Hi everybody, I have a really important q° about the eligibility to apply for a US LLM pg.

I intend to apply to US law schools such as NYU or Berkley for the year 2011/2012.
On their site it is written that candidates must hold " a professional degree from a law school by the time they begin the LLM pg" or that "for schools from Bologna signatory countries candidates must have academic credentials that permit them entry into legal practice; typically 3-year Bologna compliant bachelor's degree alone are not sufficient to meet this standard"
Plus, on the chart you can use on LSACs website it is written that in France you need to have a Maîtrise en droit (Master 1 = 4 years of law study) + proof of passing the French bar examination

I am a French student. I have:
- A Licence en droit (=Bachelor in law→ 3 years of law study)
- A Maîtrise en droit (=Master 1→ 4 years of law study)
- I am currently doing a Master 2 in banking and financial law in France (Master 2 droit bancaire et financier= 5 years of study). However we will have the final results in September 2011 as student can present their research project (un mémoire) until the beginning of September 2011. So I wont be able to give my final results to US law schools before LLM pgs begin in August 2011.

1) To make an LLM in the USA, are French students required to have passed the French Bar exam to be accepted ?

I thought it is a bit weird as people make an LLM in the USA to take the Bar exam in NY.

2) Is a Maîtrise en droit (4 years of law study) sufficient to be accepted considering I wont be able to give the results of my Master 2 ?

Thank you for your answers

Hi everybody, I have a really important q° about the eligibility to apply for a US LLM pg.

I intend to apply to US law schools such as NYU or Berkley for the year 2011/2012.
On their site it is written that candidates must hold " a professional degree from a law school by the time they begin the LLM pg" or that "for schools from Bologna signatory countries candidates must have academic credentials that permit them entry into legal practice; typically 3-year Bologna compliant bachelor's degree alone are not sufficient to meet this standard"
Plus, on the chart you can use on LSACs website it is written that in France you need to have a Maîtrise en droit (Master 1 = 4 years of law study) + proof of passing the French bar examination

I am a French student. I have:
- A Licence en droit (=Bachelor in law→ 3 years of law study)
- A Maîtrise en droit (=Master 1→ 4 years of law study)
- I am currently doing a Master 2 in banking and financial law in France (Master 2 droit bancaire et financier= 5 years of study). However we will have the final results in September 2011 as student can present their research project (un mémoire) until the beginning of September 2011. So I wont be able to give my final results to US law schools before LLM pgs begin in August 2011.

1) To make an LLM in the USA, are French students required to have passed the French Bar exam to be accepted ?

I thought it is a bit weird as people make an LLM in the USA to take the Bar exam in NY.

2) Is a Maîtrise en droit (4 years of law study) sufficient to be accepted considering I wont be able to give the results of my Master 2 ?

Thank you for your answers

According to eligibility requirements of some universities such as NYU and Haravard, applicants are not required to have passed bar exam or have a graduate degree in their home country. However, some universities such as Chicago have different policies. Finally having a high profile of academic excellency and experience will definitely help us stand out of the crowd and your background sounds helpful. I am applying to US law schools as well. hope it helps

What s important is that you have completed a degree that enables you to sit the bar exam in your country (master 1 pour la france).

What do you mean by chicago has a different policy? I ve applied and seen nothing different from other uni s!?

Thanks!

I actually didnt apply for this one but i guess Columbia law school is exactly a case in point which requires applicants from english jurisdictions who have not completed at least five years of post-secondary undergraduate and legal education combined must have been admitted to the bar and practiced for at least one year after completing their legal education. HLS and nyu are my favorites. I dont think having admitted to a bar is a must be requirment at most schools and i know many people who have been admitted to top law schools without such qualifications. I guess the universities look at your package as a whole. GL

SAMSA,

I see your point. For Columbia it is clear that you need at least one year experience, though if not, you can still be admitted if your resume is VERY good.

But I don't think being admitted to the bar is that important, at least for France for example. Actually, all the people I know who got in Columbia (only 3 persons but still!) did not have the (French) bar but rather a good resume with internship and/or work experience in top law firms/NGO's/banking groups. I guess it also depends on which jurisdiction you come from and how legal studies work.

I have a friend who went to Chicago without having passed the French bar exam yet, so I believe it wouldn't be a problem. All the people I know who got to CLS, HLS and NYU (quite some) had already passed the bar exam and were pacticing for a while.
Good luck to you all!