Hi! I haven't posted in this forum for a very long time and I'm wondering if anyone could give me any pointers on this. So I completed the UoL LLB (external) 5 years ago, and then I went to UK and finished a LLM. I now reside in the U.S, and am wondering if these qualifications would allow me to take the bar exam in California without further studies. I know it's probably impossible to take the NY Bar since they don't recognize distance-learning degrees. But I heard California is a little more lenient in terms of these requirements. Would appreciate any feedback!

The short answer is that it will depend on how they will judge your foreign education. Typically, California requires that you demonstrate that your first law degree is substantially equivalent to a JD from an ABA-accredited school, and then also have another year of studies (LLM typically) at an ABA-accredited school or one that's approved by the Committee of Bar Examiners.

Some previous discussion:

https://llm-guide.com/board/bar-exam/ca-bar-eligibility-university-of-london-grads-196820