cap66lon

Hi everyone

i wonder if there are any UK qualified lawyers who have been able to successfully relocate to and practice law in atlanta georgia - im planning on making that move as i havent been able to secure a training contract in the UK i completed the LPC in 2003.

i would welcome advice and guidance on how i can make the move and if there are any conversion exams that i'll need to take.

regards

mikec81

Hi,
Are you a UK citizen? If so, you will have more problems getting visas, work authorization etc....
The qualification process for lawyers varies from State bar to State bar, so I am unaware of the requirements in Georgia. I am a qualified solicitor in the UK and I know that in California, I am required to take the State bar to practice.
I imagine that unless you have some kind of connection to the US (i.e family, dual citizenship etc.) you are going to find it very, very difficult to find a company willing to sponsor you...

NC Penguin

I'm moving this to the USA forum. Have you looked at the professional association representing attorneys in the US? Search for it on the web. I fear that you'll may have to start from scratch to practise law in the US since the legal systems are quite different (US has both Federal and State laws for starters and don't forget the US Constitution).

JAJ

Some states allow UK law degree holders (or qualified lawyers) to sit for the state bar exam. Not quite the same as starting from scratch.

lapin_windstar

Yeah, exactly. In NY, if you're an admitted lawyer in a country that uses English common-law type system, you can take the bar exam without having a degree from an ABA (?) approved law school.

Check out here for the NY Bar Exam, which (iirc) is regarded as something of a gold standard within the US: http://www.nybarexam.org/foreign.htm

BTW, you can train for the NY bar exam in London.

Here's the same page for Georgia: http://www.gabar.org/member_essentia...ion_on_motion/

cap66lon

Thanks a lot for that guys - yes i have heard that New York and California allow UK qualified lawyers or law graduates to sit for the bar and if they're successful are allowed to practice in these jurisdictions. I am more interested in Georgia though as im really keen on moving to Atlanta however i will look at the websites that you posted

lapinwindstar you say that the new york bar is regarded as something of a gold standard - why is that? is it more presitgious than the other bar qualifications? and what kind of opportunities does it open up?

I would prefer to practice law in a city where the pace of life is relatively slower than London and new york sounds like it might be an extreme version of London.

Ive had a look at the Law Society's (for UK qualified) lawyers website and im trying to find out whether i can take the Georgia State Bar here in the UK.

thanks for all your comments

fatbrit

You may solve the qualification issue but unfortunately you've still got the difficult one to deal with -- the VISA!