Legal education abroad: Colombian legal graduates and the social effects of LL.M. degrees

Abstract

This paper analyzes the social effects of U.S. Master of Laws degrees (LL.M.) in the Colombian juridical field. Therefore, this paper asks: what are the selection requirements of U.S. LL.M. programs? How do selection requirements reproduce social hierarchies in a country such as Colombia? To address these questions, this paper first describes the admission criteria of LL.M. programs in U.S. universities by relying on qualitative data such as the universities’ description of their selection mechanisms and the costs of admissions. Then, using primary and secondary quantitative and qualitative data, the paper describes how selection criteria reproduce the Colombian legal field’s social hierarchies. The article focuses on four selection requirements: the English proficiency requirement, grades, C/V, letters of recommendation, and the recognition of the degree. Finally, the paper concludes that current selection mechanisms reproduce social hierarchies in Colombia’s legal profession