Law Degree in Philippines / Lawyer - Would it do you any good in the USA?

[DELTAFOXTROT 48]

My nephew moved to Philippines before the pandemic hit and put his Pinay wife into law school there, She recently graduated and pass the bar in Philippines after 3 plus years.   She had a Master in Business already.

 

I am aware US and Philippines law schools are based on different critera, and she would more than likely have to repeat law school in USA to sit for bar in Texas, but did she gain anything by getting her bar card in Philippines, other than being able to work as a law professional there.

 

Degree like nursing you can basically take test like NCLEX and work as RN in USA if you have the requirement for each state.   I am not sure how long he will survive in Philippines, I figured he would of gotten kicked out of the country or got bored and came back to USA, He pretty much sold his house and a couple of rental properties he had in USA.

 

When he does decide to come back to USA with her, Did she gain anything he decides to return to the USA?

[Dashinka 24,488]

I would have her inquire with a couple of the law schools in Texas to see how she can use her current education there.

 

Good Luck!

 

https://legal.uworld.com/bar-exam/us-foreign-eligibility/

 

https://legal.uworld.com/bar-exam/states/texas/

[nelmagriffin 148]

 

Greetings!

I am sure that you can search and research more about it.

 

Reference: US Bar Exam Foreign Eligibility: Requirements and Limitations

 

 

Becoming an attorney— particularly for international students — in the United States is difficult but not impossible. Whether you studied law in Ireland, Syria, Bangladesh, or India, the US will always have a place for you. All you need is to be able to locate it. And the US Bar Exam is the ideal way to go about it.

To be admitted to the Bar, most states in the United States require candidates to have a JD (Juris Doctor) degree. However, a few US states allow graduates of an LLM with no JD degree to sit for the bar exam, provided they fulfill additional conditions pertaining to their previous degrees and the credits gained during the LLM program. In addition to a bar test, every US jurisdiction requires character, fitness, and other criteria for admission to the respective Bar. And probably, with your current credentials, you might already be eligible for bar admission in some states. But then, especially as an international candidate, it is essential to stay abreast of all the major (and the minor) requirements. Here's all about it.

Taking the US Bar Exam as an International Lawyer/Student

Keeping all things under consideration, foreign-trained attorneys may experience some difficulty taking the bar exam in the United States; an LLM (Master of Laws) degree does not ensure eligibility to take the bar exam in the United States. New York, California, Texas, Alabama, and Virginia are some of the states that let foreign law graduates sit for the bar exam. In this instance, foreign-educated attorneys must begin the process by having the American Bar Association (ABA) evaluate their law degrees. International attorneys can take the bar exam like local applicants if approved.

Preparing for the bar exam, however, can get a bit intimidating. To avoid getting overwhelmed, foreign-educated attorneys can enroll in bar review courses and seminars to prepare for the bar examination, as do many American law students. Although time-consuming and costly, such courses are highly recommended and often worthwhile.

The objective of passing the bar exam as a foreign lawyer is definitely within reach!

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Bar Exam Eligibility Requirements for International Candidates

Before you can call yourself a licensed attorney in any US state or jurisdiction, you must pass that state's admissions procedure and, most importantly, the bar exam. While each US state and jurisdiction has its own admissions standards and procedures, we've first listed the major bar exam requirements that need to be fulfilled by all applicants:

1. Legal Education Requirements
2. Professional Responsibility Requirements
3. Residency Requirements
4. Character and Fitness Requirements

Once the above requirements are met, international law students need to:

Complete a JD program at a US law school

Non-citizens who want to practice law in the United States have the option of earning a JD from an American law school. This option requires the applicant to have a bachelor's degree from their home country since that is the minimum academic requirement for admission to law school in the United States.

There are various US law schools to which you may apply. Still, you must ensure that the American Bar Association accredits the school and the state where you want to practice law and that the state where the school is situated permits overseas students to take its bar exam.

Complete an accredited LLM at a US law school

Having a Master in Laws degree doesn't guarantee eligibility or qualify candidates to sit for the bar exam or even practice law in every US state. Combined with other additional requirements, some states allow international applicants to sit for the bar exam.

Be a practicing English common lawyer

In several states in the United States, foreign-trained attorneys who have been admitted to practice law in their native country or the state where they acquired their legal education are eligible to take the bar exam. Some states have additional criteria, including examining the candidate's law degree to see whether it meets ABA-approved standards, attorneys practicing in English common law jurisdictions, and years of legal experience. If these prerequisites are satisfied, foreign-trained lawyers do not need to attend an American law school to qualify for the bar exam and become attorneys in these states. The US states with similar rules are New York, California, and Hawaii (English common law, five or more years of practice).

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Notarized Authorization and Release (A&R) form Submission

Your application for the bar exam will not be approved without a signed and notarized A&R form. A notarized A&R permits character and fitness analyzers to do a comprehensive background check on you. Depending on your state/jurisdiction, you may either upload the A&R to your online account or submit it with a postmark no later than the bar test application date. Some states require you to submit this application before sitting for the bar examination, while others allow you to submit it later.

State Wise Bar Exam Requirements

Every jurisdiction in the United States has its own criteria for applying to its bar exam, including the format of its bar exam, application dates, and exam costs. One of the most common requirements for an international student/lawyer apart from having an accredited LLM degree, is having a legal education in English Common law, an additional education at an ABA-approved law school, having practiced law in foreign jurisdictions, and a determination of educational equivalency. Because rules and regulations vary by state, it is essential to understand the requirements for each state and jurisdiction where you will take the test.

While about 35 states and jurisdictions admit international graduates based on one of the requirements mentioned earlier or a set of conditions along with an LLM degree, there are states and jurisdictions where international students aren't eligible to sit for the bar exam. These jurisdictions include Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Wyoming, Guam, Northern, Mariana Islands, Palau, and Puerto Rico.

Traditionally, California and New York have been the most sought-after states to practice law in by international law graduates, given their relaxed policies regarding the bar exams. However, in 2014, the Texas Board of Legal Examiners changed its qualifying rules, thus joining the list of the top three most easily accessible bars for international lawyers. Texas and New York administer the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE®), while California has its own, state-specific bar exam.

Texas Bar

New York Bar

California Bar

The Texas Bar is now one of the most accessible US bars for foreign attorneys who are licensed to practice in their home country or who have a first professional degree in law from a common law system. According to the Texas Board of Law Examiners, an international candidate can sit for the bar exam if they have/are:

1. Completed a course of study at an accredited foreign law school based on the principles of English common law and was substantially equivalent in duration to the legal education provided by an ABA-approved US law school.
2. Authorized to practice law in a foreign jurisdiction or in another state; and have been actively and substantially engaged in the lawful practice of law for at least three of the five years immediately preceding the date of the application.
3. An LLM degree that satisfies the Texas Board of Examiners’ rulebook
4. Are authorized to practice law in a foreign jurisdiction or in another state.

 

Applying for the Bar Exam

Admission to the bar is governed by the Board of Bar Examiners of the applicant's home state. The admissions process varies greatly from state to state, but often includes the following steps:

Step 1: In almost every jurisdiction, applicants seeking a license to practice law must receive a passing score on the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE®). The MPRE is an ethics test that evaluates applicants' knowledge of the Model Rules of Professional Conduct.

Step 2: Application for the bar exam. The applicant needs to create an account on the official NCBE portal, choose their preferred jurisdiction, select a date to appear for the exam, and pay the state-specific application fee.

Step 3: Complete the state's character, fitness, and further entrance criteria. Applicants will be required to supply extensive information on their academic, work, and financial history; as well as references, any criminal record, and legal proceedings, and to submit to Live Scan fingerprinting.

LLM students must confirm their eligibility to appear for that state's bar examination and submit the required assessment request and specified official documents well in advance of the applicable bar examination date.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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What to Expect in the Bar Exam?

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[DELTAFOXTROT 48]

On 10/21/2024 at 9:29 AM, Dashinka said:

I would have her inquire with a couple of the law schools in Texas to see how she can use her current education there.

 

Good Luck!

 

https://legal.uworld.com/bar-exam/us-foreign-eligibility/

 

https://legal.uworld.com/bar-exam/states/texas/

Her current education would be worthless in USA, He would of just put her in law school in USA.

 

I was just wondering if her current education would provide anything good in USA. Only lawyer I know that left Philippines went to Canada and she went to work for a immigration company that provided visas for Canada.