We spoke with several of our incoming international LL.M. students about the paths that led them here, the perspectives they bring to the classroom, and what they hope to gain from their time in the program.

Hailing from Georgia, Davit earned his first degree in law and a PhD in political science before winning the Diversity Visa lottery and relocating to the United States four years ago. His career spans academia, diplomacy, nonprofit work, and research. In Georgia, he served both as a university invited lecturer and an assistant professor, with his broader professional experience including participating in diplomatic missions in Ukraine, NGO work, and sponsored university research.

Davit attributes his motivation to a deeply rooted desire to “stand up for [his] rights and the rights of others,” in pursuit of a “fair and just society.” His decision to pursue an LL.M. at the University at Buffalo followed two years of careful research and reflection.

For Davit, the program is an opportunity to strengthen his understanding of the U.S. legal system, develop practical legal skills, and form lasting connections with faculty and classmates. “I hope to gain a profound educational foundation in U.S. law while also developing practical legal skills and experience,” he explains. “I also look forward to building meaningful professional and personal relationships with faculty and with my fellow law students, whom I consider not only classmates but also future colleagues in the legal profession.”

Ultimately, Davit sees the experience as preparation for a larger purpose. “For me, an LL.M. is not only an academic degree, but also an opportunity to develop the knowledge, skills, and professional relationships that will allow me to make a meaningful contribution to the legal profession and to the people I hope to serve.”

Rojina comes to Buffalo by way of Sylhet, Bangladesh, where she earned both an LL.B. and LL.M. After establishing a professional career as a criminal defense attorney, she relocated to Buffalo to build a home and start a family. Today, she is the proud mother of two school-aged children, who motivate her towards empathy and legal advocacy.

Her work in Bangladesh centered around criminal defense, women’s rights, child abuse, and advocacy. To Rojina, her passion to continue building in the legal field stems from “a deep-rooted commitment to justice and standing up for individuals who lack a voice in the legal system.” She says, “early on, I saw how significantly legal advocacy could change someone’s life-especially when protecting the wrongfully accused or vulnerable women and children.”

The University at Buffalo was a natural next step for Rojina and a way to deepen her roots in the region. It allows her to participate in “UB’s collaborative learning environment,” while staying close to home. For Rojina, “navigating an advanced degree in a new legal landscape strengthens adaptability, resilience, and intercultural communication. As a mother, succeeding in this rigorous program is also an opportunity to lead by example for my children, demonstrating the value of continuous learning, dedication, and ambition.”

Rojina’s career hopes are tied to her desire to show up as a mentor and a global advocate. She sees herself contributing meaningfully to “legal aid, public defense or community advocacy initiatives.”

Sadaf comes from a family of legal scholars and advocates in Afghanistan, and her dreams always included studies in the United States. Her path, however, was less concise, influenced both by political turmoil and positive turns of fortune.

After completing a first degree in law and being admitted to the bar, Sadaf pursued various legal roles in both academia and human rights. One specific position stands out to Sadaf, as she was asked to complete research in a remote prison at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The material circumstances of the prison and the prisoners were bleak, and many of the crimes represented, alarming. Committed to listening to the voices of the prisoner without bias or judgment, Sadaf was able to connect one prisoner to meaningful representation, which ultimately led to his release. Being able to listen to the prisoner as a fellow human and utilize professional connections, Sadaf believes this experience defined her motivations. She explains, “sometimes making a difference begins with something very simple: listening carefully, asking questions, and refusing to ignore a person whose voice has been overlooked.”

When the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan, Sadaf was suddenly met with her own limitations based on gender and political suppression. She had been working as a criminal defense attorney and overnight the doors to both her profession and her academic aspirations were closed. Refusing to abandon law entirely, Sadaf began to post legal guidance and to write about legal issues via social media, until the opportunity to pursue her dream of the United States was granted through the diversity visa program.

Sadaf was strategic in building towards her LL.M., keeping her dream alive with English language studies and a professional paralegal certificate through Hofstra University. The University at Buffalo felt, to her, like a place where she could belong, thrive, and gain valuable perspective and experience.

The pursuit of this degree, though, is more than practical, or functional to Sadaf. It is symbolic. Sadaf explains, “I … carry with me the stories of women and girls whose opportunities ended not because they lacked ability, intelligence, or ambition, but because circumstances denied them the chance to continue. Whenever I sit in a classroom today, I am aware that having the opportunity to study is itself something I can never take for granted.” She further adds, “Today, being able to say that I am studying law in the United States is not only a personal achievement for me. It is a reminder that hope can survive even after a person has had to begin again.”

The path to an LL.M. is varied, and often non-linear. Each of our international LL.M. students arrives on their first day with a distinct combination of legal training, professional accomplishment, cultural perspective, and personal ambition. They are building upon years of knowledge and professional experience while integrating new views and legal principles from a U.S. legal standpoint. In doing so, they contribute as much as they gain, as they introduce new perspectives into classroom discussions and facilitate meaningful cross-cultural discourse.

For internally trained attorneys contemplating their own next chapter, an LL.M. can represent many new things, be it an opportunity to deepen an area of expertise, familiarize themselves with U.S. law, or gain eligibility to sit for a state bar examination. It can also be the extension of a long-held goal or aspiration and the start of long-standing professional and personal relationships. Whatever brings you to this point in your legal journey, your experience has value, your perspective belongs in the conversation, and your next chapter may begin here at the University at Buffalo School of Law.

• Should International Law Students Choose an LL.M. or 2-Year J.D.?
• Read more about our LLM Programs
• Learn about our LLM Application Process