Hi.

Can foreign lawyer (from civil law country, not requiring legal education to take bar exam, like China) take CA bar exam without LLM degree?

<blockquote>Oops!

I apologize to the original poster, I did not see the part that said you had already completed a LLM in the United States.

From what you've said, I think you will be approved to take the CA bar. But you should type up a very detailed statement of all of your legal education in the UK and the US, and mail it to the Cal bar in hardcopy form. Be as specific and detailed as you can. The online application doesn't give you much room to explain your education.</blockquote>

I agree with ipforme that jhwinter should be eligible to take CA bar as you have 4 + 1 years of undergraduate and graduate legal education. But you have to register as a law student applicant and then CA bar will proceed any enquiry that you mauy have have. After that, you need to do your crediential evaluations using CA bar approved agencies:
http://calbar.ca.gov/calbar/pdfs/admissions/Outside-Ed-Cred-Services.pdf

and then you need to submit a evaluation form to CA bar:
http://calbar.ca.gov/calbar/pdfs/admissions/Outside-Ed-Evaluate-Form.pdf in order to establish your education eligibility, and utimately they will give you a verdict that how much legal eductaion you may need before you may take CA bar exam.

but generally you need to read this:
htttp://calbar.ca.gov/calbar/pdfs/admissions/Outside-Ed-Bulletin.pdf

I got written approval to take CA bar only if i received a LLM [20 credits] in an ABA approved law schools. FYI, i have a 3-year BA, 2 year MA and a 3.5 years JD all from Hong Kong.

regards
maurice