1. They have been extremely helpful and responsive so far. Personally I find the tutors to be nice people. I have not been demanding in terms of extra tuition so I can't comment on that. 2. I have not written the exams, but their lecture notes seem to be a very useful supplement to the official course materials. 3. For my money I got lecture notes, access to various legal databases, lots of sample questions, 4 graded assignments and bi-weekly online tutorials. You also have access to the tutors to ask specific questions about material, but I have never done this. Other info: What I consider really good: ----------------------------------- The lecture notes Some of the tutors provide helpful reading lists (example, read pages 295-310 of Cheshire Fifoot rather than the whole damn chapter) and set excellent review questions. They are helpful in exam techniques They all (or almost all) have a lot of experience teaching in a physical setting for the UoL LLB. I emphasize, they have a lot of experience teaching. They know where the students get hung up, and they know where the examiners get hung up. They have a very good pass rate for students taught in a physical setting. They did not mislead me about the pass rate for online students; they said they didn't know because they do not have access to marks (unlike for face to face students). They recommend alternative textbooks which they find that students take to better than the official texts. What I consider not so good: ------------------------------------ Check in advance when the tutorials will be held. I ended up with two on Friday afternoon, Friday evening in London but when I am at work here. It would be nice if all the tutors set the same format for lecture notes (ie, reading list, notes, review questions, exam questions). Generally however all questions are relevant and challenging. LTO and the LLM --------------------- As you may recall, I was initially interested in doing the LLM in Maritime Law. After I enrolled in the LLB I spoke to LTO about this. They started with a serious eye to LLM tutoring and would very much like to do more of it. From what I remember, their LLM students have had good success, and to a certain extend they will use LLB students to subsidize the LLM. My opinion is that they would do a good job tutoring the LLM. The Person to talk to: -------------------------- Have you talked with Debbie at LTO? She is a great resource, and I get the impression that she will be honest with you about whether or not they can fulfill your expectations. She is one of the founders and goes above and beyond the call of duty. Important: She will send you sample materials if you ask!! Overall based on my 2+ months of dealing with them I would not hesitate to recommend them. I assume that you've also been in touch with SPR? They seem good also, I bought some materials from them which were excellent. However, I don't think they offer any criminal law subjects which is what you're after (I think).
Thank you for your info. I am looking at all of the on-line providers. I can't really START until May 2004; I made a deal with my wife (also a lawyer) that, though I could REGISTER for the LL.M. in criminal law, which I have done and paid for, I can't actually START until I finish four sememsters of Spanish at the local university. I start the final semester next month. I will say that the Spanish has already proven quite useful. In my present job, I receive a sprinkling of Spanish correspondence. Also, from time to time, Mexican law is a consideration. I can read the Civil Code and such fairly easily, though I don't pretend to be a Civil Law lawyer. Anyway, starting in May will still give me four years of initial registration for the LL.M. That should be enough. Also, even now, I am doing some of the reading.
Well, thee is confusion. I am looking at www.law-tuition.co.uk which isn't law tutors online or SPR or anyone else. They seem to have complete packets available online in the various LLM concentrations. Opinions?
Hey Nosborne & Novemberdude! Just finished the Fall semester at Brooklyn Law: NY Civil Practice, Commercial Arbitration, Securities Fraud, Pension Rights, and Federal Discovery. Next semester, my last, will be Evidence, Commercial Paper, and Advanced Labor Law. As mentioned previously, I am interested in continuing my legal studies with the UoL LLM program. Entering in Fall 2004, with first exams in summer 2005. If you or anyone else is interested in working with a tutorial service to obtain the courses we want / reduced tuition / etc, I would be willing to be flexible in deciding which tutor to use. SPR would probably be my first choice, but I would not object to LTO. Let me know what you think! In the mean time, I'll continue my studies for the July 2004 NY Bar exam. Thanx!
I've committed to the University of London external program but there are LOTS of others out there, both in the UK and elsewhere. I was very impressed with the offerings of UNISA; they follow the UK model but appear to be much cheaper. The other UK programs are NOT cheaper but they offer subject concentrations not available from London. There is, I think, exactly ONE accredited D/L LLM program from an American ABA school, St. Thomas. There appears to be ONE D/L LLM program from a DETC school, Taft. There is ONE California approved D/L LLM-JSD program, Northwestern California U. There is ONE D/L LLM-JSD program with Utah state approval Washington College of Law. I don't know if HEED's program still functions. The pickings are pretty slim here in the U.S. (BTW, the UK model for an LLM is examination by a three hour unseen paper in each of four subject areas but permitting the substitution of a "master's essay" for one subject, if one can find a suitable thesis supervisor. This model seems to be very common in Commonwealth countries.) Something I'd really LIKE to do is take a master's degree in law from the University of Mexico. My Spanish will have to improve a good bit before I can undertake any such project. Besides, I haven't yet found a D/L program.
Nosborne, Thanx for the reply. Perhaps I was not very clear. It is my intention to enroll with UoL for their DL LLM program. I had also looked at UNISA, but I think I'll save that for my LLD (if I want to keep banging my head against a wall, lol !) The purpose of my original reply to this thread was to let you and Novemberdude know I am making progress towards completing my JD, and it is still my intention to enroll with UoL for studies to commence in Fall 2004, with exams Summer 2005. I wanted to express my continued interest to work with both of you, and whoever else may be interested, in selecting a tutorial service for the UoL LLM courses. Given that there are some courses all three of us had expressed interest in, and that the tutorial services are hesitant to run LLM courses with less than three students, by banding together we may be able to gain some leverage. This may be helpful to you, if we can leverage them into running a LLM course in Criminal Law, in addition to the courses for the LLM Maritime Law that Novemberdude and I are interested in. If anyone else out there is interested in beginning the UoL DL LLM in Fall 2004, with exams in Summer 2005, and is looking for commercial tutorials to aid in the studies, let's hear from you! Thanx!
Ah. So you've decided to give CULA a miss, then? Jokes aside, yes I might indeed be interested in getting together with you to see if we can get what we want from these folks. However, have you looked at www.law-tuition.co.uk? Their D/L packages might be a useful alternative.
Ah. So you've decided to give CULA a miss, then? Jokes aside, yes I might indeed be interested in getting together with you to see if we can get what we want from these folks. However, have you looked at www.law-tuition.co.uk? Their D/L packages might be a useful alternative.
