Is Maritime Law LLM in Southampton worth it?
Hey everyone. I'm an EU citizen about to graduate with an LLB in International and EU law (please spare me the talk abt international law being a useless degree, I heard all about it). Ever since I started my degree, I have thought about getting into maritime law afterwards. Seeing that London and the UK in general are the global powerhouse for all things maritime, including law, I'm thinking about taking up the LLM in Maritime Law at Southampton Uni. Everyone on the internet seems to agree that it's the best choice for maritime law overall (along with Swansea). My questions are:
- Is it worth it considering my situation? As an EU citizen, I will have to pay over 26k in tuition fees, which technically I can afford, but it's a ton of money nonetheless. Then there are all the expenses and bother connected to obtaining a visa after graduation, moving to London (assuming I would actually land a training contract somewhere decent), etc. This leads to the second question.
- Does it make sense even if I get a TC outside the magic circle/big law? Let's say I would land a TC at a boutique firm. Does it make sense salary-wise? Ofc I want to do this job out of passion, but seeing the costs and bother involved, money is still one of the main factors.
- Is there well-paid work in the field outside London? This, I'm asking more out of curiosity. I'm well aware the sector is extremely London-dominated, and for a decent career, I would most likely have to move there.
Word of clarification at the end. I'm thinking about moving to the UK because my degree doesn't actually allow me to become a licensed solicitor anywhere in the EU. Basically, in any civil law country, you need to complete 5 years of law school, and only then can you qualify nationally. Even then, maritime law is not exactly a prominent field on the continent. Some places offer decent opportunities (The Netherlands, Germany), but it's nothing in comparison to the UK, and again, I would need to complete another 5 yrs of uni in the local language and pass the bar. Thanks for the help in advance:)