Belarus lawer wanting to practice in the state after marriage.

[Aviator56h 6]

I guess this is a good spot to ask this question.

I'm a USC born and bread, I'm about to marry a Berlarsian who's been practicing law for 15 years. She's pretty well know in her group where she works at as a very passionent attorney. Well, she done real well for herself and worked hard getting where she's at in life. We talked about thousand we're still researching this out, but she would like to continue her practice here when after we marry and move her here. I read in other post in this forum of others in the same issue, but haven't really have gotten a good answer by the post, so I try asking again this.

Has any other member on VJ is a lawyer (or knows of a lawyerr) from another country (Belarus specially) and continued your practice in the states? If so, what you needed to do?

I'm just trying to research to get pointed in the right direction to find out what my lady needs to do. I hate to see her go back to school again if she's been already an attorney for 15 years already. I know there's something's she might need to abtain, but I don't think she would have to go back to school for 6 years to practice here in the states.

CC

[*Snowdrop* 604]

Admittance to the legal profession varies from state to state. Acceptance of applications by foreign lawyers or those with foreign law degrees to sit the state bar exam depends on the rules set by the relevant state regulator.

Some state bars may require the applicant to take further courses in US law at an ABA approved law school, or some may take into account time spent in practice in the home jurisdiction.

Your profile indicates you live in Louisiana?

So a good place to ask this question would be the Louisiana State Bar Association - http://www.lsba.org/

This is also a good place to check the differences between states for requirements - http://www.ncbex.org/assets/media_files/Comp-Guide/CompGuide.pdf

[Hannah B 16]

Hi there,

I am in a similar position myself and have done some research on this issue over the past few years and here's what I have found out:

Every State in America has individual rules on who is permitted to take their Bar exam to be able to practice law. If you have a law degree from an American law school (a "JD"), which usually takes 3 years full time then you are able to sit the Bar exam in any State.

There are only two States that have more flexible rules for those who have international law degrees and that is New York and California. To take the New York Bar the criteria is that you must have a law degree whether it be from either America or your foreign country. To find out if the law degree from your home country is acceptable then you must send your transcripts to the New York State Bar Association for them to be assessed. I have a UK law degree and I have been through this process and have received formal notice from New York that I am eligible to take their Bar exam.

For California you must also be a practising lawyer/attorney in your relevant country as well as providing proof of your foreign law degree.

For all other States the rules are more strict. Many States have reciprocal agreements with each other. For examples, if you have been practising in one State for X amount of years then you are eligible to take the Bar in another State. If you wish to practice in a State other than New York or California, then one way to transfer is to practice in either of those States for a certain amount of years and then transfer. However I would suggest that you check the criteria for the particular State where your partner will be moving to so that you can be sure of what the relevant criteria is. You can do this online. I would google "State Bar exam rules" or something like that as I can't remember the precise website I found.

One further thing to add. I have heard of examples of ways around the rules. For example, the Southern States tend to have the more strict rules about foreign attorneys and even if you have practised in another country or state they don't tend to let you in easily. I have, however, heard of cases where a person has approached Universities in these areas and have been able to negotiate with the Law School to only complete a limited number of credits to receive an America Law Degree and thus overcome the cost and 3-year time period which make repeating law school impossible. I know of people who have done this with the University of Arkansas, and Washburn University in Kansas and they were only required to complete 1 year or 18 months I believe. I also know of cases where someone has worked in the legal field as a paralegal/investigator for quite a few years in Nashville, Tennesse and was granted permission to take their Bar exam without an American Law degree. A few years ago I spoke with a Canadian immigration lawyer on this issue and he advised that if you apply to take a Bar exam and you don't fit the criteria because you only have a foreign law degree then you will automatically be refused. But, if you then appeal the decision and present all of your evidence of foreign qualification and practice then you are much more likely to succeed in an application to take the Bar exam during the appeal process. I have not tried this myself so can't speak from experience, but just wanted to pass on what I had been told by someone who did succeed that way. He is now practising in Arizona which I understand has very strict rules on foreign attorneys practising there.

One more thing - once you have been granted permission to take the Bar exam, then preparing for the exam itself and passing are another matter and no easy task at all, even for an experienced attorney. You must understand the State law of the exam you are taking as well as Federal law. You can take a preparation course called the "Bar Bri" in every State but this would be very challenging for someone with no prior knowledge of American law and/or where there is a language barrier. There is loads of information about the exams and the preparation courses online you can check out.

Hope that helps.

[Aviator56h 6]

Hi there,

I am in a similar position myself and have done some research on this issue over the past few years and here's what I have found out:

Every State in America has individual rules on who is permitted to take their Bar exam to be able to practice law. If you have a law degree from an American law school (a "JD"), which usually takes 3 years full time then you are able to sit the Bar exam in any State.

There are only two States that have more flexible rules for those who have international law degrees and that is New York and California. To take the New York Bar the criteria is that you must have a law degree whether it be from either America or your foreign country. To find out if the law degree from your home country is acceptable then you must send your transcripts to the New York State Bar Association for them to be assessed. I have a UK law degree and I have been through this process and have received formal notice from New York that I am eligible to take their Bar exam.

For California you must also be a practising lawyer/attorney in your relevant country as well as providing proof of your foreign law degree.

For all other States the rules are more strict. Many States have reciprocal agreements with each other. For examples, if you have been practising in one State for X amount of years then you are eligible to take the Bar in another State. If you wish to practice in a State other than New York or California, then one way to transfer is to practice in either of those States for a certain amount of years and then transfer. However I would suggest that you check the criteria for the particular State where your partner will be moving to so that you can be sure of what the relevant criteria is. You can do this online. I would google "State Bar exam rules" or something like that as I can't remember the precise website I found.

One further thing to add. I have heard of examples of ways around the rules. For example, the Southern States tend to have the more strict rules about foreign attorneys and even if you have practised in another country or state they don't tend to let you in easily. I have, however, heard of cases where a person has approached Universities in these areas and have been able to negotiate with the Law School to only complete a limited number of credits to receive an America Law Degree and thus overcome the cost and 3-year time period which make repeating law school impossible. I know of people who have done this with the University of Arkansas, and Washburn University in Kansas and they were only required to complete 1 year or 18 months I believe. I also know of cases where someone has worked in the legal field as a paralegal/investigator for quite a few years in Nashville, Tennesse and was granted permission to take their Bar exam without an American Law degree. A few years ago I spoke with a Canadian immigration lawyer on this issue and he advised that if you apply to take a Bar exam and you don't fit the criteria because you only have a foreign law degree then you will automatically be refused. But, if you then appeal the decision and present all of your evidence of foreign qualification and practice then you are much more likely to succeed in an application to take the Bar exam during the appeal process. I have not tried this myself so can't speak from experience, but just wanted to pass on what I had been told by someone who did succeed that way. He is now practising in Arizona which I understand has very strict rules on foreign attorneys practising there.

One more thing - once you have been granted permission to take the Bar exam, then preparing for the exam itself and passing are another matter and no easy task at all, even for an experienced attorney. You must understand the State law of the exam you are taking as well as Federal law. You can take a preparation course called the "Bar Bri" in every State but this would be very challenging for someone with no prior knowledge of American law and/or where there is a language barrier. There is loads of information about the exams and the preparation courses online you can check out.

Hope that helps.

Thanks, I got more info from y'all than what I researched already. But your right. It does vary state to state. Louisiana has one of the hardest bar exams, and she looked at a sample test and freaked out. I found the PFD that shows of the qualifications for practicing law I my state. BOY it's allot.

But I hate to see her loss what she has worked so hard for back in Minsk. From what she tells me, that firm she works at is hard to get on with them. They check into everything including deep family issues to see if they want you there (lol). I did pass on her the idea of working as a paralegal if she chooses. I know she love that, and she would get paid better than what she gets from that firm she's at now (there system is very very deferent from the states). Her thing is, that if she walks away from that firm, come here and we don't make it as a couple? (which i dont see us splitting because we're very well connected emotionallly), She wont be able to get back in that firm. Right now, she's 5 months pregnant and will be taking leave in a month so she can have the baby and she wouldn't have to go back to work till the baby is 3 years old. She don't have to worry about losing her statice at that firm. In this time while she's free, we're going to marry and make something of this family that's about to be handed to us. But, I see her point about all she worked for over there she won't get back if she leaves Minsk. But, having a family is really a big priority on her list (mind too) and we do see eye to eye on all the surrounding issues that's ahead of us, but she will be making a big sacrifice leaving minsk and coming here so we'll have a better opportunities for our new family. I just want to help her be something over here other than an housewife. I like her to keep her independence (I mean her soul). I'm not wanting her to just sit around the house and be bored. She s a very productive woman. I'm not looking to keep her locked up like some other guys might do. So, I really really want her to keep practicing law because it's something she worked so hard for and I don't want her to loss it because she wants to be with me over here to be a family. But if she chooses some other interests? I back her up 100%. But, I really think ya guys for answering. It's much appreciated.

CC

[Sandra G. 5,074]

My degree was considered equivalent to a U.S. degree. I worked in Brazil as a lawyer for fifteen years. I took and passed the California bar exam. I had to prove that my degree was considered equivalent to a US degree, that I passed the bar and practiced law in Brazil. I had to receive a positive moral character determination from the Committee of Bar Examiners as well and achieve a scaled score. To practice law in Louisiana you wife will have to get into an LLM program and pass the bar.

Read the "Eligibility to Take the Bar Examination: Foreign Law School Graduates"

http://www.law.fsu.edu/academic_programs/llm_program/BarAdmissionRequirements_foreign%20lawyers.pdf

[*Snowdrop* 604]

There appears to be another option for foreign lawyers -

28 states have an alternative route for foreign lawyers to practice via a Foreign Legal Consultant license. This permits foreign lawyers restricted legal practice within that state on the basis of their home country qualifications and experience.

Licenses are available in Alaska, Arizona, California, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvannia, South Carolina, Texas, Utah and Washington.

The exact requirements to apply for the license and the permissions granted under that license varies between states; solicitors should therefore confirm the rules with the relevant state regulatory body. The American Bar Assocation has produced a comparison table here. http://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/migrated/cpr/mjp/silver_flc_chart.authcheckdam.pdf

However - she's obviously an intelligent and hard working person - there are probably many areas she could succeed in apart from the law. She might even want to look into becoming a consultant on immigration issues for example.

Also it's nice of you to be worried about her giving up a great job to take a chance on a new life in a new country with you but it's likely that if the worst happened and she ended up wanting to go back home that she has the education, experience and talent to get another good job. Maybe not the same as she left at first but it sounds like she would be able to work her way quickly back up the ladder.

I understand how this all feels as I left an amazing job, really my dream job, in the UK to come to the US to be with my husband. If I had to go back to the UK now I would have to start working at a much lower level for a little while but I know I would be able to get back to where I was in a short while. After three years here I still have days where I really miss my old job but I look at my little baby girl and my family here and know that it was the best thing to do. Life is about more than work in the end.

[Aviator56h 6]

There appears to be another option for foreign lawyers -

28 states have an alternative route for foreign lawyers to practice via a Foreign Legal Consultant license. This permits foreign lawyers restricted legal practice within that state on the basis of their home country qualifications and experience.

Licenses are available in Alaska, Arizona, California, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvannia, South Carolina, Texas, Utah and Washington.

The exact requirements to apply for the license and the permissions granted under that license varies between states; solicitors should therefore confirm the rules with the relevant state regulatory body. The American Bar Assocation has produced a comparison table here. http://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/migrated/cpr/mjp/silver_flc_chart.authcheckdam.pdf

However - she's obviously an intelligent and hard working person - there are probably many areas she could succeed in apart from the law. She might even want to look into becoming a consultant on immigration issues for example.

Also it's nice of you to be worried about her giving up a great job to take a chance on a new life in a new country with you but it's likely that if the worst happened and she ended up wanting to go back home that she has the education, experience and talent to get another good job. Maybe not the same as she left at first but it sounds like she would be able to work her way quickly back up the ladder.

I understand how this all feels as I left an amazing job, really my dream job, in the UK to come to the US to be with my husband. If I had to go back to the UK now I would have to start working at a much lower level for a little while but I know I would be able to get back to where I was in a short while. After three years here I still have days where I really miss my old job but I look at my little baby girl and my family here and know that it was the best thing to do. Life is about more than work in the end.

I feel she's making a big sacrifice to come here, so in return, I think I should help her reastablish her career. She wasn't pressured to come to the states. She did her own choice. She research, and she figures it's more opportunity here in the states to raise a our soon to be family because she knows there's not much for opportunity in Belarus for me. So, I think that's a big sacrofice in her part. I don't believe that a woman should stay stuck in the house. She's very active and she's very productive and I can't see her sitting around too long before she starts remodeling the world (laughing). She has this special spirit about her that she needs her woman independence to stay proactive. But, like me, I don't want to lose something that I worked hard for and make my bread and butter with. So, I do understand her concerns. I do know a few lawyers in my town and might can get them to help me. I'm also going to check out that link from the other post before yours and see if that would help out too. If anybody sees something that I missed or finds something that would help our issue without her having to take more schooling? Drop me a message. It will much appreciated. Thanks

CC

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

I feel she's making a big sacrifice to come here, so in return, I think I should help her reastablish her career. She wasn't pressured to come to the states. She did her own choice. She research, and she figures it's more opportunity here in the states to raise a our soon to be family because she knows there's not much for opportunity in Belarus for me. So, I think that's a big sacrofice in her part. I don't believe that a woman should stay stuck in the house. She's very active and she's very productive and I can't see her sitting around too long before she starts remodeling the world (laughing). She has this special spirit about her that she needs her woman independence to stay proactive. But, like me, I don't want to lose something that I worked hard for and make my bread and butter with. So, I do understand her concerns. I do know a few lawyers in my town and might can get them to help me. I'm also going to check out that link from the other post before yours and see if that would help out too. If anybody sees something that I missed or finds something that would help our issue without her having to take more schooling? Drop me a message. It will much appreciated. Thanks

CC

She should talk to some schools in LA and find out her options. She's going to want to bring all her transcripts with her. She can always take a few classes and work as a paralegal until she gets whatever she needs out of the way to start practicing law again. My sister in law is a lawyer in Belarus also...not that's much help. But I can ask my wife when she gets back Friday just what you wife will need to bring to the states in regards to all her school transcripts.

[Aviator56h 6]

She should talk to some schools in LA and find out her options. She's going to want to bring all her transcripts with her. She can always take a few classes and work as a paralegal until she gets whatever she needs out of the way to start practicing law again. My sister in law is a lawyer in Belarus also...not that's much help. But I can ask my wife when she gets back Friday just what you wife will need to bring to the states in regards to all her school transcripts.

That would be helpful. Thank you.

CC

[leith@Ievgeniia 8]

have her check with lsu school of law. there they can answer the restricted license somebody mentioned and see how she can convert her degree to a usa degree and practice in LA. Nepoliniac laws we have here are so different. just in inheritance law depends on when somebody dies as to what set of laws you follow! love Louisiana but wow we are different! :rofl:

[Aviator56h 6]

have her check with lsu school of law. there they can answer the restricted license somebody mentioned and see how she can convert her degree to a usa degree and practice in LA. Nepoliniac laws we have here are so different. just in inheritance law depends on when somebody dies as to what set of laws you follow! love Louisiana but wow we are different! :rofl:

Oh, I agree on that (lol). I love living in the south, but our law is kinda warped on some things. I'm at work right now on the Mississippi river, but I will be researching more as I get time out here, so far it's not looking that bad for her. There is hope :0)