Wanting to go to law school in Canada, and Practicing in USA

[Future-Haitian-Lawyer]

If someone graduates from a Canadian law school, how easy it is for such person to practice in USA, because I am tired of being in school in USA. I want to make a new experience. However, due to the fact that I want to practice in USA. I am not sure how it's going to serve me well or I don't want to take all this loan and waste my money in a way. Moreover, I would love to study law in Montreal, because of the french. Please let me know what you guys think about the situation.

[hophead]

Generally, I think people graduating from Canadian law schools are eligible to write the bar and practice in a few states (New York for sure, and Massachusetts I think, plus California -- but maybe only after being admitted in another jurisdiction or something). Not sure where else. So it depends where in the U.S. you want to practice. Look up the rules for the states you're interested in.

[ewiar]

Be careful.  McGill in Montreal is a civil law program - meaning you're instructed in the Quebec Civil Code, as opposed to civil common law which governs the rest of North America.

Cool city though.

[hophead]

I believe McGill offers both common and civil law education -- and are expressly interested in students who want to study in a bijuridical environment.

[mgd04]

Actually, U of D Mercy in Detroit has a program where you spend an extra semester of law school (or two extra summers) and your are fully able to practice in both Canada and the U.S.
www.law.udmercy.edu or www.law.udm.edu
check it out

[retire#4]

Doesn't New Orleans follow civil law?

[mgd04]

Also, what you could do is go to a Canadian law school for your J.D. and then come back to the U.S. to get a L.l.m. (master of law). Then you could take the bar .

[andydrew]

Actually, U of D Mercy in Detroit has a program where you spend an extra semester of law school (or two extra summers) and your are fully able to practice in both Canada and the U.S.
www.law.udmercy.edu or www.law.udm.edu
check it out

So do Osgoode and NYU.

Doesn't New Orleans follow civil law?

Louisiana in general bases its law on Civil Code.

[andydrew]

Don't forget US immigration issues.  If you go to school in Canada, you will not get the L2 internship with a US law firm that might become a full time job.  It will not be easy to convince a US law firm to sponsor you for a H1-B in order to work in the US after you obtain your LLB in Canada.

So if you want to practice in the US, you should go to a US school.

[yancey]

Absolutely agreed.  To practice in the US, go to a US school, the best one you can get into.  If language is a bar, stay in Canada and go to school there where you can practice in French, perhhaps with a Canadian branch of a US firm, or with a Canadian firm.  You will have a very tough or impossible time getting into a US firm with a Canadian degree, even if you pass the Bar, and it will be much harder to pass the Bar in any state having gone to a foreign school.  Law is a local profession, not transferable.

Lousiana law differs from law in the other states because it is based on the Napoleonic Code, but it is of course in English, not French, and since its is subject to the US Constitution, much of the difference is in terminology, not in substance.