Long story short, this year has been quite kind to Amicus Partners and for that I am grateful. The number of clients has grown, operations were streamlined to some extent, and international education, unlike the rest of the global economy, seems to be on an upswing.
That would be a succinct summary of the past year; in case you would like a closer look, then here you go.
The Amicus blog
Let’s start with what got you here – the Amicus blog. With 45 posts published and just over 50,000 visitors this year, the blog also underwent a design change to make it easier to the eyes.
At least, I think so.
The good news is that most readers arrive via search; we haven’t spent a single rupee on marketing. This is doubly important since 90% of clients have come through the blog.
I am also happy (and not surprised) with the fact that the second biggest referrer to the blog is LinkedIn. In terms of social networks, LinkedIn is the one that I think has the brightest future, at least as far as international education is concerned.
The not so good news is that readership is down compared to 2021, and there definitely needs to be a diversification of content.
My Wishlist for 2023:
- More analytical pieces such as this one on Jindal Law School and LLM recruitments.
- Build a database on post-LLM employment trajectories
- Run series on Indian law graduates who completed a foreign LLM 10+ years ago.
The Amicus client (LLM applicant) in 2022
It has been another interesting year at Amicus Partners when it comes to counselling LLM applicants. Clients have been almost evenly split between those still in law school, and those with a year or two of work experience. I don’t expect this to change anytime soon.
The reasons for opting for a foreign LLM continue to be linked to immigration and foreign employment with 71% of all clients wanting to work outside India. While I don’t have data on post-LLM employment (since foreign law schools are not mandated to release this) it would be interesting to dig a bit deeper and understand why foreign employment is so attractive.
To paraphrase that old inner wear advertisement, what does foreign employment offer that Indian employment does not?
Moving on.
England and the US continue to remain the top geographies of choice, with rankings such as US News and Times Higher Education playing a crucial role in the selection process. I also see peer groups playing a role here – foreign law schools looking to recruit ought to really take note of this.
Looking ahead, the UK will remain a popular destination, more so with the relatively recent post-study work visa. Having said that, Australia and Canada are likely to see exponential growth over the next 2-3 years. Australia in particular will be the one to watch for, what with the Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement.
Wishlist for 2023:
- Law firms setting up more scholarships to encourage higher education abroad
- Indian law schools dedicating resources to guide those interested in a foreign LLM
The Amicus client (International Law School) in 2022
When it came to our second vertical, foreign law schools building their India recruitments, 2022 has been a year of recovery after the hell pit that was 2020 and 2021.
We got to work with a bunch of new clients and reconnect with a few old ones. The second was particularly satisfying.
The two highlights of the year were helping Seattle University get one successful LLM application with a 3–4-month campaign, and two, moving away from traditional banner campaigns with UNH Franklin Pierce Law School.
For instance, we experimented with an Instagram takeover of Bar & Bench’s law student handle, which was a great learning experience.
A fair few law schools are either planning their India visits or have already made those happen. While I am a big fan of face-to-face interactions, I continue to believe law schools should ideally be looking at long-term investments to truly reap the rewards.
On a related note, the gold standard for me is the association between Penn State University and the Madhava Menon SAARC moot.
Wishlist for 2023:
- Get a law school consortium as a client
- Increase partner websites and offer greater visibility to law school clientele
- Monetize this blog for LLM recruitment purposes
Some final thoughts
The upward trend in international education is unlikely to stop, at least as far as India is concerned. There are a number of factors at play here, including higher disposable incomes, the need for immigration, as well as the sheer number of lawyers that Indian law schools are churning out every single year.
India is also seeing tremendous growth after foreign education providers realized the dangers of over-dependence on a single country: China. Therefore, along with India, I won’t be surprised to see foreign law schools explore non-traditional markets (Nigeria, I am looking at you) for their outreach and recruitment activities.
So, that was the year for us at Amicus Partners. Can’t wait to see what lies ahead.