I am a California lawyer. It is not that difficult. If you are a lawyer in your home country you are eligible to take the California bar exam, period. Your education qualifications do not matter. Common law, civil law, it doesn't matter. A 3 year LL.B from the UK will be sufficient so long as you are a licensed lawyer in the UK. If you are not a lawyer in your home country you need to have the educational equivalent of 2 years of undergraduate and 4 years of common law legal education. An US LL.M would count as 1 year of the 4 years of common law legal education required.

Here is the information link if you are not a licensed attorney in your home country.
http://calbar.ca.gov/calbar/pdfs/admissions/sf_legal-edu-outside-us.pdf

Here is the information link if you are a licensed attorney.
http://calbar.ca.gov/calbar/pdfs/admissions/77sf.pdf

I am a foreign lawyer with LLM from India.. and applied to the cal bar in June.. to see if i am qualified.. the procedure is simple.. just register online as an attorney and send your home country bar council admission certificate which has details of registration no etc.. ( it took only 10 days for the process and i know that i can take the bar exam as Smart guy said..

Smart Guy: i have few questions for you.. I am aware that i need to do the MBE and General bar exam to do this.. But i dont know how to go about this.. ( Could i take the bar GB Exam & MBE together ) what is your take home on this.. what is the syllabus like.. which books to follow.. i am getting really confused trying to get these information.. could you pls help.. ?? Cheers

Hi,

congratulations on getting through the first step i.e registration. i plan to take the bar in Feb next year. frinds of mine suggested to buy the Barbri study material. this is good. one of my frnds has ordered for Celebrations bar exam preparation guide. i am waiting to hear from her about how good the materials are. you can log on to barbri.com to learn more about this.

priya

Hi Priya.. that is cool.. we can be buddies in preparing for the exam if you dont mind.. you can mail me @ rohinik26@gmail.com

Hi Smartguy

Need your comments here.

I've a 3-years JD in Hong Kong [quite similar to LLB in UK or Australia] but NOT a qualified lawyer in my home town and i want to practice law in CA. Can you please comfirm if the steps i'm taking make smart sense to you to become a CA lawyer?

1.make credential evaluations to CA Bar association-approved service to see how long di i need to take legal eduation in the US
2 make application to CA bar exam association re this education requirement;
3. get confirmation from CA bar association to see if i need one or more years of legal study, if yes, go ahead for LLM in US [can't save US$35,000]
4. try my best to get best results in this 9-month course;
5. try my best to get a job in one-year practical training; and simultaneoously take Bar exam;

What do you think? Many thanks for all of you here!

maurice

Hi,

congratulations on getting through the first step i.e registration. i plan to take the bar in Feb next year. frinds of mine suggested to buy the Barbri study material. this is good. one of my frnds has ordered for Celebrations bar exam preparation guide. i am waiting to hear from her about how good the materials are. you can log on to barbri.com to learn more about this.

priya

Social security requirement is exempted for foreign lawyers. You can check detail from the California Bar exam website.

You can also write the New York Bar Exam with a LL.B. from India, which is much cheaper to write, if your goal is to be a US certified attorney.

Social security requirement is exempted for foreign lawyers. You can check detail from the California Bar exam website.

You can also write the New York Bar Exam with a LL.B. from India, which is much cheaper to write, if your goal is to be a US certified attorney.

There are essays for California bar exam too. In fact the pass percentage is much less for California bar.

How easy is it to get a job with a Indian law degree in Canada ???

There are essays for California bar exam too. In fact the pass percentage is much less for California bar.

How easy is it to get a job with a Indian law degree in Canada ???

allright i'm confused.....i'm going to finish my LLB...and plan to do my LLM in the U.S...so should i do a J.D? or an LLM?....which is better and why...never heard of a JD before...forgive my ignorance :D.....hehe....thanks.

Do a J.D. program, chances of getting a job in the U.S. is greater, than doing a LL.M. However it may cost you more than
$1,00,000 in tuition and fees alone.

As a foreign lawyer from a CIVIL LAW system... to become an attorney in California... all you have to do is write the Bar exam?? Is this correct? Or do you also have to write the First Year Law Student Exam? I am a bit confused by their site.

If you are an attorney in your home country it DOES NOT matter if you come from a common law or civil law system. To get licensed in California, a foreign attorney must register with the bar, pass the character and fitness, pass the MPRE and pass the bar exam. You do not need to take the first year examination. You do not need an LL.M or J.D. Residence status does not matter. It is that simple.

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

Hi Smartguy,
I am a lawyer from Bombay University in India.Recently I did my LLM from Singapore but still I am not eligible for Bar in Singapore.I am planning to move to Houston in US.Can u tell me, do i have to do my LLM or (again) JD to be eligible in taking Houston Bar exam?Is anybody having idea about UK with India Law degree and Singapore LLM?As far as Job opportunities and salary is concerned, which one is better?Any rough idea about salary in both the countries.

There is no Houston Bar exam, it is the Texas Bar exam. You can take the New York and the California bar.

J.D. is the king in USA. Even if you have a Ph.D/S.J.D from outside USA, you may not get a job.

Doing LL.M. is OK for foreign attorneys who want to go back to their countries.Getting a job is almost impossible for foreign lawyers in the US. But I am wondering what is the use of a US LL.M., in thier home countries ????

How is the job market for lawyers in Singapore ???

Hi
I am a french law student intending to make an LLM next year in the US (California ideally) in order to take the bar exam there and get hired also there.
I am surprised you're saying that foreign lawyers have few chance to get a job in the US.
What would u recommend a law student who wants to settle dow in ths US to do then ?
thanks

I suggest you get a JD in two years at a good school. Getting an LLM is not the way to go if you want to stay in the U.S. more than a year after you are done with school. It is really hard to find a job, as you have less education in american law than your fellow job applicants. Some people get good jobs with an LLM. Maybe because of a certain expertise, top 10 school or language skills, but I would not recommend an LLM unless you want to return to your home country. I speak from experience. If you wish to settle down and do legal work, get your JD, if not you might be disappointed.

Hi,
I am planning to settle down in US with my family and no intention to go back to my country.So by doing LLM, my chance of getting Job is less in US.Is JD only for 2 years unlike other countries?Is there any other option if I do not want to do JD.
Job market for lawyers in Singapore is pretty good.Infact the supply is much less than the demand for lawyers.But there is no place for foreign lawyers who has done LLM in Singapore. They might end up doing some paralegal job.

Your chances of landing a good, permanent jobb with an LLM are small (though not non-existent) That is just how it is. Plus you will have to get a job to sponsor your visa. That will cost them some money. That makes you less worth too. Get a JD and hope someone wants to sponsor you when you are done.