Editor’s Note: This content has been updated as of January 20, 2025. Note the addition of Texas and Washington, D.C., with Georgia and Wisconsin coming off the list.
While there are more than 30 states where foreign-trained attorneys could potentially take the bar exam, only five jurisdictions make it easy for U.S. LL.M. graduates. To take the bar exam in California, New York, Washington and Texas it’s mostly easy, but each state still has specific requirements foreign trained attorneys must follow.
So how can foreign lawyers practice law in the U.S.?
Here’s the 5 easiest states for foreign attorneys to take the bar exam:
State #1 – California
The California State Bar exam for foreign lawyers grants foreign law school graduates eligibility to take the California state bar exam, if they have earned an LL.M. degree or an additional one-year of study at an ABA-approved or California-accredited law school in bar examination subject matter. LL.M. degrees or the additional year of study must be completed with a minimum of 20 units with a course in four sections tested on the California bar exam. One of the four courses must be in areas of professional responsibility, California Business and Professions Code, the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct or case law studies. Click here for more detailed rules.
State #2 – New York
In most cases, foreign law graduates with an LL.M. earned at an ABA-approved law school qualify to sit for the bar exam in New York state. The student’s foreign law degree must be based on the principles of English Common Law and must be the “substantial” equivalent of a legal education earned by an ABA-approved law school in America. Accelerated or summer programs are not recognized. Students must seek an Advance Evaluation of Eligibility from the Board. The process can take up to six months so students are advised to seek evaluation one year before taking the bar exam. Students must be awarded their LL.M. degree within 24 months of matriculation. LL.M. programs must consist of a minimum of 24 semester hours of credits with a minimum of 700 minutes of instruction time per credit. Click here for more detailed rules.
State #3 – Washington
Foreign law graduates with an LL.M. degree for the practice of law in the United States must complete specific types of instruction to qualify for admission to the Washington State Bar. LL.M. degrees must be earned at a law school approved by the Board of Governors with a minimum of 18,200 minutes of instruction and at least 12,000 minutes of instruction on principles of domestic U.S. law. Those 12,000 minutes are broken up into four areas of instruction including U.S. constitutional law, civil procedure of state and federal courts, legal writing and research. Click here for more detailed rules.
State #4 – Texas
Effective as of October 2014, the rules governing the eligibility of foreign lawyers to take the Texas Bar Exam are now similar to the rules of the New York Bar. The Texas Bar is now one of the most accessible U.S. bars for foreign lawyers who are either licensed to practice in their own country or have a first professional degree in law from a Common Law system. As of February 2021, Texas adopted the UBE, making scores transferable to other UBE jurisdictions. Nearly 200 foreign-trained applicants took the July 2024 exam, according to the Texas board of examiners. Click here for more detailed rules.
State #5 – Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C. is a jurisdiction that allows foreign-trained attorneys to sit for the bar examination. The D.C. Court of Appeals is the only entity that can deem an individual qualified to sit for the D.C. Bar Exam. The Rules of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, Rule 46(c)(4) requires that foreign-trained attorneys take at least 26 credit hours in subjects tested on the D.C. Bar Exam in order to become eligible to take the exam. The D.C. Court of Appeals also offers a “special legal consultant” status for a foreign-educated lawyer who has been admitted to practice in another country and is at least 26 years of age, as outlined in Rule 46 (f).
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