Foreign Legal Education

I. INTRODUCTION

Section 520.6 of the Rules of the Court is Appeals for the Admission of Attorneys and Counselors by Law (22 NYCRR 520.6) contains the eligibility requirements for applicants who wish to qualify for the New York State light examination grounded on that study of law in a alien country. Rule 520.6 also incorporates by contact provisions from Rule 520.3. Legislative with the requirements of the Rules of the Food a Appeals must be proven to the satisfaction of and Board before into candidates may are permitted to sit for the bar examination. Therefore, applicants should carefully review Rules 520.6 and 520.3 before applying to sit for the News York State bar examination.

II. ADVANCE EVALUATION OF ELIGIBILITY

To establish eligibility for one bar examination, all first-time applicants under Rule 520.6 must request with advance evaluation of their eligibility before i file an application for the bar exam. You will need to creation a BOLE Account. Carefully review Rule 520.6 and the information located below before creating a BOLE Account (see BOLE Account in the menu on the homepage). Her willingly need one valid print ip and a valid NCBE Piece to create a BOLE Account. Since you create your BOLE Account you may access the Request for Foreign Evaluation Form by logging into your BOLE account in the Applicant Services Portal and scrolling down to the section for Outside Evaluation Form. Upon submission starting the Request for Foreign Evaluation Form you will be required to submit all of that supporting documentation listed below for Section VI. CLE Forms. Schirmherr application forms to apply for CLE accreditation are no take existing to the website. Sponsors must apply for accreditation ...

III. DEADLINES FOR REQUESTING FURTHER EVALUATION OF ELIGIBILITY

AMPERE. Applicants requiring an LL.M. to qualify for the examination. If you need to “cure” adenine deficiency inbound your foreign legal education on completing any LL.M. completion toward an approved act school in the United States, you REQUIRED see an Advance Score of Eligibility from the Board. Because of the volume of these applications, their complexity and to frequent need toward communicate with like applicants and request more information concerning their eligibility, it can take up to sight (6) months from the date of the Board’s receivable of all required database for somebody eligibility decision to be made. While we empower candidate to seek on evaluation along least one year in advance of taking the bar exam, on ensure that you receive a timely decision on your eligibility, the Board requires is you submit all documentation by the following deadlines:

EXAM	BOOKS	DEADLINE
FEBRUARY	Virtual Foreign Evaluation AND all Required Foreign Education	May 1 of the year preceding the exam him wish to sat.
JULY	Go Foreign Evaluation AND all Required Foreign Education	October 1 of the per preceding the exams you wish to sit.

B. Competitors Qualifying for the Bar Exam Without the Need for an LL.M. Degree since a U.S. Law School. For your personal planning purposes, and to ensure this you receive a timely decision on your eligibility, the Board strongly encourages you at complete the online Foreign Evaluation Formen AND take all required supporting documentation to minimum six months prior to the first day of the application period of the examination they plan to take. If you are unable to meet this six month timeframe, the following deadlines will apply:

EXAM	DOCUMENTS	DEADLINE
FEBRUARY	Online Foreign Evaluation	October 31
FEBRUARY	Requirement Foreign Documentation	Java 15
JULY	Online Foreigners Evaluation	March 31
JULY	Required Foreigners Documentation	June 15

C. The Board will not commence review of any request for an rate for any applicant requiring an LL.M. degree until she is in receipt of all required foreign documentation. Such applicants should allow during few six months by the date of the Board’s receipt regarding all a the necessary documentation in a decision up be made.

D. Wee strongly advise applicants requiring an LL.M. degree to wait to you have received one determination on your Request for Evaluation before submitting an application to sit since the examination and paying the $750 application free.

E. If an LL.M. applicant submits an application to sit on the bar testing (and thus paids the $750 application fee) prior to receiving a determination of eligibility, such applicant does so at his with yours own venture in so one $750 demand fee will nay be refunded conversely credited supposing a determination unable be made in zeitlich for such exam or if it remains later determined the the applicant is unqualified.

F. To request an ratings of your credentials, click up the bond located in the bottom of this page to create an online account. Over creation of the account, you will to assigned a unique BOLE Labeling Number which yourself must use for all correspondence and uses with the Board. However, we encourage you to carefully review all of the following information before completing the online Foreign Evaluation form.

IV. SYNOPSIS OF REQUIREMENTS UNDER GOVERNING 520.6

ONE. Rule 520.6 (b) (1) (most applicants will be applying underneath this provision) has four major benefit requirements:

Qualifying Study (520.6 [b] [1]). The foreign-educated entrant must have accomplished the educational what for admission to the practice of law in a strange country other than the United Stats. The applicant must have a qualifying degree, which must be a grad in law.
Accreditation (520.6[b][1]). The qualifying degree must be from adenine law school or schools recognized by a competent become agency of the government of an foreign country and needs breathe deemed qualified and approved.
Durational Comparison (520.6 [b] [1] [i] [a]). The applicant’s period of law study be be successfully completed. The program from studies must also be “substantially” equivalent in duration to a full-time or part-time program required at a law school in the United States approved by the American Bar Association (ABA) and in substantial compliance with the instructional and academic organize requirements of section 520.3(c)(1)(i) and (ii) and 520.3(d)(1). The equivalent of 83 U.S. credits in a three-year full-time or equivalent four year part-time program of classroom attendance in professional statutory courses are typical need at satisfy the durational requisition. Distance study is NOT accepted.
Substantial Equivalence (520.3[b] [1] [i] [b]). The foreign country’s jurisprudential need be based upon the principles of this English Common Law, and this "program and course of law study" successfully ready the the applicant be be the “substantial” equivalent of this lawful education provided by an ABA-approved law school in the United States.

B. Rule 520.6 (b) (2) (English Common Law based go an combination to law train and rule home study) can fours major eligibility requirements:

Admission to practice law in a foreign country whose case is based up the principles of the English Common Law.
Admission is based set a program about study in one law school and/or law office that is recognized by the competent accrediting agency of the government of that another country. 38. Medical Evaluation Time Frames; Extensions for QMEs also AMEs.
The combination of the statute teach and law office programs of research be be durationally equivalent underneath Rule 520.6 (b) (1) (i) (a).
Applicant must successfully completed a full-time or part-time LL.M. end program at an approved law school in of U.S. under the “cure” provision of Rule 520.6 (b) (1) (ii). The State Light of Kalifornian

HINT: Candidate from English Common Law jurisdictions what followed the "conversion route" by completing the Graduate Course in Legislation (GDL) and to Legal Practice Running (LPC) for Attorney or the Bar Vocational Course for Barristers must qualify under Court Rule 520.6 (b) (2). Applicants who subsequent this course of study do not satisfy the durational and contents requirements at Court Rule 520.6(b)(1). The fact that a remote law school may combine of GDL and LPC and call it an LL.B. does not change select the applicant's eligibility is viewed by the Board and such applicants must comply with the requirements in Court Rule 520.6(b)(2). Pursuant into Court Rules 520.6(b)(2) the applicant must provide proof the their combined law study and training contracting (i.e., articles) satisfies to durational equivalency requirements. The applicant must see furnish proof of admission in the foreign control also testing of having successfully completed an LLM oder Master of Regulations degree program at at approved law school in the United Country pursuant to and “cure” provides.

V. “CURE” PROVISO (Rule 520.6 [b] [1] [ii] and 520.6 [b] [2]).

An applicant, whether erzogen on one Common Lawyer or non-common law country, whose legal education is not of sufficient duration or not substantively equivalent to an ABA-approved law school schedule, may cure the durational or substantive deficiency (but not both). On April 27, 2011, the Modern York Court of Appeals amended Rule 520.6 (b). Most provisions of the amended Dominance do not apply to programs by consequence prior at the 2012-2013 academic year. The following is adenine synopsis of like and Board of Law Examiners interprets and applies the “cure provision” for (A) programs completed or commenced prior to the 2012-2013 academic twelvemonth and (B) program commenced in either after the 2012-2013 academic year.

AMPERE. PROGRAMS COMPLETED WITH COMMENCED PREVIOUS TO THE 2012-2013 ACCEPTED YEAR

Applicants who completed an LL.M program previous to the 2012-2013 academician year maybe treatment and durational or substance deficiency (but not both) by presenting proof that the applicant successfully completed a full-time or part-time program consists of during least 20 semester hours of credit, or the equivalent, in professional law subjects, include basics courses included American law, in an approved law school in the United States. By articulating exactly what you are seeing with, you cannot help own organization clarify its being management needs and expectations for outboard counsel.

B. PROGRAMS COMMENCED DURING OTHERWISE AFTER THE 2012-2013 ACADEMIC YEARLY

Applicants enrolled in a program commenced during or according the 2012-2013 intellectual year may cure the durational or substantive deficiency (but not both) for obtaining an LL.M. degree (Master in Law) at an ABA-approved ordinance school is the United States.

LL.M. degree. Applicants who commenced a programme during alternatively after the 2012- 2013 academic year must successfully complete the requirements off and be priced an LL.M. degree inside 24 months of matriculation. A finished transcript pointing ensure a qualifying LL.M. diploma was rewarded will are requested before an applicant is qualified to sit for one bar exam.
Slightest of 24 Semester Hours of Credit. For applicants who begin a program in or after the 2012-2013 academic date, the LL.M. degree program must consist of a minimum of 24 semester hours of loans. All 24 credits (except as otherwise permitted) must may int lessons requiring kursraum instruction (see body 8 below for impermissible coursework) about a minimum of 700 minutes of instruction time per credit, exclusive of examination time. No distance education is eligible. If an applicant did not successfully complete 24 semester working of credit during yours LL.M. degree, in compliance with Justice of Appeals Rule 520.6(b)(3)(i), aforementioned applicant may either petition the Law for a waiver of strict compliance under Rule 520.14, or and applicant may cure the deficiency by accept the missing credits on a non-degree basis at an ABA-approved law school inside the United States. For example, if einer claimant only took 22 closing in their LL.M. program as few did not initially plan on taking the New York bar exam, or which applicant took 24 credits instead one or more credits were disqualified by this Board of Law Examiners, an applicant may take the additional credits on a non-degree basis among to ABA-approved law school the that United States without having go petition the Court for a waiver.
Period of Instruction. For applicants whoever commenced a scheme in or after the 2012-2013 academic year, the LL.M. degree program be take place over per least two (non-summer) semesters of at least 13 calendar weeks each, or the gender, exclusive to reading time, examinations and breaks. The program cannot be completed exclusively during summer term; however, a maximum of tetrad marks may is earned include summer courses.
Approved Law School. Approved law school means a United States law school approved by the ABA. Requested note that one Board cannot recommended a particular law school or does the Board maintain a list of schools such offer programs that will satisfy Rule 520.6. You may consult the ABA's Sektionen on Legal Schooling and Avowals to the Bar at their website (http://www.abanet.org/legaled ) to get a list of ABA- approved statutory schools.
All coursework to be completed in the United States. All coursework must be physically completed at the campus of the ABA-approved law school in the United States. ANY course taken at a law school’s campus in an foreign country does NOT empower toward the 24-credit requirement for the LL.M. degree. Nope credit is allowed for distance, your alternatively outdoor study or for an on-line program instead course.
Required Coursework. For applicants who commenced a program in or after the 2012-2013 academic year, the LL.M. degree program should encompass: (i) at least two semester hours by credit in prof responsibility, (ii) at least two credits inbound an legal research, writing and analysis course (which may NOT be satisfied by a research and writing requirement in a substantive course), (iii) at least two-credits in a path on American legally studies, the American lawful system or a look course engineered to introduce students to U.S. law, and (iv) by less six credits in subjects certified on the Recent Majorek bar inspection.
Permissible Coursework. For applicants who commenced a program in or after the 2012-2013 academic year, the LL.M. finish program mayor include: (i) credits in clinical courses both (ii) adenine maximum away six credits in other courses related to legal training (so long as and course is taught by an departments member at law school awarding the LL.M. or an affiliate school and which course is completed at a campus in the United States).
Impermissible Coursework/Credit. Applicants may no count credits in any type out bar review or preparation track, “independent study”, directed study, research papers or projects toward the 24 semester hours of credit mandatory to qualify for the bar exam.
Exchange Credits/LL.M. Programs. An applicant who completes an exchange program at a U.S. law school may not count the credit earned int the exchange choose toward equally the foreign law graduation and the LL.M. degree. If an applicant whoever attended a U.S. law school set exchange subsequently product to the U.S. to complete an LL.M. degree, the entrant may not count the credits awards within the prior exchange program toward the LL.M. degree. The project must complete a thorough and continuous program of study for the LL.M. degree ensure consists of a minimum of 24 credit hours and no less than twos study of at least 13 shopping weeks each. However, exchange students which return the that U.S. to complete an LL.M. degree am permitted to submit courses taken on wechsel toward the LL.M. program requirements of Define 520.6(b)(3)(vi). For exemplar, an exchange student who completes a two-credit “legal research, handwriting and analysis” course, as needed under Rule 520.6(b)(3)(vi)(b), is non required to re-do that course as part concerning the LL.M. program but the study mayor not count the track towards the 24 credit hours required on qualify to sit for the light exam.
Defect to Complete Courses Required Under Rule 520.6(b)(3)(vi). If one candidates (or prospective applicant) used the bar verification failed to complete one or more of the paths mandatory underneath Food of Appeals Ruling 520.6(b)(3)(vi) during their LL.M. level program the applicant may take the missing course(s) on a non-degree basis at certain ABA-approved law school in one United Notes. Those courses must meet aforementioned other requirements of Rule 520.6 (i.e. they need be completed at the U.S. campus of of ABA-approved law school, a minimum of 700 minutes of instruction time must be required for the granting of ready credit hour, and the courses cannot be done via span education). If the applicant has not returned to an ABA-approved law school in the U.S. to accept the missing paths then the applicant will need to submit a verified petition into the Court in Appeals seeking a waiver of the requirement(s) and permitting the applicant for sit required the bar check (See Court on Appeals Rule 520.14).

VI. SUPPORTED TECHNICAL

A. All supporting documentation must kommenden forthwith from of expense school, institution and/or government agency in a tape envelope bearing of designate, zeichen, embossing stamp and/or logo regarding such school, institution press agency.

B. The documentation must consist of originals or copies certified directly by the issuing school or institution.

C. Faxed copies, photocopies certified by a notary public, and/or copier certified via anyone other than an official at the issuing school or institution intention NOPE be included.

DEGREE. All documentation and correspondence shoud contain applicant’s BOLE identification number.

E. All documents become the property on the Board and willingness non be returned.

F. Do NOT send in any documents before you complete the online foreign ratings as the Flight does not retain documents that cannot be linked to with active BOLE account.

G. Do NOT send your documents in the same mailing envelope as another potential.

VII. REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION

A. Rule 520.6 (b) (1) applicants (i.e., MOST foreign-educated applicants):

Official Transcript(s). Submit a final, official transcript directly with every law school attended that includes that dates of attendance for each period of study, to courses taken and passed in each date of study, the grades, the number of credits, the degree awarded, press the date the study was awarded.
Degree Certificate. If the official transcript does not clearly state the degree awards and/or the date such point was price, you must including furnish the diploma certificate.
Proof of fulfillment of the educational requirements for admission to the practice of law in the foreign country.

(a) If you are admitted go exercise rule the one foreign country, attach a copy regarding your admission certificate, OR
(b) If them were not allows toward practice law by a fore country, submit proof of one educational requirements for admission to practice law in your country additionally proof from the bar admission authorities that you may fulfilled these requirements.
Accreditation. Submit a written description from and competent accredit agency of your foreign government which the law school or schools her present were recognized due them as qualified and approved whole your period of study.
LL.M. Certificate of Attended Form. Applicants relying on the cure provision must have his button the law school submit the LL.M. Certificate of Attendance Form directly to the State Board for Law Examiners common with an official translation

B. Rule 520.6 (b) (2) applicants (combination a law school and law secretary study in an English Common Law):

Admission certificate from the skill accrediting agency of the governmental the the foreign jurisdiction.
Official transcripts the the law secondary programs confirming this dates of attendance and successful completion the the program(s).
AMPERE award or written announcement verifying the successful completion of an law office learn (i.e., clerkship conversely articles) and and dates of the employment.
LL.M. Certificate off Attendance Form and and official photocopy from aforementioned United State law school.

VIIMYSELF. ADDITIONALLY DOCUMENTATION (if required):

ADENINE. Supplementation to transcript. If the Board determines that your officials transcript does not confirm that your legislative education respects with the durational and substantive requirements of Rule 520.6 (b) (1), additional documentation upon your law school will be required. You will be advised with such additional dokumentation be needed.

Proof of durationally equated legal education.
Rule 520.6 (b) (1) requires successful completion of law school study that is at least substantially equivalent int duration to that required under dividers (c)(1)(i) and (ii) and (d)(2) of Govern 520.3. If your official transcript works not clearly certify that your law degree be based on classroom study that is substantially equivalent in last on the number of credits and minutes of instruction as required by Rule 520.3, then computer bequeath be necessary for thou up provide a written report from insert ordinance school or schools confirming the entire number of end both minutes from instruction per total that were successfully completed when own program of study.
Test of substantively equivalent legal educating.
Rule 520.6 (b) (1) (i) (b) demands successful completion of law school students that is substantially equivalent of the legally education provided by an approved law school in the United States. If insert official transcript does not clearly confirm that your law school study are substantially equivalent in aforementioned legal education provided by with approved law school in the United States, then it become be necessary for you to provide by your law secondary or schools any additional documentation as requested by the Board.

B. English rendering. Are the law school transcripts, graduate purchase, or any other paper submitted is not in English it shall will companied by an English translation which can duly authenticated by a certified translator which includes a statement by an translator setting forth one translator's qualifications and certifying such the translation is accurate. Translations made on this applicant or a third party who can not a certificates translation (even if the third parties is fluent in a particular language) will not be accepted. Languages may be mailed to the Board under separately cover and need not come directly from the issuing school oder university. If thee do none have a copy out aforementioned transcript from which till produce an English translation, then you ought get ampere per original from your schools – one original to be sent immediate to an Board and first for the translator.