Ok,I need somebody to help me out here.... a few weeks ago I was distraught to find out that I am ineligible to sit for the CA Bar, having done a four year LLB in Law with American Law in the UK, then an LLM in a US law school. So I opted for New York, which I thought would be a sure thing.... but now I am freaking out about that!!! They say you should be able to tell from the rules whether you are eligible or not, but I can't.... the problem lies in Rule 520.6 (Legal Education in a foreign law school). It requires that you have completed all educational requirements to qualify for admission to practice in my home country. Well, technically I haven't. I have satisfied the ACADEMIC requirement but, in order to practice as a soilicitor/barrister, I would have to complete an additonal one-year vocational course (LPC/Bar) Now, I guess this is the equivalent of the US Bar, because once the exam is passed you can practice, but the difference is, it is compulsory (unlike barbri courses etc). So am I eligible or not??
I know for a fact that people from the UK with only an LLB (no LPC/bar OR US LLM) have, in the very recent past, sat for the NY Bar. So, have the Rules changed in the last year? Or is it that the Board of Examiners is satisfied with the LLB as an equivalent as the JD, and see the LPC/Bar as the equivalent to the US Bar? If any one has ANY knowledge as to this, please respond! (I would call the Board but the website says they have no knowledge of such things of which, having dealt with the CA Board, I am quite convinced).

Sorry about the news. It sucks!! Here's my $0.02.

Scenario 1
I have a friend who has just an LLB from Nigeria. He didn't complete the 1-yr requirement that enables him to be called to the bar in Nigeria. Technically he isn't a lawyer but a law graduate. He also didn't enroll for the LLM but simply sent in his application to take the NY bar and was allowed to take the Bar Exam.

Scenario 2
My best friend who is already in lawyer (active practice for 7 years) in Pakistan. Did an LLM with me. Sent in her application to sit for the NY Bar Exam. Result? She was denied. NY said they did not recognize her LL.B. She is now registered to take the Ohio Bar in Feb 2006.

Each State usually has a subjective approach. But the burden of proof lies in your hands. Most boards tend to consider an LLB as an equivalent of the JD. And you've met the LLM. 24 Credits?

My question to you is.

Did you get your LLM from an American Bar Association (ABA) approved law school?????

I gather from your post, that you've already sent in your application.

1. Perhaps you should just wait until you hear back from them. Usually eight to ten weeks.
2. You may want to stay away from those States (OH/MO/TN/CA/IL etc) that do the 'educational equivalency' thing & apply to those States that accept LL.Ms on their face. NC is one. Confirm as the rules just changed in August 2005.

3. At this point your goal is to take & pass one States' Bar and then waive (reciprocity) to your Dream State. The rules are constantly changing. But as you said, others have done it. It shouldn't matter whether the Board sees the LPC/Bar as the equivalent to the US bar.

You aren't applying as a legal consultant.

Try posting your question at www.malet.com (discussion forum). Best of luck & let me know how it goes.

Thanks for the info.... Like you, i know fo many people who have done the LLB (no LLM) and qualified, but its does seem to be subjective...

Do you know what - i think I may be ok with NY. I just re-read the application form and it says : I [ ] have [ ] have not completed the eudcational (academic) requirements for admission to the Bar in my home country." Well, I HAVE completed the ACADEMIC requirements - just not the vocational requirement - so I am thinking I should be ok.... fingers crossed. Otherwise, why would they put "academic" in parenthesis??

And, yes. I obtained my LLM from the University of Houston - ABA accredited.

Great News.....You'd be just fine!!!

i've spoken to the ny bar people about this - you're fine!

I have an important question about the LLB plus US LLM. I have read on past boards that a 2-Yr LLB form the UK plus a 1-Yr US LLM would not suffice for entry to the bar. I have yet to submit my materials for consideration but would just like to hear what you guys think. According to s. 520.6 (b)(1)(ii) - you can cure a durational equivalency requirement (normally 3 years) if the applicant has at least two years of substantively equivalent education (2-Year 'graduate' LLB from the UK) and that applicant has successfully completed a full-time or part-time program consisting of a minimum of 20 semester hours of credit, or the equivalent, in professional law subjects, which includes basic courses in American law, in an approved law school in the United States. So a 2-Yr LLB from a UK university - I attend the University of Edinburgh - and a 1-Yr LLM from an ABA approved university in the U.S. would work right? I am assuming a UK LLB is substantively equivalent to legal education in the US as they are both based on principles of English Common Law. Please let me know what you think. Thanks!

Thanks for the info.... Like you, i know fo many people who have done the LLB (no LLM) and qualified, but its does seem to be subjective...

Do you know what - i think I may be ok with NY. I just re-read the application form and it says : I [ ] have [ ] have not completed the eudcational (academic) requirements for admission to the Bar in my home country." Well, I HAVE completed the ACADEMIC requirements - just not the vocational requirement - so I am thinking I should be ok.... fingers crossed. Otherwise, why would they put "academic" in parenthesis??

And, yes. I obtained my LLM from the University of Houston - ABA accredited.

Sorry,

they no longer accept the LLB, LLB/LPC, or any other combination without a training contract.
Even with this, you will probably need to do the LLM, before the bar.
This is the price we pay for not letting US attorneys into the the UK without a training contract.

What????

Since when did they no longer accept the LLB??

I am getting completely contradictory answers from everyone!!!!!!!!!

Sorry - more specifically: Templeman - why do you "believe" NY no longer accepts the LLB? And: Katxyz - when did you speak to the NY Bar people about this, and who specifically did you speak to...?

I am planning to sit for the NY bar in February and simply can't waste four months studying for it if I am, dead cert, ineligible. Does anyone know for sure what the situation is.....? Pleeeease??

This is what I know based on personal knowledge:

NY accepts the 5 yr LLB from Nigeria.
NY denied the 3 yr ? LLB from Pakistan. (I stand to be corrected as per the # of years). But the bottom line is the application was denied.

Templeman could very well be right, depending on the country where the LLB was received. I hope he will clarify his assertion.

Each foreign law graduate brings something different to the table, and what works for you, may not work for another applicant. Don't forget that we are all not experts here and the onus is on you to conduct your research properly outside of this forum.

http://www.livejournal.com/users/llm_girl/

Sorry to write such a quick one before!
I believe that an LLB from the UK IS sufficient to sit the bar exam in NY. The LPC is a professional course, not an academic one, and isn't relevant if you are not planning to practice in the UK.
Check out the rules yourself (again!) but I believe they say something like, foreign applicants are eligible if they have completed a course of study equivalent to that undertaken by an American law student - i.e. 3 years of law school.
I went to a lecture on this subject at Penn Law - they said that a 3-year (or longer) LLB is fine for the NY bar.
I'm actually in a different situation, so I called up the bar people and although they say they can't "officially" tell you they have lists of the qualifications of different countries, and since they get a lot of people from the UK they are familiar with our procedures. She said that you EITHER need a 3 year (or longer) LLB, OR the CPE/GDL, the LPC and an LLM from an American law school.
You have to send off for approval of your credentials in order to sit the NY bar exam - it's free anyway, so why don't you just do that?!
I am confused as to why you can't sit the California bar - I thought the requirements for UK lawyers were even easier?

In order to sit for the CA bar you have to have completed two years udergrad, PLUS four years legal education. This is so regardless of the fact that law is undergrad in the UK. So, when they assessed my credentials, they counted two of my four-yr LLB towards the general two-yr education requirement, and told me as a result I needed at least two more years of law study!!! However, had I actually have been admitted to practice in the Uk, I would have been ok apparently.
I called the NY Bar and told them my fears. The guy I spoke to said that as far as he knows the full-time UK LLB on its own is fine, and my LLM is actually suprfluous - he foresaw no problem at all for me. Relief.

I would still, however, be interested in knowing why Templemen thought otherwise....?

an LLB is definitely recognized. and why wouldn't it be, especially if it has been received from a recognized UNiversity in a common law country! as far as LLM requirement, I know for sure that CA doesn't require an LLM as long as you're admitted to practice in your country. If you're not admitted, they'll do an evaluation of legal studies and you would be approved on a case by case basis. NY is more liberal, since a large number of foreign attorneys take the bar every time it is administered. So if you have an LLB, and have completed their legal study requirements, you should be fine. good luck!