Hi

I'm a licensed lawyer from Denmark. I plan to work either in Florida or Puerto Rico as a lawyer.

That is why I would appreciate to know if this is possible with out the J.D, but with an 1 year LLM curse and the bar exam?

Thanks
Silas

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You can always refer to: www.ncbex.org/fileadmin/mediafiles/downloads/Comp_

In short, negative to Florida (p.30), and "conditional" for Puerto Rico (p.33).

And of course i have a disclaimer here: do write to those bar organizations (p.43 - 46) to make sure all of the information are accurate and up-to-date.

Good luck.

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Thanks a lot for your response and link.

But I do have trouble understanding the requirements for Puerto Rico, because on the matrix at p.31, they marked NO to the following two questions:

If graduates of foreign law schools are eligible to take the bar examination under the rules in your jurisdiction, are any of the following required?
They marked "additional education at an ABA-approved law school"

And they marked NO to this:
"If a foreign law school graduate obtains an LL.M. or other graduate law degree from an ABA-approved school, is the graduate then eligible to take the bar exam?

Do you think this indirectly means that they require the J.D title?

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I'm now awaiting reply from the curt administration of Puerto Rico. But if you have the answer to the above questions, please feel free to write it here..


Greetings
Silas

this is the correct link

http://www.ncbex.org/fileadmin/mediafiles/downloads/Comp_Guide/CompGuide.pdf

I'm a 2L at the Catholic University of Puerto Rico. The foreign attorneys need additional classes at an ABA approved school in Puerto Rico (only three here) plus the LSAT. The P.R. bar exam is tough, they say that California and P.R. are the most difficult ones. There is only one LL.M. here in Spanish in San Juan, cheaper by the way. Would not advise to become a PR attorney. Good Luck, anyhow!!!!

thanks for your advise.

Do you have a link to a English speaking law school in Puerto Rico, where I'm able to take tale the additional classes?

Do you know how many classes I have to take, like 1,2,3 or 4 semesters?

Why would you not advise me to become an attorney in Puerto Rico?

Thanks
Silas

You also have to take, on top of the LSAT, a test called EXADEP, which is an English-Spanish kind of GRE. The official language of the island is Spanish, you would be taking classes in Spanish mainly, lots of well-educated people speak English as well. I am not a school counselor so I cannot advise how many classes. The money situation here is not good.

Thanks.. I think the EXADEP is impossible for me to pass, because I do not speak or write Spanish. I know that all the laws in PR are translated into English, I did not know about this languages requirement. But thanks for telling me.

Link to the EXADEP test:

http://www.etsliteracy.com/portal/site/ets/menuitem.1488512ecfd5b8849a77b13bc3921509/?vgnextoid=e9862d3631df4010VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD&vgnextchannel=fb32df8ae96cd010VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD

I just finished my J.D. at the University of Puerto Rico and will be sitting for the bar exam on september. Here you can find the Rules for admission to practice law in PR in english. http://www.ramajudicial.pr/junta/acrobat/Rules-for-the-admission-of-applicants.pdf If you dont know spanish, it will not be possible for you to pass the bar. That is not your last option, if you pass the bar in any US state (find the easiest one, with the least requirements for foreigners), you can practice Federal law in any jurisdiction, including Puerto Rico's Federal Court, which is completely in english. You could do criminal law, bankruptcy, immigration, intellectual property or other practices that have exclusive Federal jurisdiction in Puerto Rico.

Yes, Dr. T is right.... I met an attorney from NY with the NY Federal Bar and he practices federal criminal mostly but he can do other things as well.

I have to add that you should check with the US District Court for the District of PR, bc when I tool the Federal Bar in PR about four to five years ago, there was a lawyer from NY and she had to take the local federal bar exam as well, even though she had been litigating in NY for about 10 years.

I have to be honest, go to FL. Right now, the situation on the Island is really slow, and if you are not a spanish speaker, things could be hard for you. I think in Florida, you might have more options.

Good Luck

Thanks for your answers

To Dr.T
I'm really happy to hear that I might have options regarding practise law in the Federal Court of Puerto Rico. Because I'm mostly interested in intellectual property.. But also contract law and tort law. Do you know if tort is under the Federal Court?

To Ginnie
I like Florida, but according to http://www.ncbex.org/fileadmin/mediafiles/downloads/Comp_Guide/CompGuide.pdf

page p.30, they do not accept foreign lawyers in Florida. But maybe they do accept them to work in the Federal Court, if the lawyer pass a barexam in a US state like California or New york.

Greetings
Silas

In order to practice in Puerto Rico you need a JD from an ABA approved Law School and take the Puerto Rico Bar. That means that anybody graduated from a law school in the United States can apply to take the PR bar. NON US lawyers need to take some courses from the JD, is like an two year accelerated JD before taking the bar. I dont think that for that you would need the LSAT nor the EXADEP. Anyways, instead of the EXADEP is possible to take the GRE.

The PR bar has a 30% to 40% pass rate and is in Spanish. It consist of 184 multiple choice questions and 8 (used to be 12) essay questions. You CAN answer the essay questions in English but you need to be able to, at least, understand the questions. The test is two days long (used to be 3). The third day in the morning you can take the Notary Public bar (In PR only admitted attorneys can be notaries unlike in the US)but is optional.

Other thing you need to consider is that PR law is very different from the rest of the US with exception of Louisiana, perhaps. Puerto Rico is a civil jurisdiction so the private law (contracts, torts, real property, wills) is based on the Civil Code, not the common law.

The federal court in PR has their own bar exam. here are the requirements for admission in the PR federal court: http://www.prd.uscourts.gov/CourtWeb/a_admission.aspx

I don't know if this answer is any helpful 3 years later but just in case anyone else is interested.