Because the majority of LL.M. programs do not include interviews as part of the admissions process, it is no exaggeration to say that the quality of the essays largely determines the outcome. Given that most competing Japanese applicants were young attorneys, I was initially concerned about whether I could truly compete as someone in my thirties, a non-lawyer, and a corporate-sponsored applicant.
However, as I worked through the essay counseling process with Mr. Round, I was able to develop a clear perspective on which aspects of my professional achievements should be emphasized in order to appeal to U.S. legal academics and practitioners, and those initial concerns gradually faded.