A JD (Doctor of Jurisprudence) degree, criminal defense attorney Matt Pinsker says, prepares an attorney to enter law practice. An LLM (Master of Law) degree gives an already-experienced attorney depth of expertise.
Attorneys with LLM degrees are often called upon for consultations in complicated cases in their area of expertise and as experts in legal policy.
Attorney Matt Pinsker cites the primary distinctions between the degrees as follows:
- A JD is necessary (in nearly all states) to enter the legal profession, while an LLM confers specialized training.
- LLM programs are more concerned about theoretical issues than JD programs.
- LLM degrees are useful credentials for getting jobs in specialized legal fields.
- An LLM degree usually requires a thesis, while a JD degree does not.
- Getting an LLM degree can help an attorney overcome the stigma of graduating law school with a low GPA, barely passing the bar exam, or graduating from a lower-tier law school.
- LLM programs allow an attorney to focus on a single area of law.
Law schools require the LSAT or GRE and (usually) a bachelor’s degree for admission to JD programs. LLM programs require students to have already earned a JD (or a Bachelor of Laws degree if they were educated outside the United States).
A Payscale survey found that the average salary of a holder of a JD degree in the United States is $88,000 per year. Payscale found that the average salary of a holder of an LLM degree in the United States is $133,000 annually.
Matt Pinsker, LLM, is an award-winning criminal defense attorney in Richmond and Henrico, Virginia. He served on the faculty of Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), where he was a professor of criminal justice. Pinsker previously served as a federal prosecutor, a state prosecutor, and as a magistrate, giving him unique insight into every side of a case.
A nationally renowned expert in criminal law, Pinsker is frequently sought out for media interviews. He wrote the book on criminal justice, his textbook used in law schools across the United States. Matt Pinsker also served as a Captain in the US Army Reserves as a Judge Advocate General (JAG),
Matt C. Pinsker is a lifelong Virginian with deep personal ties to the Commonwealth: After graduating from Godwin High in Henrico, Pensker earned his undergraduate degree from the College of William & Mary, where he was recognized as a Sharpe Scholar. After completing a JD degree from West Virginia University, Pinsker became one of a few attorneys to earn an LLM at George Washington University, focusing on criminal justice.
