Motivation Letter for LLM in European Economic Laws

Stockholm University letter of motivation

Dear all,

I would appreciate any support on my motivation letter. I have recently received news that I did not receive admission in a program I wished to attend and my confidence is shot to hell.

Thanks in advance for all the help!

Dear Admission Committee,
I am writing this letter of motivation to express my interest in being a part of the LLM in European Economic Laws at the Department of Law, Stockholm University. I believe that the robust, high quality education that provides an internal market view of the economic laws of the European Union is the necessary specialization for advancing my knowledge base and achieving my career objectives. Through this letter, I aim to introduce myself, my ambitions and how being a student of the LLM in European Economic Laws programs will help me achieve my long-term goal of being a multi-jurisdictional lawyer.

I graduated as a lawyer at the cusp of India's economic modernization, attributable to a completely overhauled foreign direct investment policy which encouraged the presence of foreign companies, new technologies and fast paced economic development in India. Riding this high, you will see from my attached resume, I gained substantial transactional experience at law firms and as in-house counsel. While working on these transactions, I realised that a lawyer with an in-depth understanding of the legal systems of the investor would be able to bridge the gap and also advise Indian companies looking to invest in the jurisdiction of the investor. This motivated me to pursue an LLM to better understand the economic laws of the European Union. The influx of investments in India has made the EU, the world's largest trading entity, one of India's largest foreign investors with FDI more than doubling from 8 per cent to 18 per cent in the last decade and over five thousand European companies in the Indian market. India has also looked to invest in Europe and has made a mark for itself as one of the top five exporter of services to the EU. With EU and India re -exploring the possibility of free trade agreements and potential bilateral investment treaties and with BREXIT notably altering the Internal Market Laws, I believe this would be the perfect time and course for me to realise my goals.

The curriculum, the internationality and the structure of the LLM in European Economic Laws programs at the Faculty of Law, Stockholm University are completely aligned with my desired outcomes from an LLM. After gaining an in depth understanding of the organization and functionality of the economic laws governing the European Union and the Internal Market Laws from the first course, I would like to pursue the track on EU Banking and Financial Laws. This I believe, would complement my experience in banking and financial laws gained in India and help me become a specialist in this area of law. A deeper understanding of the substantive and procedural aspects of the banking and financial laws of the EU will set me apart as a professional with multi-jurisdictional knowledge. The distinctive feature of the programme for me, is course on legal methods. As a student, one may not truly appreciate the skills that are required to make a good professional, but as an industry professional you understand that the practical application of law is an asset you must possess. The fact that the programme provides for an entire semester to guide students in legal methods, preparing them to be more efficient professionals who may hit the ground running is exactly the kind of incentive I was looking for. Concluding the programme with an independent master's thesis will be the perfect complement to make a specialist professional.

Stockholm University, being one of the largest, oldest and most prestigious universities of Europe is respected globally for providing high quality education in a cosmopolitan set up, situated in the 'capital of Scandinavia'. The Swedish higher education system is one of the best in the world. What is truly appealing to me is that even though noble laurates form a part of the faculty, the encouraged relationship between a teacher and student focuses on equality and open dialogue. Working in a Swedish organization, I have had the opportunity to understand and respect the egalitarian Swedish culture far more than I did from my visits to Stockholm. I have learnt in my experience at H&M that there is no end to learning if one desires to learn more and that a strong value system will always hold you in good stead. I believe this is a reflection of the culture of the country itself and the experience of studying in such a set up cannot be matched.

In conclusion, I would like to stress that I find the LLM in European Economic Laws from Faculty of Laws, Stockholm university a perfect opportunity for me to achieve my career goals, given my previous experience and also the insight into Swedish culture.

The first paragraph is a throw away. You do not need to establish that you are writing a motivation letter, at what university, or your belief in education. You should remove that whole paragraph. It does not provide a strong motivational foundation for your letter.

The second paragraph works. It is a bit long in presentation and could use some shortening. Try to summarize what you are trying to say. It will help to keep the attention of the reviewer focused on your motivation in relation to your previous studies and professional intentions.

As for the third paragraph, you should remove the first sentence. Again, you do not need to keep using unnecessary introductions. Focus only on the motivational presentation. Your true problem is that you are over presenting yourself in every paragraph. Try to keep it short, just concentrate on the academic motivation in one paragraph, the professional motivation in the next, then the personal motivation before you discuss how the university choice brings together all of these motivations for you in one place, where you can grow as a student, a professional, and create an international network that can help you better develop as a person and professional.

@Holt
Thank you. This is such good advice, it has really helped me plan the structure. Just a follow up question - it is necessary to set out what I want to do after the LLM, for instance come back to India and work with law firms? Or can I keep it vague enough to say - with the knowledge I gain, I would like to work with international law firms?