Hi,

I have a foreign LLM degree (from India) with 7 years of law firm experience. Now I am planning to join the one year LLM program at Duke University which is meant for the international students. I have heard that even after successful completion of the program a person is not eligible to sit in the bar exam in all US states except a few like NY, CA etc. I was wondering if anybody know how are the job prospects after LLM in US and if one gets a NY license is there any way he/she will be allowed to practice in other states also?

Hi,
once u clear the bar examination, the chances are much better. The job scene as of now is really really bad.

I have also applied for Duke and from India only.Hv u got the admission confirmation.

No, I have not applied yet. Before applying I wanted to make sure if I can sit in the bar exam for all the US states or atleast in North Carolina. Currently, I reside in NC and want to practice in NC after my LLM. I have heard that after getting a bar licence in NY state, there are some other ways by which one can practice in other states also, but I dont know how.

Many law firms won't consider you unless you have a J.D. degree. At the University of Hawaii, it is possible for strong LLM students to transfer into the UH J.D. Program, which would take at least another two years to complete. The good thing is that you would not need to take the LSAT examination and you would receive two degrees in about 3 and a half years.

The job market in the US is really bad at the moment. It is nearly impossible for LL.M. students to find a job here. You might consider taking the CA bar exam which you can take without having studied law in the US. It is only required to be admitted to a bar of a foreign country, This way would save you much money and you could test your market value after having passed the CA bar exam (the toughest in the US though).

Thanks Hanna for your advice. I will definitely try to take a chance in the CA bar exam first, before enrolling into the LLM program.

Sak, I dont want to spend 2 years for the JD program, thats the reason I am looking for either one year LLM program or if there is any way to sit in bar exam directly without any US law degree. Thanks for your advice.