Hi,
Im a Spanish lawyer and last year I got an LL.M. in the US. This year in working in the US during the OPT period. I plan to take the NY Bar next july. However, Id like to go back to Europe, so the perfect city to practice what I like (international arbitration) is London. My problem is that I dont know how could get licensed in the UK. I heard about 2 options that Im not sure are true: a) If you have a law background (like undergraduate) you can go to Law School in the UK (not an LL.M.) just for a year and then spent the 2 years as a trainee. b) If you have the NY Bar, you can kindda to convalidate it in the UK passing few exams.
Can anybody with solid UK legal background help me??
Thanks, Id really appreciate it!

I've just posted on another thread - the requirements for UK qualification are at


www.sra.org.uk/solicitors/qltt/apply.page (outline of application process)

www.sra.org.uk/documents/solicitors/qltt/qltt-appl (gives details of the requirements for lawyers qualified in different jurisdictions in the table at the end.)

I am no expert, but it seems from the table that the options are:
(i) if Spanish qualified (as an Abogado
Magistrado
Notario or
Procuratore) and eligible under the relevant directive, you can qualify by taking all four heads of the transfer test. I have a feeling that the directive may require a minimum level of experience in Spain;
(ii) if NY qualified, you can qualify by taking only three heads of the transfer test, but you have to have two years' experience in practising NY law, including both contentious and non-contentious experience. It doesn't sound as though you have this experience?

I'd recommend telephoning or emailing the solicitors' regulation authority and asking them.

Another thing you might want to consider is whether it would be possible to get a job with one of the US firms in London based on your NY qualification (and practise here as a foreign lawyer). I don't have a good feel for your chances, but from a quick look at www.legalweek.com a number of the US firms seem active in the arbitration field.