I’m posting this inquiry because I couldn’t find a clear answer. I saw a similar question from 2012, but it was left unanswered.

I’m a Juris Doctor (JD) graduate from the Philippines, and I didn’t take the bar exam here as I’m planning to move to the US. Can I sit for the New York Bar even though I graduated from a foreign law school and am not a licensed lawyer in my home country? Any guidance or similar experiences would be greatly appreciated!

You need an equivalent number of years of education in a common law tradition substantially similar to the United States. A Canadian or Australian JD may qualify, for example. A Filipino JD may meet the durational requirement (at least 3ish years of law after a bachelor’s degree), but you may not meet the substantive common law requirement. You would have to check with NY BOLE whether or not your law school is deemed equivalent. If not, you may be able to “cure” the deficiency by first attending an LLM program in the US at an ABA approved law school, and then being called to the NY bar.

*edited for accuracy as at least some, but not all, Filipino JDs have been deemed equivalent by NY BOLE*

[Edited by balloonlaw on Oct 27, 2024]