Hello everyone,

Please help me, I am desperate because I cannot an answer to my question online. I have graduated with an LLM degree from an ABA Accredited law school in New York. I would like to sit for the New York Bar exam at some point. I have sent my documents to the NY Board of Law Examiners and I am awaiting a response.
I have a licence de droit from a French university which I have completed in person in France and a Master 1, also completed in person and in France. Both of these degrees add up to a Maîtrise de droit. I do not have a Master 2.
I was wondering if I also need a Master 2 in order to be deemed eligible, or are my degrees sufficient to be eligible to sit for the bar? I am eligible to sit for the CRFPA (French bar exam) in France since I only need a Master 1 to be able to do so.
I have sent all the necessary documents to the Board of Law Examiners. However, in order to satisfy the diploma requirement, I only sent my Maîtrise diploma with a translation, which shows that I have a BAC+4 but I did not send my official Licence diploma. Do you think that is an issue? They told me they have all required documents but I am afraid they will ask me for it later when they get to my file.
Do you think I am eligible to sit for the NY bar exam?

Thank you.

Bonjour Marion, 

Je pense que ca ne posera aucun problème, il est pas inhabituel que des étudiants avec seulement un M1 aillent faire un LLM puis passent le barreau de NY.

Les règles concernant les étudiants étrangers sont expliquées à la Rules 520.6(b)(1)
(https://www.nybarexam.org/Rules/Rules.htm#520.6):

Il ne faut surtout pas sur-interpréter le temps d'attente entre la soumission des documents et la confirmation que tout est ok. Cela peut prendre en 2 et 6 mois.

"§ 520.6 Study of Law in Foreign Country; Required Legal Education

(a) General. An applicant who has studied in a foreign country may qualify to take the New York State bar examination by submitting to the New York State Board of Law Examiners satisfactory proof of the legal education required by this section. 

(b) Legal education. The applicant must satisfy the educational requirements of either paragraph (1) or (2) of this subdivision.

(1) The applicant shall show fulfillment of the educational requirements for admission to the practice of law in a country other than the United States by successful completion of a period of law study in a law school or schools each of which, throughout the period of the applicant's study therein, was approved by the government or an authorized accrediting body in such country, or of a political subdivision thereof, to award a first degree in law, and satisfaction of the following requirements:

(i)(a) Durational requirements. The program and course of law study successfully completed by the applicant was substantially equivalent in duration to the legal education provided by an American Bar Association approved law school in the United States, and in substantial compliance with the instructional and academic calendar requirements of section 520.3(c)(1)(i) and (ii) and (d)(1) of this Part; and

(b) Substantive requirements. Such other country is one whose jurisprudence is based upon the principles of English Common Law, and that the program and course of law study successfully completed by the applicant were the substantial equivalent of the legal education provided by an American Bar Association approved law school in the United States.

(ii) Cure provision. An applicant who does not meet the requirements of subparagraph (i)(a) or (i)(b) may cure either the durational or substantive deficiency, but not both, under the following circumstances:

(a) Durational deficiency. If the applicant does not meet the durational requirements of subparagraph (i)(a), the applicant may cure the deficiency by providing satisfactory proof that the applicant has at least two years of foreign legal education that meets the substantive requirements of subparagraph (i)(b) and that the applicant has graduated from an LL.M. degree program at an American Bar Association approved law school in the United States meeting the requirements of subdivision (b)(3) of this section.

(b) Substantive deficiency. If the applicant does not meet the substantive requirements of subparagraph (i)(b), the applicant may cure the deficiency by providing satisfactory proof that the applicant meets the durational requirements of subparagraph (i)(a) and that the applicant has graduated from an LL.M. degree program at an American Bar Association approved law school in the United States meeting the requirements of subdivision (b)(3) of this section."

[Edited by # on Oct 28, 2021]

I am unfamiliar with French qualifications and how BOLE handles them. Keep in mind that the NY BOLE takes forever to evaluate foreign credentials. But if they do reject them, there are other states where an LLM will qualify you to sit the bar exam, and many of them use the same bar exam (ie the UBE) as New York. If you’re stressed out, maybe send your documents to DC, Washington, Vermont, California?

Hello everyone,

Please help me, I am desperate because I cannot an answer to my question online. I have graduated with an LLM degree from an ABA Accredited law school in New York. I would like to sit for the New York Bar exam at some point. I have sent my documents to the NY Board of Law Examiners and I am awaiting a response.
I have a licence de droit from a French university which I have completed in person in France and a Master 1, also completed in person and in France. Both of these degrees add up to a Maîtrise de droit. I do not have a Master 2.
I was wondering if I also need a Master 2 in order to be deemed eligible, or are my degrees sufficient to be eligible to sit for the bar? I am eligible to sit for the CRFPA (French bar exam) in France since I only need a Master 1 to be able to do so.
I have sent all the necessary documents to the Board of Law Examiners. However, in order to satisfy the diploma requirement, I only sent my Maîtrise diploma with a translation, which shows that I have a BAC+4 but I did not send my official Licence diploma. Do you think that is an issue? They told me they have all required documents but I am afraid they will ask me for it later when they get to my file.
Do you think I am eligible to sit for the NY bar exam?

Thank you.