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bar INForMaTIoN For ForEIgN STUDENTS
P ROFILE
The state of Georgia does not allow foreign attorneys to sit for the bar examination. For specific information about rules related to foreign attorneys practicing law in Georgia, please visit the State Bar website at www.gabar.org/about_the_bar/ how_to_join_the_state_bar/.
Mark’s LLM Concentration: Law and Religion Mark is a recent JD graduate from NYU, who is working on his SJD so he can pursue an academic career. He’s working with professors John Witte and Michael Broyde, the same professors with whom he did his LLM work. In addition to taking classes here at Emory Law, he is also taking courses in the Graduate Division of Religion and at the Candler School of Theology.
Foreign-trained LLM graduates who are interested in practicing law in the United States may sit for the New York State Bar examination or other state bars that permit LLM graduates to apply for admission. If you are considering taking the New York Bar examination, you should review information on the official website of the Board of Law Examiners of the State of New York (BOLE), www.nybarexam.org/. In particular, note the link to “Foreign Legal Education” on the homepage of the BOLE Web site. Foreign-trained students should petition the Board of Law Examiners to determine their eligibility to sit for the New York State Bar examination in advance of enrolling in the LLM program. The form to seek an advance statement of eligibility can be found at www.nybarexam.org/Docs/eval_form.pdf. Note that admission to our LLM program does not guarantee or in any way suggest eligibility to sit for this bar examination. Educational Eligibility Requirements The New York Court of Appeals amended section 520.6 of the Rules of for the Admission of Attorneys and Counselors at Law, which sets forth the educational eligibility requirements for foreign-educated law graduates to sit for the New York bar examination. These changes go into effect for new LLM students in August 2012.
Mark Goldfeder 12L The law is the foundation of society, everything runs, and is based on, the law, so, if you really want to help people and help society, I think the way to do that is by studying the foundations. Before I went to law school, I was a practicing rabbi for a couple years. I wanted to combine both my passions for law and religion, and the place to do that was definitely here at Emory.
I am looking to go into academia, so I hope to teach law and religion. I think professors make a tremendous difference in the world. They can take a step back that lawyers in the field can’t always do to provide a lot of perspective, watch trends and developments, and have a real influence on students. So, I want to be the best I can be to help make others the best they can be as well.
I think law and religion have a lot to say to one another. In a lot of ways, religion gave birth to law, and law’s given a lot back. I’ve been able to work with the Jewish community here in Atlanta doing adult education, so the city, itself, is as welcoming as Emory has been. Emory is really the top program in law and religion. There’s a passion that permeates this entire program from the faculty to the staff to the students. The faculty members, especially, are amazing. They are so diverse and exceptional. It’s incredible as a graduate student to write a paper and have these world-class people looking over it. I was surprised by the amount of individualized attention, where you get to work one-on-one with a lot of really great people.
I think pro bono work is extremely important for the law is supposed to be in service to those who need it to give a voice to those who do not have it, so, it keeps us grounded and focused on what really matters.
The major requirements include: 24 credits earned in the LLM degree program, which is the minimum required for an LLM at Emory Law, and 12 of these 24 credits must be in American law, which are allocated as follows: • At least 2 credits in professional responsibility/ethics, • At least 2 credits in legal writing, research and analysis, • At least 2 credits in American legal studies and the American legal system, which can also be satisfied by a U.S. constitutional law or civil procedure course, • At least 6 credits in other subjects tested on the New York Bar Exam The following Emory Law courses have been approved by the State of New York Court of Appeals to meet the court’s educational eligibility requirements outlined above.
Requirement
Approved Courses
Professional responsibility
Legal profession
Legal writing, research and analysis
American Legal Writing, Analysis and Research
American Legal Studies
Introduction to the U.S. Legal System (required for all LLMs without a U.S. JD degree) Civil Procedure Constitutional Law I
Subjects tested on the New York Bar Exam
Business Associations Civil Procedure Commercial Law: Sales Conflict of Laws Constitutional Criminal Procedure Constitutional Law I Contracts Criminal Law Criminal Procedure: Investigations Criminal Procedure II: Adjudication Evidence Family Law I Family Law II The First Amendment Real Property Torts Trusts & Estates
There are several bar examination preparation courses offered in Georgia for students interested in taking the New York Bar examination. Since many students who attend Emory Law’s JD program plan to practice in New York following graduation, New York Bar exam preparation courses are offered on campus during the summer.
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Master of Laws | LLM • Doctor of juridical science | sjd • 42