answer depends on where you want to live. If you want to live in the US, go to a US law school; if you want to live in the UK, go to a UK law school. Most of the big firms in the US hire people who have graduated from, and done very well in, ABA-accredited schools (www.abanet.org). This is the type of firm wherein you would be most likely to practice international law.
Good luck.
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