Smartguy, thanks for your post. I was just wondering what had led you to the US while you're saying foreign attorneys can't be competitive without a JD.

P.S. Off-topic:My full support to your statements about the fact that the Russians have to learn a lot but this is still (or wil be) a great country.

Masha is perfect :))
I do not have other choice than calling you "smart guy". If it's not a "gostaina", what is the niche you are talking about (I promise not to steal your idea :))

Masha is perfect :))
I do not have other choice than calling you "smart guy". If it's not a "gostaina", what is the niche you are talking about (I promise not to steal your idea :))

Wasn't I missing Russians on this forum!!! And here they are, speaking about the uselessness of LL.M education on the site with a name "LL.M-Guide". I am sure that you will find a lot of alter egos here.

Molodtsa, Tolik!!! Tak ih vseh!!!

Matreshka, nu nado j nam vydelitsia iz obschei massy.... Kak vse- neinteresno. Pravda, Tolik? :))

Hey hey girls!
Don't forget about non-Russian message board members. I understand that we are all coming coming from the biggest country in the world and I am making a suicide act by promoting non-LLM rout to bar admission :-))) but let's respect our non-Russian speaking collegues and get back to professional discussion in English.
Damnl.. i sound like forum administrator now :-)

Hi Smartguy: For a foreign lawyer without a LLM in US, he can't take the NY Bar Exam, but can take the California's, is that right? How can i get information from the California Bar Exam, any recommendatory website? Thanks!

http://www.calbar.ca.gov/state/calbar/calbar_generic.jsp?cid=10115 and http://www.calbar.ca.gov/calbar/pdfs/admissions/sf_legal-edu-outside-us.pdf

As a lawyer you will not have difficulties finding the relevant regulations :-)

Actually, if you do find them, please post them on this board, as I haven't...

Actually I plan take the bar in New York, so I wasn't looking too thoroughly...

http://calbar.ca.gov/calbar/pdfs/admissions/77sf.pdf

CA Bar allows ALL foreign attorneys to take its Bar exam. NY allows to take its Bar exam only to those law graduate whose legal tranining durationally and substantially equals to JD and the country of legal education is based on principles of common law (e.g. if you hold 3 years law degree from UK, Canada, Australia, NZ, Israel) If your law degree only satisfies one of these two requirements (e.g. at least 3 years long) then welcome to LLM, my friend.

Thanks, smartguy!

this is very interesing info, smartguy.
i wonder how many of us are admitted in any jurisdiction?

this is very interesing info, smartguy.
i wonder how many of us are admitted in any jurisdiction?

Still cant believe what http://calbar.ca.gov/calbar/pdfs/admissions/77sf.pdf is saying, although it does not specifically mention the common / roman law issue. That completely changes everything. So, the way to go would be to break the first obstacle in CA. and move on to other US jurisdictions as we' d see fit? Hell of a tactic, Id say.

Another question, there was an attorney from Louisiana that posted here sometime ago, but I just cant find his insertion. Would Smartguy know what the bar requirements at the blue napoleon code state (Louisiana) would be? I know LA. operates through codes of procedure - civil/roman based.

Nice going smartguy, I must admit it, you have overcome yourself!

"É o relatório"

I can answer this for smartguy.
I'm also a Russian attorney who considered a Louisiana LL.M some time ago. The director of an LL.M program told me that I can be admitted to practice law in Louisiana provided I'm a US permanent resident who obtained LL.M in LA.

As to your disbelief in California's opportunity, it's easy to prove smartguy's correctness. Check lawyers profiles in Lexis and you'll find lawyers from civil law jurisdictions admitted to practice law in CA. For instance, Olga Karasik, a Russian attorney passed Cal bar in 1994, but obtained her LL.M in 1996.

Please be advised, if you have a 3 year LLB from an English (common law) jurisdiciton ie. Canada, UK, Australia, NewZealand, you will qualify to sit the NY Bar WITHOUT the need for a US LLM.

All you smart guys...
Don't forget the hardest part is emigrating/getting a job.
Taking the bar is easy in comparison...

Hi, this is amazing information.
I am an Indian, with an LLB from India. Wish to know if this find from smart guy can REALLY allow me to take the NY Bar or the CA Bar.
Thanks

Hi, this is amazing information.
I am an Indian, with an LLB from India. Wish to know if this find from smart guy can REALLY allow me to take the NY Bar or the CA Bar.
Thanks

Hello everybody,

Congratulations and thank you to smart guy. His first posting is correct and very helpful.

In my personal job search experience in California passing the bar exam is not helpful for finding a lawyer job in good law firm. If they like you they will hire you anyway even without bar admission and ask you to pass the bar next time. The reason for that is procedure, procedure and again procedure. The big law firms follow strictly very formal procedure by hiring lawyers. No exceptions. They come in September in the law schools and interview only the top 20 % of the second year JD students. LL.M's are not in this group and are not interviewed. Then they offered them summer associate job for two months in the summer before the third year in the law school followed in most of the cases by job offer for the time after graduation and taking the bar exam.

So the bad news for the LL.M's is that LL.M and passing the bar do not guarantee any lawyer job in US. It will be smarter first to spot the job and then to pass the bar exam. You don't need LL.M. However if you have extra funds and one year, LL.M will be great experience, fun, studying and great new friends from all over the world.