If I'm already a law student but an undergraduate and wanna transfer to a US university is that possible ?

Question

ok i'm 19 a 2nd year law student and want to study in the US but i hear US universities dont let u take law as an undergraduate but in my country it's allowed so my question is if i wanna transfer to a US university how would that work.will they accept me for law school and if not will they pull me back to freshman year and make me take another course? or will they consider my credits ?,and if i decide to finish my LLB here in my country which will be after 2 years will i be able to practice law in the US?or will they make me go to law school and do my LLB all over again or will they let me do my LLM?

oh and how many years is it for an LLM in the US?

i dont really how it works so it would be nice if u could explain it to me. thank you :)

Answer 1

You can not study law as an undergraduate in the US. If you transfer to a university in the US, you must study something else. Once you complete your studies and get your bachelors degree, you can go on for a JD - go on to law school.

If you hope to practice law in the US, you really should go to law school in the US. There are only a couple of US states that allow foreign educated lawyers to take the bar exam (NY, Texas, maybe one other), and you must take and pass that in order to practice. And even if you did pass the bar, most US law firms wouldn't hire you, because you wouldn't know US law. A few might hire you to cover international law, but there aren't a lot of jobs there.

If you have a foreign LLB, you can come to the US and do an LLM at a US law school. You won't need to go back and redo your LLB. But speak to the US law schools about the ability to parlay the LLM into US employment. I don't believe that it will, but others can talk to that point.

Answer 2

You have a lot of questions:

1) You would not be permitted to attend law school as an undergraduate transfer student. The credits you already have will be evaluated to the U.S. equivalent and then be transfered to cover part of your chosen Bachelor's Degree in the U.S. Bare in mind that the U.S. does not offer an LL.B. so your bachelor's degree will have to be in another field.

2)  You will not be able to practice law in the U.S. with a foreign LL.B.

3) You will have to spend 24 months in law school to earn a J.D. after the successful completion of an LL.B. LL.M. in the U.S. is mainly used for those who wish to teach law and not practice it - A J.D. is what you will need to practice law.

4) A J.D. in the U.S. is three years. If you complete an LL.B. or LL.M. in your own country then you are looking at 12-24 months of law school in the U.S. to earn a J.D. which will permit you to take the Bar.