If I study law in australia can I be a lawyer in New York?

Question

Im from australia but want to study in new york but I will have to study in sydney if I dont get accepted into a new york uni. Will I still be allowed to practice law in new york?

Answer 1

I thought I would add to the other excellent response. Each US state requires lawyers to pass their own bar exam, not just New York.

Additionally, are you able to work legally in the USA? If you attend the USA on a student visa, I don't think that would  guarantee that you would be able to take the bar, stay and practice law.

Laws vary from state to state, and then there's federal law.... so of course, Australian law will be very different from USA law.

You need to do a lot more research. Try googling: New York State, Bar exam, citizenship requirements.

Good luck!

Zola

Answer 2

You'd have to have studied enough to be able to pass the Bar exam to get your license in New York.  Studying Australian law isn't going to help you much with American law.  But good luck to you.

Answer 3

In addition to the above responses.

To practice law in the United States, you will have to sit and pass the bar exam for the State in which you wish to practice law in.

You may apply for a student visa to study law in the United States at a law school or if you wish to study law in your home country then upon graduation you may apply for a B1/B2 visitor visa to take the bar exam.

However if you decide to follow the latter route you will need to meet all of the requirements set forth by the New York Bar Assocation in order for the board to make a decision on your elgibilty to the Bar. Furthermore, once the board as made their decsion and deemed you eligible you must then meet the requirements to take the actual Bar exam.

One of these requirements is 520.6(b)(20, you must successfully complete a program of study consisting of a minimum of 20 semester hours of credit in professional law subjects, including basic courses in American Law, at an approved law school in the United States.

The requirements for all of the above are clearly stated and are in much more detail on the website below.

If you manage to pass the bar, this will legally permit you to practice law in the United States, however this does mean you can legally do so without the necessary visa. You will still to find a U.S. based employer to petition you for a work visa to enable you to 'phyically' practice law in the U.S.

Passing the bar exam, just gives you the license to practice legally and not the phyical legal ability to do so.

You have got a lot of reading to do.