Thinking about LLm

1. 2012

2. Mission
Mission

3. Why study in the US
Why study in the US
• Wide array of options
• Flexibility
• Not just academic study
• Internationalize your CV
• Opportunity to travel to the US

4. Where can I go with my degree?
• Public • Multilateral/inter-
sector/government governmental
• Academia organizations
• Non-profit sector • Private sector
– Foundations/institutions – Consulting
– Think tanks – Financial services
– Non-governmental – Media
organizations (NGOs) – Technology
– Public interest/advocacy – Law Firms
groups – Energy
4

5. Where Do Our Alumni Work?
5

8. Differences to expect
Differences to expect
• Teaching and classroom styles
• On-campus life and opportunities
• Ranking system
• Letters of recommendation
• Personal statement

9. Some interesting figures
Some interesting figures
Top 5 Receiving Institutions Top 5 Receiving States
Institution State % of Total
New York University New York 13,24 %
Stanford University California 12,14 %
Columbia University Massachusetts 10,62 %
University of Chicago Pennsylvania 7,03 %
Harvard University Illinois 6,76 %

10. Student Mobility
Student Mobility

11. Types of institutions
Types of institutions
• Public (or State) Universities
• Private Universities

12. How to choose a program?
How to choose a program?
o Accredited?
o Size?
o Location?
o Research?
o Number of international students?
o Majors/Specialization offered?
o Cost?

13. Key Topic Areas
• Foreign Policy
• Environment & Energy
• Business
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• Economic Development
• Trade
• Law
• Security
• Human Rights
• Conflict Resolution
• Diplomacy

14. Choose the right program
Choose the right program
o Thousands of accredited universities in the USA, take
time to find the right one.
o Consult www.fulbright.be and/or visit the
Commission’s Advising Center. University catalogs,
reference books, test registration bulletins and
preparation materials are available.
o Visit the websites of the universities.
o Contact 5 to 10 different universities.

15. English tests
English tests
 € 185
• $ 225
 Accepted by many but not
• Brussels,
all universities
Luxembourg, Paris,
 Listening (30min), Reading
Arnhem
(1h), Speaking (11-14min),
• Reading, listening, Writing (1h)
break, speaking,  http://www.britishcouncil.o
writing (4.5 hours)
• http://www.ets.org/toefl

17. Start early
Start early
12 to 18 months before you want to go to the USA:
o Evaluate your motivation and objectives.
o Choose 5 to 10 universities.
o Determine what is required for each application
(tests, essays, letters of recommendation, etc).
o Register for required tests (TOEFL, IELTS, etc).
o Note all deadlines on a calendar.

18. Dates to remember
Dates to remember
• 12 to 18 months before departure:
Evaluate your reasons
• June - September
Select 5 or 6 universities on the basis of their programs, degrees offered, accreditation, level of selectivity,
cost, location and size
• July - August
Find out which standardized tests are required
• August - September
Write to 5 or 6 universities to request application forms for admission and financial aid.
• October - February
Prepare transcripts and literal translations ,certified at the Commission
Have professors send recommendation letters
Send applications to universities well in advance of deadlines
• February - April
Wait for letters from the universities.
• March - April
Contact universities to which you have applied, but not yet received a response.
• April - June
Accept /Decline offers from other universities where you were also accepted. Contact housing
department and international student office.

19. Education USA – State Dept website
Education USA – State Dept website

21. Teaching Style:
Socratic Method
 Active vs. Passive Participation
No Lectures
 Requires Pre-Class Preparation
Discuss Case Details  Without Warning
 Goal  Think Like a Lawyer
Identify Key Matters = Issue Spotting

22. Consistent Amongst U.S. Law Schools: The
Socratic Method
 A system of learning where professors ask students a
series of questions that encourage critical analysis of the
subject being taught.

23. 3 Simultanious Actions
3 Simultanious Actions
1. Choose 5-10 universities & prepare the
applications for each one.
2. Determine which tests are needed to apply &
take them (TOEFL, GRE, GMAT).
3. Look for financial support.

24. How to finance your studies
How to finance your studies
1. Personal funding
2. Loan from a bank
3. Fellowship from U.S. university
o Research assistantship
o Teaching assistantship
o Work Study (20 hrs/wk)
1. Scholarship from another organizations
◦ Fulbright
◦ BAEF
◦ Rotary
◦ Etc.

25. FULBRIGHT GRANTS

26. Mission
Mission

27. established in 1946
Commission for Educational Exchange Between the United States of America,
Belgium and Luxembourg
“ to increase mutual understanding between the
people of the United States and people of other
countries " former Senator J. William Fulbright
Be an ambassador of Belgium to the US

28. Facts & figures
Facts & figures
Since 1946:
More than 300,000 Fulbrighters from over 155 countries
have participated
More than 189.000 foreign nationals have gone to the
United States for study, teaching, lecturing or research
More than 101.000 Americans have gone abroad
140 programs worldwide
In the United States, the Fulbright Program is funded
by the U.S. State Department through annual
appropriations from the U.S. Congress
Overseas, the Fulbright Program is administered by
bi-national Fulbright Commissions. In non-
Commission countries, the Fulbright Program is
administered by the Public Affairs section of the U.S.
Embassy

29. How to apply?
How to apply?
Preliminary Final Online Send
Application Application 3 letters of rec
Provide letter of
Interview Notification
acceptance

30. Deadlines for Fulbright Grant
Deadlines for Fulbright Grant
October 31 Foreign Language Teaching Assistants Program
October 31 Frank Boas Scholarships for Harvard
October 31 Fulbright - Hays Journalism Grant
October 31 Summer Seminar in American Studies
March 1 Fulbright Awards for Research Scholars &
Lecturers
March 1 Fulbright - Schuman Grants
March 1 Fulbright Awards for Graduate Study

31. Frank BOAS award for Harvard
Frank BOAS award for Harvard
• Full scholarship to Harvard for one year
• The Frank Boas Scholarship in International Legal Studies
• The Frank Boas Scholarship for Graduate Study
• October 14, 2012: Suggested deadline for
preliminary application form consisting of biographical data (roughly 2
pages)
• October 31, 2012: Final application deadline at NOON (12pm) to
submit a hard copy of the FINAL application (consisting of a 15 page
application form with CV, (optional) writing sample, 5 photos, etc).
• Mid-November 2012: interview
• Mid-November 2012: Applicants notified by physical mail
• April 2013: Notification by Harvard of final selection

32. Grants for General Studies
Grants for General Studies
• Fulbright Awards
• BOAS Scholarship
• Ambassador Fox Award
• University of Chicago Alumni Award
• Columbia Club of Belgium Award
• Dorothy Deflandre Award
• Fulbright Alumni Association Award
• Harvard Club of Belgium Scholarship

33. Grants for Law Students (LLM)
Grants for Law Students (LLM)
o Allen & Overy Award
o Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer Award
o Liedekerke, Wolters, Waelbroeck & Kirkpatrick Award
o Loyens and Loeff Award
Note: only for students who have attended law school in Belgium

35. Other Fulbright Commissions
Other Fulbright Commissions
Austria www.fulbright.at Italy www.fulbright.it
Belgium and Luxembourg www.fulbright.be Netherlands www.fulbright.nl
Bulgaria www.fulbright-bg.org
Norway www.fulbright.no
Cyprus: www.fulbright.org.cy
Czech Republic www.fulbright.cz
Poland www.fulbright.edu.pl
Denmark www.daf-fulb.dk Portugal www.ccla.pt
Finland www.fulbright.fi Romania www.fulbright.ro
France www.fulbright-france.org Slovak Republic www.fulbright.sk
Germany www.fulbright.de Spain www.fulbright.es
Greece www.fulbright.gr
Sweden www.fulbright.se
Hungary www.fulbright.hu
Turkey www.fulbright.org.tr
Iceland www.fulbright.is
Ireland www.fulbright.ie United Kingdom www.fulbright.co.uk
Russia http://fulbright.ru
Ukraine www.fulbright.org.ua
Visit the Commission’s website in your home country
for more information

36. Youtube.com/fulbrightbe
Youtube.com/fulbrightbe
• Timothy Hirs, LLM, Cornell University
• Gilles Teerlinck, LLM, University of California, Berkeley
• Emilie Maes, LLM, University of Chicago
• Vanessa Foncke, LLM, Columbia University
• Ravi Mehta, LLM, NY School of Law
• Stef Feyen, LLM, Harvard University
• Marco Benatar, LLM Studies at NYU School of Law
• Céline Vanbever, Studying Law (LLM) in New York (NYU)
• LLM at Harvard Law School: Sarah Panis
• LLM at NYU University: Pauline Begasse
• LLM at NYU: Noemi Blumberg
• Law School in the US (LLM at NYU): Charles Rase
• Louis Hubert Pacco: UPenn Law

38. Commission for Educational Exchange
Between the United States of America and
Belgium
Royal Library Albert I
Boulevard de L’Empereur, 4, Keizerslaan
B-1000 Brussels, Belgium
Tel: +32 (0)2 519.57.72
Fax: +32 (0)2 519.57.73
adviser@fulbright.be
www.fulbright.be