This section of the website is for those people who wish to become dual qualified both as a solicitor in the UK, and as an attorney in the US. Please also see http://www.fulbright.co.uk/eas/studyus/subjects/law.html#qu.
Why qualify in the USA?
The legal marketplace in the UK is very tough. Qualifying in the USA gives a student or trainee a competitive edge which will make them more marketable and allows them to advise international clients more easily when the need arises.
In addition, qualifying as an attorney in the USA will allow the lawyer to be more flexible in their lives, giving them more options both in the UK, the USA and abroad. Many US qualified lawyers now work in the UK and throughout Europe.
Those who qualify as an attorney in the states enjoy the same rights and privaledges regarding their rights to practice as any American born attorney. For a more comprehensive explanation of why qualifying in the states is useful, please see www.solicitorsjournal.com/story.asp?sectioncode=11&storyCode=7445
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The dual qualification process
For law graduates, dual qualification is incredibly easy. Students can simply take the state bar in New York straight after their degree. For those without an undergraduate law degree, qualification is much harder. Students who have chosen this route will need to qualify as a solicitor in the UK before being able to qualify as a US attorney.
For further information please see http://www.fulbright.co.uk/eas/studyus/subjects/law.html#qualify
Study process
The requirements for qualification within the US differs from state to state. Students would need to check the specific regulations for the state in which they wish to qualify. For this reason, a first step for any solicitor thinking about qualifying in the states, is to think about which states you might wish to qualify in. New York is popular for solicitors, as many international contracts are governed by the law of New York. Another popular choice is California. One reason for this, is that the requirements for taking the California bar are less stringent than in other states
Law in the states is a post graduate discipline. An option open to students who have taken the law conversion course is to take the full three year post graduate course. Again, different states have their own requirements which determine whether or not a student is eligible to take the course.
For information on taking the Californian Bar please see www.calbar.org .Please also read this article taken from that website. This article requires Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you do not have this already installed on your computer, please click here to download it.
 Next: Legal Study Requirements in the USA
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