UK LLB --> Career in USA

If I done an LLB in the UK and wanted *any* career in the USA is it pretty much useless? Or could I do some sort of postgraduate qualification so I could get a job in the USA? Perhaps something in Finance, Management or Accounting? Although I would prefer to be a lawyer :confused:

Any suggestions regarding possible careers and post grad study welcome :smile:

Reply 1

Crazy Mongoose

To be a lawyer in the USA you will have to meet the prerequisite qualifications for the state's bar, and then pass the bar exam of said state. Some will accept the LLB as a good enough qualification, and rely on the Bar Exam to ensure you have enough knowledge of US law, most, however, will not, and will require you to do a post-graduate course.

However, for anything (i.e. accounting, managment) that would only require an undergraduate degree, i can see no reason you would not be accepted. Something tells me it would help, however, to have gotten the degree from someplace your potential employers will have heard of before.

My two cents (ohh, how droll).

Reply 2

Howard

Crazy Mongoose

Only New York and California.

The rest will require you to hold an ABA validated degree (a JD) which means you would have to spend considerable time and money converting your LLb. Then, as you rightly say, you'd need to pass the state bar exam and then, and only then, can you can join the ranks of hundreds of thousands unemployed/underemployed American lawyers who eventually realize that poverty isn't for them and go off and take a four week course to become a realtor instead.

Reply 3

jeffreyweingard

I thought a LLM from an ABA school would suffice.

Reply 4

Howard

jeffreyweingard

I thought a LLM from an ABA school would suffice.

Depends. Bear in mind that most LLM's cover specialized areas of the law. Mine for example is in Commercial Law.

So, if you had an LLb from the UK and then did an LLM in the US its unlikely that you would have covered sufficient ground in the state's view to get permission to sit the bar exam.

Reply 5

sporkaphobia

I was looking into law at one point and I believe it is UCLA (university of california- los angeles) that actually has a program where if you have a degree in law elsewhere, they have a program that is only a year long to help give you an orientation to american law. I believe there are a few law schools I looked at that do this. Email the admissions departments at a few law schools and double check. Because I know it exists and it means you'd only have to do a year of school before being able to take the bar exam.

In the meantime, you would DEFINATELY be able to get work in law offices doing legal secretary work and file clerk stuff and all that jazz. I had ZERO law experience in work and school and on a whim this last summer I applied to work at a law firm here in California and they hired me. A lot of places are willing to work with no experience. And if you have a degree, all the better. You can at least have a career and make money while you studied for a law degree here.

Reply 6

Lawz-

Your problem isnt getting to sit the bar. Your problem is getting a decent job.

Without a JD you are fighting a very uphill battle on that front

Reply 7

Howard

Lawz-

Your problem isnt getting to sit the bar. Your problem is getting a decent job.

Without a JD you are fighting a very uphill battle on that front

Quite right. I know a bloody good handful of JDs who have passed the FL bar and can't get work in law. In fact my next door neighbor is a real estate attorney (with 10-15 years experience) that recently got uppity with his boss and decided to go it alone and hang his own shingle. Four months later and the guy is starving waiting for a client to walk through the door!

Simple fact is there are far far more attorneys in the US (over 1 million in fact!) than there are jobs. The days of making fortunes in law in the US are well over. Forget about it, unless you are truly exceptional and truly fortunate.

Reply 8

Howard

sporkaphobia

There are several California based law schools like this, some even offering a JD via distance learning, but beware. First of all they are not ABA accredited (since California does not require ABA validated courses as a pre-requisite to sitting the CA bar) which means their qualifications are practically worthless outside of CA. Secondly, the bar exam failure rate of students on such courses is extraordinarily high - and I mean high as in 90%

So, even if you did pass the course and then sat the CA bar you'd only be good to practice in CA (and probably never be accepted in another state) which is nothing to look forward to since CA is so oversupplied with lawyers you'd make a better living as a gardener.

I wouldn't touch a CA law degree with a barge pole.

Reply 9

alshfa0j

Original post by sporkaphobia

In the meantime, you would DEFINATELY be able to get work in law offices doing legal secretary work and file clerk stuff and all that jazz. I had ZERO law experience in work and school and on a whim this last summer I applied to work at a law firm here in California and they hired me. A lot of places are willing to work with no experience. And if you have a degree, all the better. You can at least have a career and make money while you studied for a law degree here.

What law firm accepted legal secretary without relevant experience? I am a UK law graduate with 3yrs experience in office work yet no law firm in US accepted me. On accepted me to volunteer 🤔😊