Great thread. I have been in the US for 2 yrs now and had given up hope of practicing law here..setting to become a legal assistant instead. Can you tell me exacly HOW difficult the cal bar really is? I am thinking it is not an impossible task for those of us who are relatively smart, have crammed and memorized statutes from cover to cover and spent days and nights pouring over case law to pass our local bar exams... am i wrong? I just need some reassuarance that it can be done before i spend almost $1000 on it.

Thanks.

It can be done. I knew a lawyer from Jamaica and a lawyer from the Phillipines who both passed the California bar.

Hello richardvf
I'm Carolina, from Buenos Aires, Argentina. I got my law degree at the university of Buenos Aires, last year. I would like to settle in the states. What are my options? I've been reading bout the CA and NY bar exams, but got really confused because i can't figure put if i need a post graduate study just to be able to sit for them.

Honestly, i hate law, and i'm not interested in making a fortune out of it, so, if i sat for the exam, would i be able to make a living?

Thanks

Car

Hi Carolina. Are you a licensed attorney in Argentina? If you are, you are eligible to take the California bar exam without any further legal education in the US. However, since you have a civil law backround, you should probably consider attending law school here in the US for an US law LL.M before trying to take the California bar exam.

The California Bar has recently changed its requirements regarding educational requirements for foreign law school graduates who are not attorneys. I don't really know the new requirements, but I do know that it would be very difficult for civil law school graduates to meet the educational requirements, even with an US LL.M. For California, the easiest way to qualify to take the bar exam is to be a licensed attorney. It doesn't matter where. If you are a licensed attorney in East Timor, you can take the California bar exam.

I don't know about New York. Maybe somebody else can help you. However, I am fairly certain that you would need to obtain an LL.M to take the New York bar exam.

Personally, I would rather practice law in California than New York. The job market for lawyers is tough in California and New York, but it seems to be worse in New York. If you are able to obtain the legal right to work in the US (getting a law license in the US does not automatically give you the legal right to work in the US), with your Spanish speaking skills, you would probably be able to get a job in California and make a living.

If you hate law why do you want to practice it? The easiest way to get the work visa and permanent residency in the US is to be a nurse. There is a severe shortage of nurses in the US, and the US allows nurses from all over the world to live in the US to fill this shortage. Nurses can make over $100,000 per year with a little bit of overtime. You might not want to be a nurse, but it is the easiest way to get to the states right now. Once you get licensed, it is possible to get a law firm to sponsor you for a work visa. But that is not that common unless you work for a large firm. Good luck.

I'm sorry to be such a pain in the ...! But suppose I don't take that exam, is it possible to get a job as a legal assistant or I won't be able to get even tthat job?

Thanx and I'm sorry again for bothering you!

Car

To all foreign lawyers in the US (including myself): I hope we all agree on one thing that LLM will never replace JD degree.
If you intend to practice law in the US with LLM you have to understand that you are "handicapped" (class B if it sounds better) from educational point of view.
If all you want from LLM is to be able to sit for NY bar exam, i think i have good news how to save admission headaches and $25,000 tuition + another $10,000 for living expenses.
Here is what you can do:
Stage One: Get admitted to your home Bar.
Stage Two: Take and pass California bax exam as attorney admitted in foreign jurisdiction.
Stage Three: no no no, just two.
Congratulations. You saved $35,000, one year of your life, admission headaches AND you can call your self US attorney now.
Questions?

You do not need a law degree to sit the California State Bar Exam. You do not even need 'a degree' at all. You can just sit the California Bar and then do the New York one a few months later.

Alternatively, if you want to save yourself countless thousands of dollars on bar preparation courses and flights and accommodation trekking around the USA, you can just become qualified in your own jurisdiction. Make sure your home Bar or Law Society has a reciprocity agreement with the New York State Bar Examiners Office, otherwise you will have wasted loads of time and money, and you will have to go the California route.

Also, you have to make sure that your law degree is a law degree recognised by the NY Bar Examiners. If it isn't recognised, you will have to go the California route.

Furthermore, the NY Bar Examiners require you to have a minimum duration requirement of a 3 year undergraduate law degree from a University they recognise. If you only have a 2 year undergrad law degree (like some accelerated graduate-entry courses) you will not meet the duration requirement.

They WILL NOT count a Masters course as making up the missing year. The 3 years must be made up of 'undergraduate' study. They will count summer courses that get you ABA credits. 2 summer courses and a 2 year degree will generally qualify you in the eyes of the NY Bar Examiners.

Overall, getting qualified in your home jurisdiction and then getting NY qualified will make you an attractive prospect for some of the international law firms. For example, if you are qualified in, say Ireland, and the NY firm is looking to do business there, they may decide "Great stuff! We can get this guy to do all the Irish work we would have had to hire someone in that country to do. That will save us loads of money! Spot of Golf anyone? I'll take us in my new Bentley!"

Some, or most of this, has probably already been said in earlier posts, but I got lazy and couldn't be bothered reading 6 pages of broken English. No offence...

California - for foreign graduates, you need to be qualified in another jurisidiction, be it NY, England & Wales, or elsewhere in order to sit CA exam. Otherwise a Californian JD or LLM is needed

New York - I don't know of any Law Societies or Bar Associations with NY reciprocity. Irish and UK trained solicitors still have to pass the NY bar in exactly the same way as a recent graduate would. Presume it's exactly the same for civil law grads etc.

California - for foreign graduates, you need to be qualified in another jurisidiction, be it NY, England & Wales, or elsewhere in order to sit CA exam. Otherwise a Californian JD or LLM is needed

New York - I don't know of any Law Societies or Bar Associations with NY reciprocity. Irish and UK trained solicitors still have to pass the NY bar in exactly the same way as a recent graduate would. Presume it's exactly the same for civil law grads etc.

Allow me to clarify:
CA - LLM required for a foreign graduate but only if not qualified in home jurisdiction. Obviously the state doesn't require an LLM from a Californian or other US law grad (JD is sufficient for them).

NY is broad in terms of the foreign graduates it allows sit its exams. Lots of common law (SA, Aus, NZ, Ire, UK, Can) take it, as do many continental Europeans, Asians and more.

Basically, if you're from an English-speaking, common law country, it's plain sailing.

In US bar admission terminology, 'reciprocity' refers to the ability to qualify in multiple states after serving time practising in one state (e.g it applies in Washington and Oregon, to name just two). Candidates don't have to sit a second bar exam.

The Texas bar exam allows foreign lawyers to write the bar:there is no pre qualification process like NY or California. You have to fill the bar exam application and 1 important requirement is :

" you should have been licensed for atleast 5 -yrs out of the last 7 yrs ( if you do not have an LLM from US)

I applied to qualify and the procedure is long.. you need to get letter from your bar council, university, employers. The bar examiners write to all of them to verify each information you provide".

Anyone who has taken this route? A 2 year llb followed by the UK bar then the California bar?

Besides searching on net extensively, I have discussed the matter with several attorneys and law professors in USA. The best route for practicing law in USA is 24 credits hours study in an ABA approved law school; it may be LL.M OR a non-degree seeking course; or part-time LL.M. In USA the Bar Licence is granted State-wise; however, if you are registered as an Immigration attorney with any State Bar, you can practice [immigration laws] throughout the country.

You don't need to register. If you have a law license from any state and are admitted to practice before the immigration court, you can practice immigration law in California.

Thanks richardvf.

But what about if i'm a LLM student in a CA law school and do not clear the CA bar nor any other licences in US or foreign countries? is there any way i can be qualified as a lawyer practising immigration laws?

Thanks in advance.

maurice

Mauricel, you will have to pass a bar exam in an American jurisdiction in order to practice immigration law in the U.S.

Hi there, u want to say that i am able (not only me) to become US attorney without US education?
Might be, but one year as LLM in USA (ivy-leaque) will give me more that education:
1) Lets agree that my language skills will much more increase
2) Without LLM in US univ.(ivy-leaque) i will "handicapped" (class B) :)
3) LLM in USA give opportunity to learn american law (laws) in real circumstances
4) And not save one year but spend it in brilliant great community of US ivy-leaque univ.
It might be that anybody will not agree with me but I think in such a way........
By the way, i have graduate univ. in my home country but i think i need LLM in USA to feel myself professional than foreign attorney.......Regards

I totally agree with you with regard to spending one great year of your life in one of the US law school.
My idea is likely to seem more attractive to those who consider LLM as trampline to admission to NY or any other Bar and who do not have extra $35,000 and/or do not want to sacrifice one year for of their life to academic studies of law.
As for language skill, i am not sure that LLM is a right place to improve English language skills.

Charles

Just woruld like to share my experience. I have written confirmation from CA bar that i can take its GBX [general bar exam] once i got a LLM in US.

However, if you're admitted as a Chinese lawyer, you may register as an attorney appliant: http://www.calbar.ca.gov/state/calbar/calbar_generic.jsp?cid=10115&id=1008

For more information re foreign lawyers aiming at admitting to CA bar, you may check:
http://calbar.ca.gov/calbar/pdfs/admissions/Outside-Ed-Bulletin.pdf

regards
maurice

Much appreciated for your kind advice,mauricel.

I am just concerned that whether I will be able to take the exam as attorney appliant and it has no other requirement on legal background.

Would you mind confirming that?I sent an email to CA bar association but not heard back from them.

Charles

You need to register as a attorney applicant on-line and the pre-requisite is you need a Social Security Number, but if you don't have, you need to call them at 213-765-1000
in LA to get an registration and Social Security number exemption form. They will send it to you via post.

This is the only way you can get the form, then you may follow their instructions and you should be able to make application to apply for the CA bar exam as an attorney.

Whether you have a law degree or not in China is not important as you're already an admitted lawyer. You may read this; http://www.calbar.ca.gov/calbar/pdfs/admissions/77sf.pdf

Let me know if i can be of any help.

regards
maurice

Charles

You need to register as a attorney applicant on-line and the pre-requisite is you need a Social Security Number, but if you don't have, you need to call them at 213-765-1000
in LA to get an registration and Social Security number exemption form. They will send it to you via post.

This is the only way you can get the form, then you may follow their instructions and you should be able to make application to apply for the CA bar exam as an attorney.

Whether you have a law degree or not in China is not important as you're already an admitted lawyer. You may read this; http://www.calbar.ca.gov/calbar/pdfs/admissions/77sf.pdf

Let me know if i can be of any help.

regards
maurice