Where can you get admitted with California DL degree

[jonlevy]

Assuming one passes the California Bar with a DL degree, where can one get admitted excluding Federal Courts and Tribunals based just on one's California bar license.

I would also exclude petitioning as in the case of Massachusetts, New Mexico, and Idaho as that is based on a number of factors besides being a member of the California bar such as residency and individual circumstances. As well as exclude restricted admissions such as corporate attorney and pro hac vice.

1.  Motion in DC after 5 years post qualification experience (PQE)
2.  Take the QLTS exam for England & Wales to become as solicitor after 2 years PQE
3.  Take the Irish QLTT to become a solcitior after one year PQE.
4.  Motion in Iowa after ten years PQE.

Note the ABA chart is often wrong or gives the impression that very limited exceptions apply generally.

Can anyone add non federal and non petition jurisdictions to this list?

[FalconJimmy]

In Texas, my understanding is that you are allowed to sit for the Texas bar if you practiced 3 out of 5 in California previously.  Although it's not the same as being automatically admitted to the bar, the degree, plus the experience requirement, allows you to sit for the bar exam.

[Opie58]

Great question, jonlevy; not sure it has ever been addressed that way, but it would be helpful.  Personally, I have not found any such data.  So, I suspect there would be a need to inquiry from each state their position, which may be a bit distorted unless either 1) the state allowed exceptions, most likely through petition, or 2) someone challenged through the states' supreme courts.  Looking at a handful of states bar committees/associations, very allowed for exceptions, usually with a 3-5 year active practice clause; however, I am also aware of one (Idaho) that did not follow that and allowed admittance.

[jonlevy]

The general proviso written into most bar admission rules is that correspondence school graduates and presumably DL grads cannot qualify under most exceptions that might be available to non ABA grads in general.

[jonlevy]

In Texas, my understanding is that you are allowed to sit for the Texas bar if you practiced 3 out of 5 in California previously.  Although it's not the same as being automatically admitted to the bar, the degree, plus the experience requirement, allows you to sit for the bar exam.

I wish that were true but alas not:

http://www.ble.state.tx.us/FAQ/main_faq.htm

Does Texas recognize J.D. degrees from correspondence or online based law schools?

No. See the following rules in the Rules Governing Admission to the Bar of Texas: III and XIII(a)(2).


4. Can a person from a non-ABA approved law school apply to Texas, assuming the law school is a non-correspondence law school?

Yes, but only if they meet the following requirements:

(a) hold an active, valid law license in another U.S. jurisdiction, and

(b) has practiced in that jurisdiction for a three (3) year period within the previous five (5) calendar years immediately preceding filing an application with this office.

Having these qualifications may enable the applicant to be eligible for the full bar examination. See the Board's U.S. Attorney Admission page.  Recent graduates of non-ABA approved law schools not based on study by correspondence are not eligible to take the Texas Bar Examination.  Foreign-educated attorneys should refer to the Board's Foreign Attorney Admission page for more information.

[jonlevy]

Non ABA is not what we are looking for - we are looking for online and correspondence admissions.

Here's the Iowa (on of the good ones) admits with only 5 years PQE without discrimination as to degree:


http://www.iowacourtsonline.org/Professional_Regulation/Bar_Admission__Practice_Rules/Admission_without_Examination/
Applying for Admission without Examination

Iowa offers admission without examination (admission on motion) for attorneys licensed in another state or the District of Columbia who can demonstrate a prolonged period of the actual practice of law without significant character or fitness problems.

 

What are the basic requirements for admission on motion?


The applicant must:

 
·         have been admitted to another state of the United States or the District of Columbia,

·         have practiced law five full years while licensed within the seven years immediately preceding the date of the application and still holds a law license, 

·         be of good moral character, and

·         file a certificate of admission, a certificate of regular practice, a certificate of good moral character, and a completed fingerprint card with the Office of Professional Regulation.

 
Who is not eligible for admission on motion?

An applicant is not eligible for admission on motion if:

·         the applicant is currently subject to lawyer discipline in another jurisdiction, 

·         the applicant failed the Iowa bar examination within five years of the date of the application, or

·         the applicant has failed five or more bar examinations.   

[jonlevy]

Wisconsin looks possible:

SCR 40.02 Qualifications generally.
A person who meets all of the following qualifications shall be
admitted to practice law in this state by order of the supreme court:
(1) Has attained the age of majority under the law of this state.
(2) Satisfies the legal competence requirements by diploma
privilege (SCR 40.03), bar examination (SCR 40.04) or proof of
practice elsewhere (SCR 40.05).

SCR 40.05 Legal competence requirement: Proof of practice.
(1) An applicant shall satisfy the legal competence requirement
by presenting to the clerk certification of the board that the applicant
has provided all of the following:
(a) Proof of admission to practice law by a court of last resort in
any other state or territory or the District of Columbia.
(b) Proof that the applicant has been substantially engaged in
the practice of law in a state or territory, the federal government or the
District of Columbia for 3 years within the last 5 years prior to filing
application for admission. A lawyer may satisfy this requirement by
proof of practice in more than a single jurisdiction and under more than
one provision of this rule.

[jonlevy]

5 years PQE apparently permits one to take the attorney exam in Maryland regardless of degree:

http://www.courts.state.md.us/ble/pdfs/baradmissionrules.pdf

Rule 13. OUT-OF-STATE ATTORNEYS
(a) Eligibility for Admission by Attorney Examination--Generally
A person is eligible for admission to the Bar of this State under this Rule if the person
(1) is a member of the Bar of a state;
(2) has passed a written bar examination in a state;
(3) has the professional experience required by this Rule;
(4) successfully completes the attorney examination prescribed by this Rule; and
(5) possesses the good moral character and fitness necessary for the practice of l

[jonlevy]

British Virgin Islands:
www.eccourts.org/ecsc40/vm/bvi/HowtoBecomeaBVILawyer.pdf

Alternatively, foreign qualified lawyers wishing to become licensed in the Caribbean Region (in contrast to being admitted in England & Wales) may choose to take a six month conversion course regulated by the Council of Legal Education of the West Indies. This course can be taken at the Norman Manley Law School in Jamaica, the Hugh Wooding Law School in Trinidad or the Eugene Dupuch Law School in the Bahamas.

But you will need a local sponsor to get a motion for admission before the court.

[LincolnLover]

In reality how many Americans plan to move to another country to practice though?