LLM vs. JD: Understanding the Difference Between Law Degrees

Your law degree choice shapes everything that follows in your career. The JD (Juris Doctor) gets you into practice. The LLM (Master of Laws) positions you as a specialist. Both carry weight in the legal profession, but they function in entirely different ways.

This distinction matters more than most prospective students realize when comparing an LLM vs. JD. The JD prepares you as a practicing attorney with broad capabilities across multiple practice areas. The LLM carves out specialized expertise in a high-demand field where that focus often leads to higher compensation. Your choice determines your professional identity and the type of legal work that becomes available to you.

This article explains how each degree works and compares career outcomes and earning potential, while highlighting unique opportunities in healthcare law.

What Is a JD (Juris Doctor)?

The Juris Doctor degree is the foundational credential for legal practice in the United States. Without it, you cannot sit for the bar exam or practice law in any U.S. jurisdiction.

The American Bar Association now leaves program duration to individual law schools.¹ You can expect three years for full-time study or four years when you pursue a part-time schedule. Curricula cover:

• Constitutional law
• Contracts and torts
• Property law
• Civil procedure
• Criminal law
• Legal research and writing

Each of these courses prepares graduates to practice in virtually any area of law.

What Is an LLM (Master of Laws)?

While the JD builds your legal foundation, the Master of Laws degree takes a different approach. The Master of Laws vs. JD comparison often comes down to breadth versus depth: the JD provides breadth, while the LLM offers depth. This specialized graduate degree allows you to develop expertise in a particular area of law, such as tax law, international law, or health law.

An LLM degree usually requires one year of full-time study with coursework concentrated in a specific area. Many LLM programs attract a significant international student population, bringing diverse legal perspectives and global experience into the classroom.

For practicing attorneys, an LLM represents strategic career positioning. This degree signals subject matter expertise with advanced training in a high-demand specialty.

Can You Get an LLM Without a JD?

Many programs in the United States require LLM applicants to already hold a JD degree or its international equivalent. If you are a U.S.-based professional without a law degree, an LLM is not your entry point into legal education.

If you trained abroad, different rules apply. Foreign-trained attorneys with an LLB from the UK or another internationally recognized legal credential may qualify for LLM admission. In fact, U.S. law schools have built many of their LLM programs specifically for international lawyers who want to understand how American legal systems work.

LLM vs. JD Expertise: Opportunities After Law School

The employment rate for law school graduates surpassed 85% in full-time, long-term positions requiring bar passage or offering JD advantage opportunities.² When considering an LLM degree vs. JD, a JD prepares you for a broad legal arena where you can practice criminal defense, draft corporate contracts, work in government service, or pursue nonprofit advocacy.

But an LLM changes your competitive positioning. Lawyers with specialized credentials, such as an LLM, earn around 15% more than JD holders at the median salary.³ In complex regulatory fields like healthcare, organizations need attorneys who understand Medicare reimbursement structures and HIPAA compliance frameworks.

The Unique Opportunities in Health Law Practice

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 8.4% growth for healthcare and social assistance from 2024 to 2034, making it the fastest-growing industry sector.⁴ Those projections translate into real opportunities. The U.S. healthcare sector is expected to add 1.9 million job openings annually through 2034.⁵ That means healthcare will likely dominate new job creation during this period.

And major legal markets pay premiums for this expertise. Healthcare law salaries in key markets such as New York, San Francisco, Boston, and Washington, D.C., are 15% to 35% higher than national averages.⁶ Practice areas include:

• Regulatory compliance and risk management
• Healthcare transactions and mergers
• Public health law and policy development
• Patient rights and privacy protection
• Healthcare fraud and abuse prevention

Transform Your Expertise With an Online Health Law and Policy LLM

These aren't abstract projections. They represent real career opportunities for attorneys willing to invest in specialized expertise.

Hofstra University's Maurice A. Deane School of Law offers an online Master of Laws (LLM) in Health Law and Policy designed for working professionals. All 25 credits are dedicated exclusively to health law and policy, covering Medicare and Medicaid regulations, healthcare compliance frameworks, bioethics and medical decision-making, healthcare transactions and finance, and public health law.

The program is 100% online and asynchronous, which gives you access to coursework around the clock. The faculty includes both full-time law school professors and practicing attorneys. Meanwhile, Hofstra's partnership with Northwell Health adds a practical dimension to the LLM curriculum. As one of New York's largest healthcare providers, Northwell provides direct insight into operational realities and emerging policy challenges.

The program boasts a 90% graduation rate. Alumni have advanced to positions at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Kaiser Permanente, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Aetna, CVS Health, and Cigna Healthcare.

Choosing between a JD and an LLM depends on where you are in your legal career and where you want to go. Ultimately, the LLM or JD decision will shape your career trajectory.

The choice depends on where you are professionally. Early in your legal career or looking to enter practice? You need the JD for bar admission and a broad foundation. Already established and ready to carve out a specialty? The LLM positions you as a recognized expert in a high-demand field.

If health law interests you, an LLM does something that general practice experience cannot. It positions you as a specialist from day one rather than forcing you to build that credibility case by case over years. And that acceleration matters.

Want to talk through your options? Schedule a call with an admissions outreach advisor to discuss how Hofstra's online LLM in Health Law and Policy fits into your career plan.