LLM In Maynooth

Yellow8

Hey!
Just want to know has anyone completed the LLM in International Business Law. If so how did you find it? What interests or skills would you generally need to be carried over from a Bachelor of Laws?

How so Joe

I did the LLM in international business law last year, which was its first year.
It was very much a course of two halves - the first half, which I did in l'université catholique de Lyon, was excellent. The courses were really interesting and the lecturers were guests from all over the world. The department was really supportive in everything from coursework to finding accommodation, and even going out and doing pub quizzes in the evenings.

I had two main issues with the first half of the course - the first was that the classes were done in blocks of three or four days, so when it came to exam time, for some of the exams I was trying to remember things I had studied up to twelve weeks previously. It was difficult, but not impossible.
The second issue I had was that I got very lonely - but I had left my boyfriend behind and I'm apparently really bad at making friends, so that might have been a lot to do with it. I tended to stay home and feel sorry for myself rather than actually try and get out and make friends, so eh, don't do that.

When it came to the second semester, I had no choice in what modules I did. That's no longer the case, but for me it was a major disadvantage.
I did trade law, labour law and legal writing and advocacy.
Over the course of the year I did a module in trade law, a module in trade organisations and then a module in trade law again. It got very repetitive, although I did get a first in the second and third modules, so that's something to think about.

I'd say with the extra choice you have in the second semester that the masters now would be a lot better than when I did it. My major issues with the second semester were that all my classes were shared with either first year LLB students or MLS students. These are all students who have never studied law before, so I found that it really hampered the pace of the class, and I found it incredibly frustrating. I thought it was a terrible idea on the part of the department to put those classes together as the levels were just so different.
If you did your bachelors of law in Maynooth, you will be repeating a first year module in doing legal writing and advocacy, which I think is incredibly redundant, but perhaps it's optional now. I hope it is.

I wouldn't recommend the masters I did. But perhaps if you were to do it next year, with a different head of department and far more choice in the second semester, it might be better. The first half, in Lyon, was very, very good, fast paced, challenging and incredibly interesting.
My favourite module in Lyon was intellectual property rights, and I'm now doing a phd in copyright, so it was good for me in that sense.

I would say it would be worth seeing if you can find someone who is doing the LLM this year to give you a newer perspective on it. As my year was the first year, there were bound to be teething problems. When it comes to the second semester, you could ask any LLM student in Maynooth as they all have the same choices and opportunities.

As for skills and interests, it helps if you have a basic knowledge of European Union law and contract law, but what you recall from your bachelors should be sufficient. I didn't do an LLB(I did a BCL), so I wouldn't have done as many credits of law as you, so you might have done more specialised modules than I did.

Overall, I'd give it a tentative recommendation - I definitely don't regret doing it, although there were a few things which I think could have been better. I am, at the moment, the only graduate of that course on boards. (Not difficult, though, as there are only two of us...) There may well be current students of the masters on here, though.
If you want any other information, post here or PM me.

Hope that helps.

maireadng

Hi,

I saw your post re your masters in NUIM and I just wanted to ask you about Legal Writing and Advocacy. I'm taking the LLM in NUIM at the moment, I studied Business and Law in UCD and I never did a legal writing or advocacy module. The module was compulsory as part of the LLM but thanks to some complaints it has been made optional. There are other modules I would like to do, I am out of credits but if I dropped Legal Writing that would free up 15.

I think it will be separate from first and second year law students, though I am not completely sure of this.

From your experience, do you think it is a module I should do?

Thanks

How so Joe

Bearing in mind that it's now two years since I did this masters, so my recollections are both fuzzy and out of date, I would say no, don't bother. Fifteen credits is a lot, and while Legal Writing and Advocacy was alright, I don't think it was worth three other modules which could be far more interesting.
If you managed to get through a BBL in UCD, I'd say your writing skills are just fine. Do the modules which interest you, and give the legal writing a miss.

maireadng

Great, thank you for that, and it's also what I wanted to hear!

fionaprior

I just got an offer for the LLM International Business law today! Anyone else for 2014 entry?

lawstudent14

fionaprior wrote: »

I just got an offer for the LLM International Business law today! Anyone else for 2014 entry?

Hey, also accepted for 2014, have you heard anything re. start date in Lyon yet or any other info?