Foreign Attorney looking for a job in USA for placement with some Law Firm. What all he needs to do to qualify for law firm job: LL.M. or Bar Exam or both. Which LL.M. Course of which University will take him to job fastest way.
Understand some Universities like Howard University in Washington DC, prepares its LL.M. students very well to pass the DC Bar Exam in first attempt after LL.M. in Comparative Law.
Will CA Bar Exam pass qualify to be admitted to NYS Bar with NYS Bar Exam; or he will have to appear all over again to pass this exam as well after CA Bar Exam.
Thanks for your help

first of all, a foreign attorney may better look for job FOR a USA law firm to work out of USA and not IN USA.

LL.M from an ABA approved law school shall entitle a candidate to take the Bar exam for several States; however, you are a foreign attorney, you do not need any study in USA for taking CA bar exam.

several law schools prepare LL.M students for the Bar Exam mostly during Summer; Washington Univ in St Louis provides special coaching to its students for taking NY Bar exam during July.

Thanks for your quick update and nice suggestion; for me it is too late to work for US law firm outside of US. In the process of settlement and with hopes to earn while learn, exploring all possible options. One senior attorney practising in USA came to USA thirty years ago and he suggested that instead of struggling here and there (with very little chances of getting a job) I should go to Howard University (due to cost factor this is cheapest University) and join Master in Comparative Law and in this process they prepare their candidates for Bar and one could pass Bar and as per him I should start practising as attorney straight after getting out of Bar.
Pl guide me best possible way to pass the CA Bar in least possible time and start working. Are theire any good review coaching classes to help in this exercise. Is it easy to pass CA bar. I ultimately intend passing NY Bar which according to your discussion board, there is no need and it is just enough to do CA bar. If I want to practise in Washington DC area, what all I should be doing.
Thanks once again and look forward to your kind advice and guidance to move further without losing any more time.

Sorry to repeat immediate concern again for early guidance:
1) Most Important and urgent aim: Legal Job with some law firm at this advancing age of Sixties:
2) Some friend suggested that LL.M. will take no where unless I am lucky to find out the Hot Subject Course and University offering such which can straightway place me with some law firm based ont his hot subject course; I would like to know that course and University and deadlines;
3) It was suggested that for Job Purpose only, I should take 2-years J.D. Programme for international students which are offered by Northwestern University and it will be great help getting a job; I need some one's experience here;
3) Do Paralegal certification course: If this can again help getting into some paralegal job to start with and then continue further to upgrade; at leastimmediate purpose is achieved.
4) Last option being do Bar; can anyone suggest whether Bar passing will be more helpful to get a job rather than own practice.
5) I think I am eligible for NYS Bar with 3-years law degree from India which is common law country and I think there is no need to go for CA first and then NYS unless some one can share his experience of attempting NYS straight and getting a no or being asked to do extra 20-hours credit or LL.M.
6) Does CA Bar have exam centres in Washington DC area or it is done only at CA location;
7) Shortest and easiest method to pass in least possible time. I am told NYS Bar is very hard to pass. Any advice on this and also some good study material and any review courses known for high quality coaching to pass this exam.

Early guidance and help is requested to move further since deadlines for may programmes are approaching fast.

Om

I have heard about the Executive LLM offered by Instituto de Empresa (Madrid) and Northwestern University in Chicago.

You can take the first semester on line with two weeks of classes in Madrid and keep working. And for the second semester they give you option to join Northwestern and by May you may graduate with enough credits to take the Bar exam in July.

This could be a suitable option because you can keep your job until December and then concentrate on the Master and the Bar Exam during the second semester.

The down side is that the cost of the LLM is 35,000 which at the current exchange rates is around $52,000.

I do not know if you have heard of this LLM and if you think that it can be a good option to get a job in the USA. Maybe the program is not very well known yet, but Northwestern is among the top 15 law schools in the USA.

Best regards

FOR MR OM GULATI

you may send me a detailed resume as an attachment with your e-mail.

Resume sent as an attachment with email reply to the given email address of LLM GUIDE .

I shall eagerly look forward to your guidance. If anyone having tried straight to NYS Bar exam, can kindly share with me the experience. I have three years class-room attended LL.B. Degree from India which is a common law country. While going through their website, they want transcripts to be sent to them six months in advance for evaluation; generally, I am told, they ask you to get extra 20 hours credit in USlaw schoo.
I am told NYS Bar is the hardest. Any one kindly guide me how to go further if NYS Bar can get me a good job with law firm instead of taking up independent practice. I am told BarBri review course is better to help in this process.

Thanks all over again and look forward hearing from all concerned with this experience to share with me their personal experiences in this process.

Reply to LLMaster.
Thanks for your views. I have not heard of Madrid route. I feel I am eligible to apply for NYS Bar without LL.M. unless I hear to the contrary from some one else based on his experience. Otherwise, I will think of the option of CA Bar route; but finally that may help only in self practice. Any one can help guide me to enter into job market area.

Thanks once again
Om

Hi Everyone

Can anyone suggest list of ABA approved law schools offering 2-year Combined LL.M.-JD or two-year JD programmes for Foreign Law Degree holders. Northwestern University is offering 2-years JD course. I would request all to share this information with me ASAP.
Thanks once again to everyone for your time and guidance.
Om

Omgulati,

I guess that in order to take the NY Bar Exam you need at least 20 credits obtained in a US ABA approved school. This could be obtained throught a LLM or any other legal course providing the requested amounts of credits.

Regarding you question about the 2 year JD, the conversation within the link below may be of your interest.

http://www.llm-guide.com/board/24112/last/

Best regards.

Hi LLMaster
Many many thanks for your guidance. I did explore on NYS requirement of additional 20 hours and LL.M. and that is the reason I started pursuing this route to join LL.M. In fact I have already applied to NYU and George Washington while applications for other schools are already in process. It is here that I came in contact with this Guide and stopped further. Based on several threads and carefully going through NYS requirements; technically I do fulfil their requirements but did not apply thinking that they will insist on 20-hours credit requirements as advised by you.
Job being the most important criteria and LL.M. never taking you there and you can only go to NYS Bar or CA Bar - idea came through this board. Someone suggesting it is waste of one year and money if we can directly to go Bar exam. This means setting up own practice instead of getting into job. I have been exploring everything possible and taking advantage of guidance of learned hands like you to share your experiences, if I can straightway to to NYS Bar without LL.M. I do have three year class room attended Law Degree and I am also an admitted attorney in India as on date.
Thanks for your guidance. I am looking forward the views of all other friends sharing their experiences with me to guide my fourther course and direction.
Thanks
Om

Hi Om,

I'm a foreign trained attorney (from Canada) and recently took the NY Bar exam. I found it to be pretty challenging- there are more than 20 subjects and at least 4 types of questions (national and state multiple choice, NY essays and a NY practice exam which gives you a real world legal problem and asks you to "solve" it by writing a brief or a will, for example). I used a test preparation program called BarBri (it's probably the most common one) and another one called PMBR (to prepare for the national questions).

I've had difficulty finding a job in the US and have considered the LLM but I'm told the job market's not that much better for foreign trained attorneys with LLMs. The truth is, there are enough US JDs looking for jobs and firms are likely to pick them first. On the other hand, doing really well in a specialized LLM program (like one in tax) is bound to yield great job prospects.

Hope that helps.

Hi dear Canadianista
Sincere thanks for your inputs. How much time did you spend on your preparation for Bar and whether you could pass first time. Did you take some classes or just study at home on Barbri material. Early guidance will be a great help.

Thanks once again

I also look forward knowing the experiences of similarly placed other friends.

Om

I spent about two months studying for the exam. I took the BarBri program self study option because I wasn't in NY. Basically, they send you all the lectures on Ipod and you complete the assignments on your own. It works fine if you're an independent person but not so well if you like to go to class and meet other students, discuss lectures, groan together.

Thanks a lot dear Canadianista.

Have you already passed the NY Bar or still to appear. I would like to know whether you could pass at first attempt just on own study; by the way how much did it cost for this review course.
I am also not in NY. I am in VA and attending classes will be difficult unless they are online.

Please update me on the above - total cost and how strong it makes you to pass in first attempt.

Thanks once again and look forward hearing from you soon

Om

Dear Canadianista

Shall greatly appreciate your personal email; somehow very tempted to corresspond with you directly. My emai id is omgulati@gmail.com.
1. Suppose you have been certified eligible for NYS Bar without LL.M. or you took LL.M. - what subject, where and what cost.
2. Have you applied to NYS Bar exam and any outcome of result of your application; I think you are appearing in Feb exam; best of luck.
3. I think I will have first to apply to NYS Bar exam and get eligibility confirmation for which they evaluate your transcripts and then tell you whether you are okay or need to get additional credits.

Shall greatly appreciate your inputs and experiences.

Shall greatly appreciate guidance from all other friends.

Thanks in advance

Om

In some states, Barbri offers classes for the NY exam. I'm not sure VA is one of them. You can always choose the self study option and learn the material on your own. From what I recall, it was about $3000 to $4000 for the program. It was definitely expensive!

I don't have an LLM but was eligible to take the NY Bar exam because I had an LLB. Like you said, you'll have to submit your transcrips and see if you're eligible based on your law studies. I passed the NY Bar and am waiting to be admitted.

Good luck!

Many many thanks and Congratulations. I am sure you passed NYS Bar in first attempt based on your 2-months home study. I feel encouraged and shall submit my transcripts for their evaluation. I have passed LL.B. after 3-year class-room attended programme besides an LL.M. (2-years distance learning programme) of Indian Universities. India is a common law country and based on your feed-back I think I should qualify to appear directly without LL.M.

I would like to be in touch with you if you can provide me your personal email address. Btw where are u located and which country and University you passed out LL.B. which I believe should be 3-years to meet the requirements of NYS Bar.
Another question: Does NYS Bar entitle you to practice only in NY or other states as well.

Thanks once again and look forward hearing from you soon before I start the process of filing application for NYS Bar.
Om

I have a law degree from India. I am relocating to US soon and would like to know what kind of jobs I can get with my law degree. I understand that to practice law in US I would require a degree from US and also have to give the bar exam. I would also like to know if there is any kind of paralegal course available that I can take and then find a job? Or is there any kind of job I would find with my degree from India and experience?
Thanks.

With just your Indian law degree, you cannot get any job in USA unless you have US law qualification. For ABA-approved paralegal courses, Georgetown University offers such paralegal course and I think they have three months full time course starting May this year. You can search their website for paralegal. I think if you get paralegal from ABA-approved law school, you may perhaps get a chance to get paralegal job.

Thank you very much!!! If you don't mind could you suggest me some other schools that have ABA approved paralegal programs in the state of Massachusetts?? Or is there any web link that might help me decide on this???
Thanks.