caliqueen17

Hello everyone,

I'm not sure I have posted under the correct heading.
I am awaiting my Interview for a CR-1 Visa.

I am a Solicitor in England and wish to qualify as a Lawyer in CA, USA once I get there.

I have been trying to search online and haven't found anything THAT helpful other than the bar exam fee & closing dates for applications [for sitting the Exam only]. As I am British, I suppose I am expected to study American Law before sitting the actual exam, but what are the fees and how long is the course?

Any insights, and or relevant websites would be useful.

About to pull my hair out.

Thanks everyone

Moonshadow_Girl

I Google'd California Bar Exam review and came up with a number of hits. While I can't recommend any, I can tell you that the California Bar Exam is probably one of the most, if not the most, difficult Bar to sit in the United States. All of my attorney friends have taken review courses, many taking a 6 week course in preparation for the Bar, this is after completing law school, and taking several weeks leave from work to devote entirely to study.

Good luck!

Bob

Probably have to start from scratch.

There's only a couple of states that'll let you take the bar exam straight off, NY is one of them I think.

md95065

Did you find this or this?

caliqueen17

Thanks guys......very informative.

Will explore my options, which seem somewhat limited.

I am 32 so I guess I could go back to school if I really wanted

md95065

Looks like an LL.M would cost about $50,000 in fees ...

http://www.law.berkeley.edu/5657.htm

Mummy in the foothills

Or McGeorge
http://www.mcgeorge.edu/ My BIL and good friends Dh both went there and passed the bar quickly

ian-mstm

I was 44 when I started a Master's degree; I was 56 when I started a PhD.

It'll take you 3 years to get a JD... how old will you be in 3 years if you don't do a JD?

Ian

caliqueen17

Thanks everyone.

Once again this forum has proved to be invaluable!

I look forward to new beginnings in the US

mikec81

If you qualified as a solicitor in the UK then you are able to take the California Bar Exam without going to law school in the US. You need a Certificate of Good Standing from the Law Society, which you submit with your application for membership to the State Bar as a foreign licensed attorney. Once you are registered, you can then apply to sit the bar exam. Then, the difficult part starts.....

Having gone through the process, I would recommend taking a bar preparation course (about 6 weeks and $4,000). The course is in May/June for the July bar exam, and then in January for the February exam. Alternatively, you can self study at home after buying the books online.

If you have any other questions, feel free to DM me.

caliqueen17

Thanks Mike, that actually doesn't sound bad at all.

S Folinsky

There is an additional 1/2 day Professional Responsibility Exam. BTW the fee charged by the review courses for the MPRE is quite reasonable: free. I guess it is a loss leader to get people to sign up for the full review course.

You might be surprised on the need for "American" law -- as a general rule, Common Law is Common Law. It is easier to remember the exceptions applicable to California.

Derrygal

Not sure what things are like in California - but there's a heck of a lot of unemployed lawyers in other states (my daughter is one of them). Don't mean to be a downer - just telling it like it is.