A good degree should keep working for you long after you graduate.
Three years ago, Marcel Beck and Loren Rodrigues Silva had just completed the Master of Laws (LLM) at Emory University School of Law. Study International spoke to them then about their time at this top-ranking law school and why today’s (and tomorrow’s) lawyers should study here.
Beck would later return home to Frankfurt, resuming his role as associate at one of Germany’s leading international law firms. Silva, originally from Brazil, stayed on in Atlanta to develop her career as an attorney here. Both were set for positive trajectories, the kind that Emory Law is known for making.
Fast forward to today, and their paths continue unabated. Beck and Silva are handling more complex cases and greater responsibilities. The practical, disciplined approach to the study of law they built during the programme has strengthened right alongside them.
A big part of that comes down to how the LLM programme is structured. You can choose to specialise in one of seven concentrations: Health Law, Business Law, Civil Litigation and Dispute Resolution, Criminal Law, Law and Religion, AI and the Law, or Environmental Law. If becoming a US-qualified lawyer is part of your plan, the curriculum supports that goal, too. After completing the programme, foreign-trained graduates are eligible to sit for a US bar exam.
Beck chose the Business Law concentration to strengthen his expertise in cross-border finance. Silva chose to prepare for the Georgia Bar Exam while developing her immigration law practice. Their careers have taken different directions, but both continue to rely on the knowledge and skills they gained at Emory Law.
Here’s what they have to say, three years later.
Marcel Beck says his studies at Emory Law made him far more open-minded towards different legal systems and ways of thinking. Source: Marcel Beck
Marcel Beck, Class of 2023
Before joining Emory Law, Beck was already working in banking and finance at Gleiss Lutz. But as his work became more international, he realised he needed a deeper understanding of the US legal system.
That’s what brought him from Frankfurt to Atlanta.
He built his LLM around Business Law, taking courses that directly connected to the work he was doing back home. “The various Business Law courses broadened my horizons and introduced me to important fields of application that continue to enhance my daily advisory practice,” he says.
Studying alongside lawyers from different countries and legal systems was just as valuable. It gave him fresh perspectives and new ways to approach legal problems. Until today, these moments remain with him.
Perhaps, most importantly, they make his cross-border matters more meaningful and fulfilling. “I truly enjoy working with foreign colleagues and driving transactions forward together,” he says.
Today, Beck is in his fourth year at Gleiss Lutz and was recently promoted to associate partner. He’s hoping to complete a secondment at a major US law firm as well. It’s the next step in a career that continues to grow, with the experience he gained at Emory Law still helping him along the way.
Loren Rodrigues Silva is currently working in Atlanta as an associate attorney focusing on immigration law and criminal defense. Source: Loren Rodrigues Silva
Loren Rodrigues Silva, Class of 2023
When Silva arrived at Emory Law, she thought her future was in public service. But along the way, she would discover a future role in a private law firm that shared her same commitment to helping people. “I found this amazing place that helps people for a good cause,” she says.
A fulfilling career in the US is the dream for many, and today Silva is doing just that. She is an associate attorney at Diaz & Gaeta Law in Atlanta, focusing on immigration law and criminal defense.
Getting there meant clearing a major hurdle first. After graduating in 2023, she sat for the State Bar of Georgia exam— high-stakes for any new attorney, and more so for an international lawyer entering an unfamiliar system. “I sat for the GA Bar and passed on my first try — thankfully,” she says.
Emory Law’s support was key to that outcome. The LLM programme gave her flexibility to build a course load around both bar prep and long-term career goals, while studying alongside Juris Doctor students gave her an unfiltered view of US legal practice. “Emory helped me a lot in preparing my résumé, for interviews, and setting the path into professional life,” Silva says.
The clinics, though, left the deepest mark. Emory Immigrant Legal Services, among others, placed her in situations with real people and real challenges.
“As attorneys, we are always dealing with other people’s dreams, expectations, and goals,” she says. “The clinics teach you how to deal with the person in front of you, instead of only focusing on your own knowledge and experience. I believe the clinics were fundamental to me, as an immigrant, to adapt to the American and other immigrant public.”
Learn more about the LLM programme.
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