Get your foreign education evaluated first

Before choosing an LL.M. program for New York bar eligibility, have BOLE evaluate your foreign legal education. Under Rule 520.6, the usual law-school route considers the length and substance of your studies and the school’s approval in the foreign country.

A qualifying LL.M. can cure certain deficiencies in duration or substance, but it cannot cure both under that provision. A separate route covers certain lawyers admitted in an English-common-law country through approved law-school and/or law-office study who also complete a qualifying LL.M. New York Court of Appeals Rule 520.6

Ask for the evaluation before planning around the exam

All first-time Rule 520.6 applicants must request an advance eligibility evaluation before applying for the bar exam. Submit the online Foreign Evaluation Form and arrange the required supporting records.

For applicants who need an LL.M. to qualify, the Board requires the foreign evaluation and required foreign documentation by:

  • May 1 of the preceding year for a February exam
  • October 1 of the preceding year for a July exam

The Board encourages evaluation at least a year ahead. Plan for at least six months after all required documents arrive. BOLE does not begin review for LL.M.-dependent applicants until it receives the required foreign documents. Different deadlines apply to applicants who qualify without a U.S. LL.M. BOLE's foreign-education instructions

Check the curriculum, not just the degree name

The qualifying LL.M. must be at an ABA-approved U.S. law school. The rule includes at least 24 credits, a minimum instructional period, a 24-month completion limit, and specified coursework in professional responsibility, legal research and writing, U.S. legal studies, and tested subjects. Online and other distance-learning credit cannot count. Check the full rule with the school’s academic adviser before choosing courses. Rule 520.6(b)(3).

Protect your time and application fee

BOLE strongly advises applicants who need an LL.M. to wait for their eligibility determination before applying and paying the exam fee. Its instructions warn that the fee will not be refunded or credited if eligibility cannot be determined in time or the applicant is ineligible. BOLE's advance-evaluation guidance

Get the eligibility determination before committing to an exam application. BOLE decides whether you may sit for the exam. You will still need to satisfy the separate admission requirements after passing.