Hey guys - Do you plan on sitting for the NY Bar after the LLM?

Do you have any idea how difficult the exam is for foreign lawyers? I know it is not impossible - since many people pass every year - but I would like to know what to expect.

Many thanks!

It is not the easiest bar their is to take but it is definitely possible for a foreign LLM student to pass it. There are about 5,000 people each year who are foreign trained lawyers who sit for the NY bar. There are more who sit for the NY bar than all the other states together!

Average passage rate of a foreign trained lawyer on the NY bar is about 33% over the past 5 years or so. For the CA bar, it is about 16% which is supposed to be the hardest (well maybe until the recent rewrite for Michigan). Passing the bar requires a lot of work for any state.

Go to a top university and your odds should improve ASSUMING you aren't doing classes totally in tax and not much else. If you plan to sit for the bar, take it not to long after you complete the LLM so a lot of the info is not lost. It is a great idea to start studying well in advance of the bar to improve your odds.