How does a lawyer from another jurisdiction join the US legal system and work?
Nalady asked:
I just moved from London to America and I would like to know how I can work as a lawyer in America since I studies the English legal system. Thanx
I just moved from London to America and I would like to know how I can work as a lawyer in America since I studies the English legal system. Thanx
January 15th, 2009 at 12:25 pm
Pass the bar in the state you want to practice - I recommend taking a prep course and then going for it.
That’s it, Barrister!
Of course, assumign you’ve already been able to get a work visa…
January 18th, 2009 at 4:54 am
Pass the bar for each state in which you want to practice.
January 19th, 2009 at 2:16 am
You have to be admitted to the bar in the state in which you want to practice.
January 19th, 2009 at 7:25 pm
Decide which state you want to practice. Go to that state’s bar website, committee of bar examiners, or whichever board governs practice in the state in which you want to practice.
Determine what the qualifications are for foreign attorneys to practice in that state.
For example, in California, you want to go to the State Bar of California’s website at:
You can search on Admissions and find these sites:
and
and
It will tell you what you need to do in order to practice law in California. As long as you were licensed as an attorney, solicitor, barrister in the UK, it looks like you need to take the California Bar Examination and pass the moral character process. You will probably also need to pass the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) but I didn’t read that far into the 35-page document.
If you only have a legal education in the UK (but were not licensed to practice law), then you have to take one year of law school at a law school accredited by the ABA.
Hope this helps!