<p>I'm a senior at a Canadian high school and I'll most likely be attending McGill for my undegrad (arts major). I plan on going onto law school and I've always wanted to practise in the states. I've researched a few Canadian law schools and they seem to have excellent programs, but would I need to attend an American law school in order to practise in the states? I'm interested in schools like U Penn and NYU, but the tuition is outrageously high compared to what I'd be paying in Canada. Could anyone shed some insight into this?</p>
<p>Most (although not all) states in the US have a requirement that you must have graduated from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association to be admitted to practice in the state, and those ABA accredited schools are all in the US. Thus, you should consider attending a US law school to be necessary. You should also be aware that the Canadian legal system (taught in Canadian law schools) is different from the US system.</p>
<p>It's not clear in your message, but if you are a Canadian citizen, do not assume that you will be able to stay in the US and practice law even if you get an American law degree. I'm not purporting to give legal advice, but remember, a US law degree doesn't give you a green card.</p>
<p>I'm a Canadian citizen. I never really thought of the green card issue, thanks for bringing it up! Do you know of any ways to get around it? I'm guessing there must be because schools like Harvard and Yale wouldn't be so appealing for Canadians if they had no chance of practicing in the states. I will look into it though!</p>
<p>Again, I don't want to give legal advice. However, simply being offered a job in the US is not enough to get a green card. (If it were, there would be far fewer immigration attorneys.) I'm not giving the OP legal advice--just telling him that before spending thousands if not hundreds of thousands of dollars on an American legal education with the expectation of working in the US, he should make sure he will be able to stay here after graduation. </p>
<p>My understanding, which nobody should rely upon, is that an employer can sponsor an alien for a green card if he can establish that he made a good faith effort to hire an American, but was unable to find one who was as qualified to take the job who would. The employer must also establish that the alien will be paid the prevailing wage. (You can't offer to pay someone a really low salary no qualified American would accept, and then hire an alien for it.) It would be hard for a law firm to prove it couldn't find an American fresh out of law school too who was willing to take the job. </p>
<p>Again, nobody should rely upon advice from an internet message board on something like this. As a high school student, the OP has years to figure this out. I'm just saying he shouldn't come to the US to study law, get his degree, and then start asking what he has to do to stay here.</p>
<p>My stepdad does not have his green card - despite a) marriage and b) employment which no one else could do (he came over here during the 1990s internet/computer boom). I think he has to wait five years for the green card after marriage.</p>
<p>The thing I would worry about is managing to get a job in the States. I have no idea how it would work... most employers probably don't interview in Canadian law schools. Just guessing here, but it would be difficult to persuade an American firm to hire you when those jobs are so competitive anyway.</p>