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Many LL.M. students choose to sit for a bar examination in the United States upon completion of their Master of Laws studies. Most states do not permit individuals to sit for their bar examinations unless they hold a J.D. degree from a U.S. law school, but there are a few notable exceptions. Two states that permit such individuals to sit for their bar examinations with an LL.M. degree, if they meet certain other requirements, are New York and California. If you are interested in sitting for the bar examination of any state, you should consult the bar examiners of that state to determine your eligibility. Many of our foreign-trained LL.M. graduates choose to sit for the New York State Bar Examination. If you are considering taking this exam, you should carefully read the information on the official website of the Board of Law Examiners of the State of New York (BOLE), http://www.nybarexam.org/. In particular, note the link to "Foreign Legal Education" on the menu on the homepage of the BOLE website. Please note that admission to our LL.M. program does not guarantee or in any way suggest eligibility to sit for the New York or any other state's bar examination. For additional information about the bar examination, please review the information below. Advance Evaluation of Eligibility
Advance Evaluation of Eligibility Prior to sitting for the New York bar examination, the BOLE must undergo an evaluation of your credentials to determine your eligibility for admission to the bar. The BOLE asks that foreign students submit this documentation one year in advance of the application period for the examination they wish to take. The bar examination is offered twice each year, in February and July. The application period for the February examination takes place in November prior to the examination, and the application period for the July examination takes place in April prior to the examination. So, for example, if you plan to sit for the July 2012 bar examination, you would submit your request for advance evaluation in April 2011. If the recommended date to submit documentation has already passed, you should submit your documentation as soon as possible. See https://www.nybarapply.org/feval/ for information about how to apply for advance evaluation of eligibility. Please note that this is a lengthy and tedious process—do not wait until the last minute! Section 520.6 of the Rules of the Court of Appeals for the Admission of Attorneys and Counselors at Law requires that certain foreign students take at least two (2) basic courses in "American Law" as part of their LL.M. studies to qualify to sit for the New York Bar. We have been advised by the Court of Appeals that students completing the courses "Introduction to the U.S. Legal System" and "Legal Writing for LL.M. Students," will satisfy this requirement. The following courses could also be used to meet this requirement: * Antitrust Law Although students generally do not begin formally studying for the bar examination until after graduation, Fordham Law School has arranged for two courses, Perspectives in U.S. Law (typically offered every spring semester) and Fundamental Principles of New York Law (typically offered in the fall semester), which are designed to assist foreign-trained law graduates planning to sit for the New York State Bar Examination. These courses are not a substitute for the commercial bar examination preparatory courses that most students (J.D. and LL.M.) take in the months prior to the bar examination. However, we believe that they will be very helpful in familiarizing you with many areas of U.S. law that are tested heavily on the New York Bar Examination and that may not otherwise be part of your LL.M. studies. Foreign-trained students who plan to take the New York Bar Examination are urged to register for one of these courses. Following graduation, virtually all students who plan to sit for the bar examination will take a commercial bar preparation course. The various companies that offer such courses will introduce themselves to you throughout your time here at Fordham. These courses typically begin a few days after the end of finals and continue until just before the bar examination. Examination Dates and Application Filing Periods The New York Bar Examination is offered twice a year, in February and July, on the final Tuesday and Wednesday of the month. The Application Filing Periods for the examinations are as follows:
The Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) In addition to the Bar Examination, applicants wishing to be admitted to the New York bar must also take and pass the MPRE. Information regarding the MPRE is available through the National Conference of Bar Examiners. Recent Changes to the New York Bar Requirements for Foreign-Educated Applicants You may be aware that the New York Board of Law Examiners has recently approved a number of changes to the requirements that foreign-educated applicants must meet in order to qualify to take the New York bar examination. We are aware of these changes and are making adjustments to our program as necessary to ensure that our program requirements are consistent with the new rules. Please note that most of the rules go into effect for the 2012-2013 academic year. A Note About the California Bar Examination Our program is not intended to meet the requirements to sit for the California Bar Examination and our course offerings may not satisfy the academic requirements of the California Bar. If you are considering applying to the California Bar, you should visit the website of the California bar examiners and review their requirements for foreign-educated applicants. Please note that Fordham does not offer any courses that cover California law to any significant extent. |
