<p>I see there is already a thread a while back about foreign law degrees in America, and that it is state by state etc. </p>
<p>I live in England (I am a British Citizen) And am currently taking a 3 year ILEX (Institute of Legal Executives) Course to become a lawyer (not a solicitor) (I currently work in a solicitors firm as a legal secretary/assisstant). I hope then to move to New York to start my legal career.</p>
<p>Anybody have any ideas of what courses I'd need to take? And also, if an ILEX is even accepted as a qualification in USA? I'm a bit anxious I will have to start the legal track again by being a secretary in America and working my way back up. I understand It's a lot easier for those with an English Law Degree from Uni, but uni isn't an option for me to due to expense and plus I like the experience of working in a solicitors and earning money, whilst learning at the same time.</p>
<p>Any advice appreciated :)</p>
<p>You might have to take an LLM to qualify to take the bar in any state in the US. I think New York is probably the most friendly to foreign law degrees-according to the bar exam handbook, I think they handle foreign law degrees on a case-by-case basis. Would this ILEX program give you the equivalent of an LLB or JD in the UK? If so, I think it'll be okay. It might be more helpful to ask someone at the Board of Law Examiners in New York about it, since we don't know what this ILEX program exactly is. Is it kind of like night law school?
Agency</a> Forms and Materials The Bar exam handbook is the 4th document.
Here's the part on foreign legal education: Foreign</a> Legal Education</p>
<p>Anyway I'm going to answer your question with my own question: I'm doing my undergrad in the US, but I'm interested in doing a law degree in the UK-I'd obviously be going for an LLB or BA in Law or whatever you call it over there (Canada and Australia call it LLB, Univ of Toronto calls it JD, most Unis in the UK call it BA in Law). So then would I end up being like 4 years older than everyone else who's doing it from undergrad, and do I have to do the full 3 year course? I know many universities in the UK offer 2 year programs for people who already have a BA but I was wondering how common it is for people to actually take that option. And what's the difference between a lawyer, solicitor and a barrister? And my Canadian friend says that you can get a law degree from Canada or the UK and that will allow you to apply to practice anywhere in the commonwealth, um is that true?</p>
<p>
[quote]
And my Canadian friend says that you can get a law degree from Canada or the UK and that will allow you to apply to practice anywhere in the commonwealth, um is that true?
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</p>
<p>That is not true.</p>
<p>futurenyustudent:</p>
<p>Once you've got your undergrad, you should be able to do the Graduate Diploma in Law (also known as CPE/PGDL) in the UK - most law schools offer this as a 1-year full-time course, or a 2-year part-time course. This will effectively 'convert' your existing degree into a law degree, as you will be doing the 'core' subjects of law required by the Law Society. This is fast becoming a common route now and many law firms, certainly in mine, take a good mixture of law and non-law graduates.</p>
<p>Once you've converted your degree, you'll have to decide if you want to qualify as a solicitor or a barrister. Very simply put, solicitors work in an office for a law firm or as in-house counsel, i.e. heavy on the paperwork; barristers have higher rights of audience and present in court, working for themselves and belonging to a set of chambers.</p>
<p>If you want to be a solicitor, you'll have to do the Legal Practice Course, and then do a 2-year training contract; if you want to be a barrister, you'll have to do the Bar Vocational Course, and then do a 1-year pupillage (see Law Society website). NB in the last few years, a few of the top law schools (College of Law, BPP) offer you an LLB if you do both the GDL and the LPC (or BVC, I think) with them.</p>
<p>Hope this helps.</p>
<p>What amounts of compensation are typical for barristers working in London during their first five years? Same for solicitors? Also if anyone has compensation information for attorneys in Toronto or Vancouver during their first five years out of law school.</p>
<p>ColdWind:</p>
<p>No personal experience but according to Prospects, between £25,000 - £150,000 gross per annum in the first 5 years, i.e. about £16,000 - £100,000 net (take away about a third in taxes).</p>
<p>(Barrister:</a> Salary<em>and</em>conditions)</p>
<p>I suspect you'll only get the higher end of that in London (rather than in other parts of the country) and probably when you get closer to 5 years. Probably also depends a lot on what type of law you specialise in - criminal probably pays less than commercial.</p>
<p>For reference, a newly qualified solicitor (post-training contract) in the City (of London) will typically earn £55,000 - £70,000 gross, with pay going up by about £5,000 - £8,000 every year.</p>
<p>So wait, can solicitors not practice in front of a court or do they just not handle litigation?</p>
<p>The specialty I was thinking about was bankruptcy and tax. And the training contract-is that like a residency in the medical world? Are you paid during the training period?</p>
<p>Maybe I'll just be a lawyer in Canada or the US. Firms like Skadden pay CA$145k in Toronto and Canadian biglaw pays about CA$100k-CA$120k starting and usually go up to ~CA$210k for a senior associate. In NYC (and many other major markets), US$135k-US$160k starting and up to US$300k. You know, given the cost of living in London I'll be at poverty level at 36,000 pounds.</p>