Can anyone please shed light on the re-qualification of foreign lawyers in New Zealand and Australia? Is it very difficult to get admitted? I hold a fresh LLB degree from India.

Hello,

I have finished my LLB in UK and my LLM as well. Ι then finished my bar exams in Cyprus which has similar subjects to the UK. if I had to take the bar exam in the UK I would be exempted from certain exams.

I am eligible to apply for a job in Australia or for a practicing position?
Do I need to take any bar exams and if yes I am exempted from any of these exams?

<blockquote>Hello,

I have finished my LLB in UK and my LLM as well. Ι then finished my bar exams in Cyprus which has similar subjects to the UK. if I had to take the bar exam in the UK I would be exempted from certain exams.

I am eligible to apply for a job in Australia or for a practicing position?
Do I need to take any bar exams and if yes I am exempted from any of these exams?</blockquote>

Hello, Tom. The answer is no. You would not be exempted from any of the exams.

An LLM is completely useless for practice in Australia for an overseas trained lawyer.

However, since the UK is a common law country, you may get some credit transfered from your UK LLB into a 3-year Australian JD. Some or all electives at most.

Still, you would need to take the core subjects in Australian Law, which will probably take you 2 yrs + 1 articles of clerk = 3 total. You can't expect a position before this time, nor can it be guaranteed, since unfortunately for us, there is no shortage of lawyers in Australia.

Regards,