<p>Can anyone explain UK law schools to me?
I'm very interested in international law as it pertains to finance, and I was wondering what sort of reputation Oxford and Cambridge law schools had in the US. I figured it was common law and therefore applicable to US domestic law, but correct me if I'm wrong.</p>
<p>I am also interested in this...is it possible to practice law in North America with a law degree from the UK?</p>
<p>bump bump bump</p>
<p>Solicitors and barristers in the UK get an undergraduate degree in law (the LLB,or Bachelor of Laws), or alternatively, an undergraduate degree in something else, followed by a year studying for a Postgraduate Diplomma in Law. At that point the paths of solicitors and barristers diverge - to become a barrister, you have to be admitted to one of the four Inns of Court. To become a solicitor, you apprentice with a licensed solicitor for two years.</p>
<p>Different states have different rules about whether foreign law degrees entitle you to sit for their bar examination. Here's an excerpt from the applicable rules in New York State:</p>
<p>'520.6 Study of Law in Foreign Country; Required Legal Education
(a) General. An applicant who has studied in a foreign country may qualify to take the New York State bar examination by submitting to the New York State Board of Law Examiners satisfactory proof of the legal education required by this section. </p>
<p>(b) Legal Education.</p>
<p>(1) The applicant shall show fulfillment of the educational requirements for admission to the practice of law in a country other than the United States by successful completion of a period of law study at least substantially equivalent in duration to that required, under subdivisions (d) and (e) of section 520.3 of this Part, in a law school or schools each of which, throughout the period of applicants study therein, was recognized by the competent accrediting agency of the government of such other country, or of a political subdivision thereof, as qualified and approved; and </p>
<p>(i) that such other country is one whose jurisprudence is based upon the principles of the English Common Law, and that the program and course of study successfully completed by the applicant were the substantial equivalent of the legal education provided by an approved law school in the United States; or</p>
<p>(ii) if an applicant does not meet the durational equivalency requirements of subdivision (b)(1) of this section but has at least two years of substantively equivalent education, or if the applicant does not meet the substantive equivalency requirements of subdivision (b)(1) (i) of this section, that applicant has successfully completed a full-time or part-time program consisting of a minimum of 20 semester hours of credit, or the equivalent, in professional law subjects, which includes basic courses in American law, in an approved law school in the United States; or</p>
<p>(2) The applicant shall show admission to practice law in a country other than the United States whose jurisprudence is based upon principals [sic] of English Common Law, where admission was based upon a program of study in a law school and/or law office recognized by the competent accrediting agency of the government of such other country and which is durationally equivalent yet substantively deficient under subdivision (b)(1)(i) of this section, and that such applicant has successfully completed a full-time or part-time program consisting of a minimum of 20 semester hours of credit, or the equivalent, in professional law subjects, which includes basic courses in American law, in an approved law school in the United States.</p>
<p>(c) Proof Required. The applicant shall submit to the New York State Board of LawExaminers such proof of compliance with the provisions of this section as the board mayrequire.</p>
<p>Relevant Subdivisions of '520.3</p>
<p>'520.3 Study of Law in Law School
(d) Full-Time Program Defined. A full-time program shall consist of at least 75 and no more than 105 calendar weeks in residence, including reading periods not to exceed one week per semester and examinations, of at least 10 classroom periods per week, scheduled principally between the hours of 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., totaling not less than the equivalent of 1,120 hours of classroom study, exclusive of examination time. A calendar week shall include four days of scheduled classes; however, no more than three three-day weeks per semester may be counted toward the 75-week minimum. A semester that includes successful completion of at least 10 credit hours per week of study shall be counted as 15 full-time weeks in residence toward the residency weeks requirement of this subdivision. As allowed under subdivision (h) of this section, a summer session that includes successful completion of at least 5 credit hours per week of study shall be counted as 7.5 full-time calendar weeks in residence toward the residency weeks requirement of this subdivision.</p>
<p>(e) Part-Time Program Defined. A part-time program shall consist of at least 105 and no more than 135 calendar weeks in residence, including reading periods not to exceed one week per semester and examinations, of at least eight classroom periods per week, irrespective of the hours at which the classroom periods are scheduled, totaling not less than the equivalent of 1,120 hours of classroom study, exclusive of examination time. A calendar week shall include three days of scheduled classes; however, no more than three two-day weeks per semester may be counted toward the 105-week minimum. A semester that includes successful completion of at least 8 credit hours per week of study shall be counted as 15 part-time weeks in residence toward the residency weeks requirement of this subdivision. As allowed under subdivision (h) of this section, a summer session that includes successful completion of at least 4 credit hours per week of study shall be counted as 7.5 part-time calendar weeks in residence toward the residency weeks requirement of this subdivision.</p>
<p>This is the best on-line site I've found for explaining the process of becoming a barrister in the UK:</p>
<p>Now, if you want to go to school in the UK and then practice law in the US, there are a few potential hurdles. First, if you aren't a US citizen or green card holder, you have to get someone to sponsor you to immigrate. Now, I don't purport to know that much about doing this, but if you are a UK citizen, do NOT assume that you can come to work in the US. The law firm which wishes to employ you has to be able to show that there is no American qualified for the job. My understanding, which is based only on anecdotes, is that's tough for people with no experience. If you've practiced a couple of years and are an expert on ship financing, which is usually based on LIBOR (The London Interbank Offering Rate), it's easier to make a case that you are uniquely qualified and aren't taking a job away from an American than it is if you got an undergraduate law degree last week. And the tougher the Brits make it for Americans to work there, because we aren't EU residents, the tougher the US will make it, I suspect.</p>
<p>Problem number 2, admission in the US is by individual state. In some states, you need a college degree PLUS a law degree. So, Americans who go to college here, get a BA and then go study in the UK pass this hurdle. But some Brits and Americans who get a UK law degree without having gone to college in the US first have a problem in some states. Again, I'm not claiming to be an expert; I just know from anecdotal evidence that some states won't count the Oxbridge law degree as BOTH your college degree AND your law degree. So, if you've some clue where in the US you might want to work, check that state's admissions requirements. (NY is, not too surprisingly,among the most liberal in admitting foreign attorneys among the states.) </p>
<p>Harvard Law School and Oxford have entered into a joint program through which you can get law degrees from both. </p>
<p>Obviously, you must still pass the state bar exam. </p>
<p>I hope that's some help. I'm not an expert and don't claim to be.</p>
<p>thank you both very much. you were very helpful</p>
<p>Do you need a Bachelor's degree from the U.S. or Canada to study law in the UK? I know that you do for University College London but do all of the universities require one?</p>
<p>Why would any U.K. school require a degree from Canada or the US as a prerequisite?</p>
<p>I sent an e-mail to UCL asking whether it would be possible to study Law without a B.A. and they said no. I'm pretty sure that LSE is the same...</p>
<p>You are talking apples and oranges. </p>
<p>Again, at Cambridge and Oxford you can get an UNDERGRADUATE degree in law. You do not need a BA to enroll. That doesn't mean that if you take this route that you can then return to the US and get admitted to the bar. You need to look at the admissions requirements in the states in which you might want to practice. But, yes, students can study law and get a bachelor's degree in it in the UK without getting another degree first. See this and note that there are undergraduates and LLM candidates:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.law.cam.ac.uk/%5B/url%5D">http://www.law.cam.ac.uk/</a></p>
<p>Click on the link for admissions to download application, etc. </p>
<p>Here's a brief excerpt from one of the official bar pages in the UK explaining one of the routes to becoming a barrister:</p>
<p>"The law degree route - barristers</p>
<p>Competition for places on law degree courses is considerable and students will need to achieve three good A-level passes to gain a place. It does not matter what A-level subjects they study science A-levels are as acceptable as arts subjects but they should study academic subjects.Students should ensure that their law degree covers the foundations of legal knowledge and is recognised as a qualifying law degree."</p>
<p>A levels aren't college degrees; they are secondary school exams. </p>
<p>See also: </p>
<p>Usual Minimum Entry Requirements for our LL.B degrees: Bachelors Degree from a recognised higher education institution with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5 or a cumulative grade average of at least 80% </p>
<p>Isn't there a difference between a LLB and a BA in Law? Isn't that the source of confusion here? Feel free to correct me, but I thought you could become a barrister by getting a BA and then joining an Inn of Court to complete the other requirements .</p>
<p>No there's no difference.</p>
<p>Then it's just the policy of UCL and LSE. Oxbridge allows Americans to enroll in the BA law program without a BA/BS from an American school. It may not be common, but it's done.</p>
<p>Ok, thank you! I wonder why it's just LSE and UCL, though?</p>
<p>I want to know about Barrister at Law in UK and applications in other countries of world specialy south asia.
I also want to know about the Scholarships and their availilbility to different nationals.</p>
<p>Regards to the Community.</p>
<p>Khuda Hafiz ( Is an Arabic Word which means that May God save you)</p>
<p>I am a Romanian citizen that has a high school diploma and B.A degree from an American University; and I am interested in applying to Law School in Europe! However, I am not sure about the procedures I need to follow. If I am taking the United States LSAT, do I still have to take the Europe LNAT? In USA the degree following the Bachelor Degree is called Master Degree; what is it in Europe? I would highly appreciate your help and advice. Thank you! Sincerely, Ana</p>
<p>The UK has amazing law schools and the system is quite different as outlined the prior posts. US law firms do recruit top students from top schools in the UK and Canada. </p>
<p>The process of admission is different. In the UK you can go to law school right from high school. After law school, graduates have to take the LPC, the legal practise course which I think is one year full time or 2 years part time. After that, I think the articling is 2 years before full admission. This is called a Trainee Contract. If I am correct, the process for admissions is 3 years after law school. </p>
<p>IN the UK there is also the option for those holding degrees to take the Post-Graduate Diploma in law. I think this is only 10 courses and entitles the holder to enter the LPC. Thus, those who hold degrees do not have to take another full degree to become lawyers. </p>
<p>In Canada, the process is similar to England. We have to take 1 to 1.5 years of Bar School (our Legal Practise Course) after graduation followed by 6 months to 1.5 years of articling before being called to the Bar. To make matters worse, we need generally at least 3 years of undergrad (2 minimum) before entering law school.</p>