The NY Bar Exam, a guide for LL.M students
Eligibility
Before anything else, you must determine whether you are eligible to sit for the Bar Exam.
1. Mode of qualifying for the Bar Exam
You don’t always need an LL.M to be eligible: in some instances a program in a foreign country might be enough if you respect the following requirements:
- Qualifying Degree – The foreign-educated applicant must have fulfilled the educational requirements for admission to the practice of law in a foreign country other than the United States. The applicant must have a qualifying degree, which must be a degree in law.
- Accreditation – The qualifying degree must be from a law school or schools recognized by a competent accrediting agency of the government of the foreign country and must be deemed qualified and approved.
- Durational Equivalence – The applicant’s period of law study must be successfully completed. The program of study must also be “substantially” equivalent in duration to a full-time or part-time program required at a law school in the United States approved by the American Bar Association (ABA) and in substantial compliance with the instructional and academic calendar requirements.
- Substantial Equivalence – The foreign country’s jurisprudence must be based upon the principles of the English Common Law, and the “program and course of law study” successfully completed by the applicant must be the “substantial” equivalent of the legal education provided by an ABA-approved law school in the United States.
If you do not meet these requirements, then you likely need an LL.M to cure this deficiency. This will be the focus of this article. For more information on other mode of eligibility, please visit the official website.
2. The substance of your LL.M
Your LL.M must meets the following requirements:
- Be an LL.M degree. Duh., but a complete transcript of your LLM will be required to qualify. Make sure that your law school sends the document at the end of the year.
- Minimum of 24 Semester Hours of Credit. Over two semesters: all 24 credits must be in courses requiring classroom instruction with a minimum of 700 minutes of instruction time per credit. Make sure that the courses you pick meet that requirement. (credits for internship might therefore not count)
- Period of Instruction. Two semesters are need, of at least 13 calendar weeks each. The program cannot be completed exclusively during summer semesters; however, a maximum of four credits may be earned in summer courses. The program must be completed within 24 months of matriculation.
- Approved Law School. Approved law school means a United States law school approved by the ABA.
- All coursework to be completed in the United States. All coursework must be physically completed at the campus of the ABA-approved law school in the United States. ANY class taken at a law school’s campus in a foreign country does NOT qualify toward the 24-credit requirement for the LLM degree. No credit is allowed for distance, correspondence or external study or for any DVD or online program or course.
- Required Coursework. The LLM degree program must include the below.
- at least two semester hours of credit in professional responsibility;
- at least two credits in a legal research, writing and analysis course (which may NOT be satisfied by a research and writing requirement in a substantive course);
- at least two credits in a course on American legal studies, the American legal system or a similar course designed to introduce students to U.S. law;
- at least six credits in subjects tested on the NY Bar Exam.
- Permissible Coursework. The LLM degree program may include:
- credits in clinical courses (so long as the clinic course has a classroom component, any clinical work is performed under direct supervision of a non-adjunct faculty member and the educational benefit is commensurate with credit awarded);
- a maximum of six credits in other courses related to legal training (so long as the course is taught by a faculty member at law school awarding the LLM or an affiliate school and the course is completed at a campus in the United States).
At this stage, we recommend you to check with your law school that your LLM coursework meets the requirements above.
3. Complete the Advance Evaluation of Eligibility
Pay attention here: at the beginning of your LL.M. you will be required to both complete an online Foreign Evaluation Form and submit other required documentation. This is the Advance Evaluation of Eligibility , which will determine your eligibility for the examination.
Pay extra attention to the deadlines:
| FEBRUARY | Foreign Evaluation AND all Required Foreign Documentation | Must be completed by May 1st of the year preceding the exam you wish to sit. |
Foreign Evaluation AND all Required Foreign Documentation |
| Must be completed by October 1st of the year preceding the exam you wish to sit. |
| Must be completed by October 1st of the year preceding the exam you wish to sit. |
| JULY |
Due to the volume of the documentation needed, and its complexity, it can take up to six months from the date of the New York State Board o Law Examiner’s receipt of ALL required documentation for the eligibility determination to be made.
If you miss the deadlines, you might not get your determination of eligibility on time and won’t be able to sit for your chosen Bar Exam session.
As described in more detail in the request and in Section 520.6, the following documents must accompany your request:
1. University Transcripts from every law school attended;
- Start by requesting a copy from your university at home in a sealed stamped envelope.
- Usually, your university will send the documents directly to New York, others will send them out to you and you will need to forward them to New York. In this case: do not open the sealed envelope.
- Transcripts must be in English or translated into English.
2. Copy of your Degree Certificate;
3. Document showing you admission to the Bar in your home country; OR
4. A Letter from the Regulatory Authority of your country explaining that you met the requirement to be admitted as an attorney;
These documents must be originals or certified copies. If you have attended several law schools, you should request the documents as soon as possible in order to avoid any delay in the determination of your eligibility.
Please see the website containing the Evaluation of Foreign Academic Credentials form, as well as New York State Board of Law Examiners website’s Foreign Legal Education webpage for further details and information, as well as for other further pertinent instructions.
4. Register for the exam
Once you receive your eligibility, you will need to register for the exam and pay the fee of $750.
To sit the July exam, register between April 1st -30th. To sit the February exam, register between November 1st -30th. There won’t be exceptions for late filing, so don’t miss the deadlines.
What if you don’t have your eligibility confirmed before the registration deadlines? You should contact the Board directly to discuss this, but be careful: the registration fee will not be refunded if a determination cannot be made in time for such exam or if it is late determined that you are not eligible.
5. What’s next?
At this point, you will be ready to take the NY Bar Exam, but keep in mind that there will be other steps before finally being admitted to the NY Bar.
- The NY Pro Bono Requirement. Applicants for admission to the New York State bar must perform 50 hours of pro bono services (aka unpaid work)
- Take the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE). A 2 hours’ long exam with 60 questions. It is administered 3 times a year.
- Take the New York Law Exam. A 50 multiple choice questions, 2-hour open book test and can be completed online. It test New York State Law.
- Your Admission application & Character and Fitness Investigation. You will be required to provide detailed information about your professional and personal background. You will be required to appear personally for an interview.
- Your Swearing Ceremony. Congratulations, you did it!
In conclusion, the NY Bar Exam is complex and lengthy. A lot of effort, hard work, and discipline will be required, but keep in mind that the reward is worth it.
For further support visit our NY Bar Exam Page, we offer a wide range of services to help you in your new adventure.
Disclaimer: Our content is for informational purposes only. Given the rapidness with which bar examination and admissions rules can change, we strongly encourage you to consult the specific website of the New York State Board of Law Examiners in order to be sure that you have the most accurate and up-to-date information.
