METHODS OF QUALIFYING FOR NEW YORK BAR EXAMINATION
Section 520 of the Rules of the Court of Appeals for the Admission of Attorneys and Counselors at Law provides four routes for an applicant to qualify to take the New York bar examination, all of which require at least some form of classroom study in a law school.
1. ABA Approved Law School Study (JD graduates) - Applicant attended and was graduated with a first degree in law from a law school or law schools in the United States which at all times during the period of applicant's attendance was or were approved by the American Bar Association (ABA). (Section 520.3 of the Rules of the Court of Appeals)
List of ABA Approved Law Schools
3. Unapproved Law School Study - Graduation from an unapproved law school in the United States with a Juris Doctor degree and practice in a jurisdiction where the applicant has been admitted for 5 of the 7 years immediately preceding application to sit for the New York bar examination. (Section 520.5 of the Rules of the Court of Appeals)
4. Foreign Law School Study – Successful completion of a program of study at a law school outside of the United States that is both durationally and substantively equivalent to a program of study at an approved law school in the United States, and if required, successful completion of an additional program of study at an approved law school in the United States. (Section 520.6 of the Rules of the Court of Appeals) (See also, "Foreign Legal Education" section of this website)
5. Pro Bono Scholars Program – Students in their final year of their Juris Doctor degree program at an ABA approved law school may qualify to sit for the February bar examination in return for devoting their last semester of study to performing pro bono legal services through an approved program. Interested students should consult Section 520.17 of the Rules of the Court of Appeals. More detailed information is available at http://www.nycourts.gov/ATTORNEYS/probonoscholars/index.shtml.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to carefully review the eligibility requirements in Section 520 of the Rules of the Court of Appeals for the Admission of Attorneys and Counselors at Law before applying to sit for the bar examination. It is the responsibility of each applicant to be aware of the eligibility requirements and to demonstrate their compliance with the requirements of the Court Rules.
JURIS DO CTOR GRADUATES OF ABA APPROVED LAW SCHOOLS
Prospective applicants for the New York bar examination who are pursuing a Juris Doctor degree at a law school approved by the American Bar Association (ABA) should be aware that the requirements of Rule 520.3 may be more restrictive than the ABA standards. Graduation from an ABA approved law school does not automatically qualify an applicant to sit for the New York bar examination.
Approved Law Schools. The law school which the applicant attended must have been approved by the ABA during all periods of the applicant’s attendance and must be located in the United States or its territories. Provisional ABA approval is acceptable provided that the law school had provisional status during all periods of the applicant’s attendance. If the law school did not have ABA approval during all periods of the applicant’s attendance, it will be necessary for the applicant to petition the Court of Appeals under Section 520.14 of the Rules of the Court of Appeals, for a waiver of strict compliance with the provisions of Section 520.3 of the Court Rules. Applicants who will need to petition the Court of Appeals for a waiver should do so as early as possible and preferably no later than 60 days prior to the date of the bar examination.
Overview of Instructional, Credit Hour and Course of Study Requirements (Applicants should read Rule 520.3 in its entirety for all requirements):
Waiver Petition and Cure. The Board has no authority to waive any of the requirements of the Court Rules, such power being vested solely in the Court itself. Should you wish to petition the Court, under 22 NYCRR § 520.14, for a waiver of strict compliance with Court Rule 520.3 and for an order admitting you to the examination, your verified petition, in duplicate, should be addressed to the Clerk of the Court, Court of Appeals Hall, 20 Eagle Street, Albany, NY 12207. Should you have any questions concerning the petition process, you should visit the “Frequently Asked Questions” section of the Court’s website at http://www.courts.state.ny.us/ctapps/admattrnyfaq.htm.
Applicants who have not satisfied the two-credit Professional Responsibility course requirement may, in lieu of petitioning the Court of Appeals for a waiver take a two-credit professional responsibility course on a non-degree basis at an ABA approved law school in the United States, either in a classroom course or via distance education (provided that the student has not already exceeded the 15 credit limit of distance education credits).
Proof of Compliance Required for Graduates of ABA Approved Law Schools. Applicants qualifying to sit for the bar examination under Section 520.3 must file with the Board a completed Certificate of Law School Attendance Form no later than January 15 for the February exam and no later than June 15 for the July exam. The Law School Certificate of Attendance Form will be sent electronically to your law school to certify and return to the Board.
CORRESPONDENCE STUDY, SELF-STUDY, ON-LINE LAW DEGREES
With the exception of the distance education provision in Court Rule 520.3(c) law degrees obtained by distance education, correspondence, external study, internet or self-study do not qualify an individual to take the New York bar examination.
LAW OFFICE STUDY/CLERKSHIP
New York is one of only a few jurisdictions that permits an applicant to qualify to take the bar examination on the basis of some law school study combined with law office study or clerkship. Section 520.4 of the Rules of the Court of Appeals sets forth the eligibility requirements for law office study. Interested applicants are urged to carefully review the requirements of Section 520.3 To qualify to take the bar examination on the basis of law office study under Section 520.4, the applicant must demonstrate:
After carefully reviewing rule, the applicant should submit a written request for an evaluation of eligibility to the Board office. In addition to making this written request, an applicant must have his or her law school or schools submit the following directly to the board:
Upon receipt of the request for an evaluation together with the required supporting documentation, the Board will determine whether the applicant meets the threshold criteria under Section 520.4 and issue a written determination in due course.
If an applicant meets the threshold criteria, the Board will then determine how much credit toward the four year requirement the applicant should receive for their law school study, and notify the applicant how many weeks of law office study must be completed before the applicant may apply for the bar examination. Next, the applicant must obtain a position as a law clerk/student in a law office, and have the attorney with whom he or she is working complete and file a Certificate of Commencement of Law Office Study with the Court of Appeals.
The Court's Address:
Clerk
Court of Appeals
20 Eagle Street
Albany, NY 12207
Please note: NO credit is given for any law office work that was engaged in PRIOR to the applicant's completion of the threshold period at law school OR the filing of the Certificate of Commencement.
The applicant must study law in the law office for a period of four years under the supervision of an attorney who is admitted to practice law in New York . (Credit toward this four year requirement is given for successfully completed semesters in an ABA approved law school.) Once the required period of law office study is completed, the applicant is eligible to apply for the New York State bar examination. When applying for the bar examination, the applicant and the attorney or attorneys responsible for the law office study both must complete affidavits.
UNAPPROVED LAW SCHOOL STUDY
Graduates of non-ABA Approved law schools located in the United States who have also actively practiced law in a U.S. jurisdiction for 5 of the 7 years preceding application to the New York bar examination may qualify to sit for the bar examination under Section 520.5 of the Rules of the Court of Appeals. Rule 520.5 sets forth the following requirements which must be met by graduates of non-ABA approved law schools seeking to take the New York bar examination:
(1) applicant has studied law in any law school in any other state or territory of the United States or in the District of Columbia, other than a law school which grants credit for correspondence courses; and
(2) the applicant has received a degree from such law school which qualifies such applicant to practice law in such state, territory or in the District of Columbia; and
(3) the applicant's course of study complies with the instructional and program requirement of section 520.3(c) through (e) of the Rules of the Court of Appeals; and
(4) that while admitted to the bar in the highest court in any other state or territory of the United States or in the District of Columbia, applicant has actually practiced therein for at least five years of the seven years immediately preceding the application to sit for the bar examination.
Proof of compliance required for Graduates of non-ABA Approved law schools. Applicants qualifying to sit for the bar examination under Section 520.5 must file the following proof in the Board office no later than January 15 for the February exam and no later than June 15 for the July exam:
(a) Your law school must file the Law School Certificate of Attendance form, a copy of which will be emailed to you after you apply for the exam;
(b) Proof of admission to practice in another jurisdiction or jurisdictions in the form of a Certificate of Good Standing;
(c) An affidavit from the applicant setting forth the periods and places of law practice including the dates and names of employers;
(d) Affidavits from supervising attorneys, partners, judges, confirming proof of practice for five of the seven years preceding application to the New York bar exam;
(e) Your completed handwriting sample certified by an authorized official at your law school or by a Notary Public.
FOREIGN LAW SCHOOL STUDY
Section 520.6 of the Rules of the Court of Appeals for the Admission of Attorneys and Counselors at Law contains the eligibility requirements for applicants who wish to qualify for the New York State bar examination based on the study of law in a foreign country. Compliance with the requirements of the Rules of the Court of Appeals must be proved to the satisfaction of the Board before an applicant may be permitted to sit for the bar examination. For more detailed information concerning the eligibility requirements for foreign educated attorneys, individuals should carefully review Rule 520.6 and the information located in the Foreign Legal Education section of this website
Links to other sites, or links to this site by any other sites, do not imply any endorsement of, or relationship with, such other sites