Should my DH get an LLM?

[Anonymous]

Info
- I am 30 and DH is 28 and we have a 1yo DD and are planning on having more in the next 3-4 years
- DH is a lawyer for a gov't agency and make ~74k right now his second year out of law school and I make about 70k
- He is in an area that he is not really interested. He wanted to do employment or taxation but got a job in a totally unrelated field because it was his only job offer out of law school
- He graduated cum laude from a decent law school (think along the lines of American) with good grades and journal experience
- We live very comfortably right now because we are living rent free with my mother since she is aging and a widow. Everyone is happy with this arrangement

- DH has aspirations of working in big law but does not forsee being to easily make the jump from his current agency.
Question: Should he take a year off of work an get an LLM, ideally in taxation from Georgetown, and then try for a "bigger" job after? If he could get a job making 160k after graduation then I think it would be worth it but I am not sure of the likelihood he would be able to actually land one.

[Anonymous]

This sounds like a terrible plan in which he will end up missing his child's childhood completely, first with school then with big law (if he can get it, which is very doubtful as there is little desire for aging government attorneys with little specialized experience). Have him apply for more government jobs that might be of interest and wait until his salary grows a bit. Also, he needs to grow up a bit; he is unlikely to really be much more interested in employment or tax, which are extremely different types of work, by the way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This sounds like a terrible plan in which he will end up missing his child's childhood completely, first with school then with big law (if he can get it, which is very doubtful as there is little desire for aging government attorneys with little specialized experience). Have him apply for more government jobs that might be of interest and wait until his salary grows a bit. Also, he needs to grow up a bit; he is unlikely to really be much more interested in employment or tax, which are extremely different types of work, by the way.

I agree with this. In this economy, he is doing well IMO.

[Anonymous]

I love doing tax (don't have an LLM) but really, it isn't that different from any other statutory/regulatory area. I wouldn't take a year off work and pay Georgetown tuition just to switch fields. Why not try to find a part of his current field that he would enjoy more? So if he doesn't like trial work, find a job writing regs or rulings or something. Or vice versa. I just don't think doing tax is going to be all that much more inherently satisfying than energy or EEOC or environmental or labor or whatever.

[Anonymous]

Won't get him a job.

[Anonymous]

21:07 here. I forgot to mention that I do tax and neither I nor at least half the people that I know in tax have an LLM. Once you know it nobody cares where you learned it (unless you went to Podunk u and you can now say you are a Georgetown grad, but even that doesn't do too much for you unless you can't find a legal job otherwise).

[Anonymous]

I've always heard that an LLM in tax is worth it.... Until I met someone with the degree from Georgetown and he could not get a job in the field. I suspect he may have not done well, though.

[Anonymous]

An LLM in employmnt law is worthless. Don't waste the money.

[Anonymous]

I graduated forever ago, so I might be wrong, but I think generally, an LLM is a waste of money. Perhaps he could get a connection to some tax attorneys and meet with them to get advice. You'd be surprised how many young attorneys call older attorneys (like me --even though I'm nobody important) for advice. People are generally willing to meet you for coffee and give you free advice.

[Anonymous]

No

[Anonymous]

I may be the exception that makes the rule, but I was 28 after 3 years at a title company (making $40K).
When I came out with my ll.m., I went to big law making then market ($120K).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I may be the exception that makes the rule, but I was 28 after 3 years at a title company (making $40K).
When I came out with my ll.m., I went to big law making then market ($120K).

But OP's husband will likely be making six figures in the next three years anyway. And, you are not at all considering the current legal market and the state of big law today.

[Anonymous]

I left 10 years of tax law for a government job and would never go back (in a different area of the law). When I was in tax, I didn't have an LLM either - it would've been a complete waste of money. Plus, imagine if he gets it, gets a big money job, hates it, and takes 4 years to get back into the government for the same 74K/year. Not worth it! He should stay in the government but find something more interesting. IMO.

[Anonymous]

PP here - the study of tax itself is very fascinating, but practicing it SUCKS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:An LLM in employmnt law is worthless. Don't waste the money.

+1

unless it is benefits or ERISA and he goes right to a private firm.