Boston University School of Law Graduate and International Programs Professional Development. LLM New York Bar Handbook

Boston University School of Law Graduate and International Programs Professional Development LLM New York Bar Handbook

TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION... 1 II. NEW YORK BAR REQUIREMENTS FOR FOREIGN-TRAINED LLMS... 1 A. Foreign Law Degree Requirement and Cure Provision... 1 B. LLM Course Requirements for the NY Bar Exam... 2 C. ALP LLM Students... 3 D. Banking LLM Students... 4 E. Taxation LLM Students... 4 III. ADVANCE EVALUATION OF ELIGIBILITY AND APPLICATION PROCESS... 4 A. Online Request for Advance Evaluation of Eligibility and Supporting Documents... 5 1. Online Foreign Evaluation Form... 5 2. Supporting Documents... 5 3. Notification of BOLE Eligibility Determination... 7 4. Application for Waiver of Rules After Negative Eligibility Determination... 7 a. Waiver of Strict Compliance with Substantive or Durational Equivalency Requirements... 8 b. Waiver of Strict Compliance with LLM Course Requirements... 8 B. NY Bar Exam Application and Fee... 8 C. LLM Certificate of Attendance, Final Transcript, and Handwriting Specimen... 9 D. Notification of BOLE Application Approval... 9 IV. NY BAR EXAM FORMAT AND REQUIREMENTS... 10 A. The Uniform Bar Exam (UBE)... 10 B. The NYLC... 11 C. The NYLE... 11 D. Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE)... 11 E. New York Bar 50-hour Pro Bono Requirement... 12 V. TO DO LIST FOR JULY NEW YORK BAR EXAM... 13 VI. TEMPLATE COVER LETTER TO BOLE... 14

I. INTRODUCTION This memorandum is for BU Law LLM students who received their legal educations abroad and who are considering sitting for the New York State bar examination, which is also the Uniform Bar Exam or UBE (the NY bar exam ). It includes general background information about the NY bar exam, and instructions on how to qualify and apply for it. As a preliminary matter, the decision to apply and sit for a U.S. bar exam is a personal one. You must assess a variety of factors, including whether you should invest significant money and effort into taking the bar, and whether your time in the U.S. (which may be limited by your visa status) is better spent working or seeking a job. Think carefully about whether you need to be a member of a U.S. bar in order to fulfill your professional goals. Passing a U.S. bar exam may not increase your chance of getting a U.S. job or internship, because U.S. employers that hire foreign LLMs typically do so based on a specific need for the candidate s pre-llm experience and/or skills. In addition, visa restrictions may require you to secure U.S. employment before your bar exam results are released, so you would not be able to market yourself as U.S.-barred during your initial job search. At the same time, there are certainly benefits to sitting for a U.S. bar exam, including the potential value of U.S. bar admission in your home country and the learning experience of studying for and taking the exam. For most of our LLM graduates who decide to sit for a U.S. bar exam, New York is the jurisdiction of choice. The New York bar has the most prestige internationally and imposes the fewest requirements and restrictions on foreign-trained candidates. The majority of other U.S. state jurisdictions have requirements that either preclude or make it very difficult for the foreign-trained attorney to meet eligibility requirements to sit for the bar exam. Foreign law graduates may also want to investigate eligibility for the Massachusetts and California Bars. Please confer with a member of the Professional Development staff if you have any questions after carefully reviewing this Handbook and the applicable NY bar exam websites. II. NEW YORK BAR REQUIREMENTS FOR FOREIGN-TRAINED LLMS If you are considering sitting for the NY bar exam, you should first carefully read the information on the official website of the New York Board of Law Examiners of the State of New York (BOLE): http://www.nybarexam.org/. In particular, note the link to Foreign Legal Education on the BOLE homepage: http://www.nybarexam.org/foreign/foreignlegaleducation.htm. The New York Court of Appeals sets forth the rules for admission of foreign-trained attorneys. Please note that admission to any of our LLM programs does not guarantee or in any way suggest eligibility to sit for the New York or any other state's bar examination. Additionally, while we endeavor to provide accurate and up-to-date information regarding bar examination requirements, you are ultimately responsible for ensuring that your program of study fulfills all requirements for the New York bar. A. Foreign Law Degree Requirement and Cure Provision Some students from common law countries may be eligible to sit for the NY bar exam on the basis of their first law degree. However, many students (including some from common law countries) will need 1

to complete the LLM degree and take a minimum number of credits covering particular topics as part of the degree in order to be eligible to sit for the NY bar exam. Generally, a foreign-trained attorney may qualify to sit for the NY bar exam if: (1) The applicant holds a Qualifying Degree. This means that the applicant fulfilled the educational requirements for admission to the practice of law in the foreign country. The Qualifying Degree must be in law and must be from a school accredited by the competent authority in the foreign country. (2) The applicant s period of law study was substantially and durationally equivalent to the legal education provided by an ABA-approved school in the U.S. Most foreign-trained attorneys meet the first condition, but not the second. However, the Court of Appeals rules provide a way to cure the deficiency in the second criteria, by way of a U.S. LLM degree. The LLM degree can cure either a substantial or a durational deficiency (but not both), provided that the program of study meets certain requirements. Boston University School of Law works closely with the New York Court of Appeals and BOLE to enable otherwise qualified students to fulfill these requirements. It is important to note that the vast majority of applicants who are denied eligibility to sit for the NY bar exam are denied on the basis of their education in their home country, and not on the basis of their U.S. LLM degree (e.g., the applicant has not fulfilled an educational requirement for admission to the bar of their home country, or the applicant s program of law study is both substantially and durationally insufficient and cannot be remedied by the Cure provision, or the applicant has not submitted the proper documentation specified under the rules). For this reason, if admission to the New York bar is important to you, you are advised to request your Advance Evaluation of Eligibility (discussed below) well in advance of applying to the LLM program. B. LLM Course Requirements for the NY Bar Exam The Cure provision requires students to take certain courses as part of the LLM program: Cure Provision Course Description At least two semester hours of credit in professional responsibility. At least two credits in a legal research, writing and analysis course. At least two credits in a course on American legal studies, the American legal system or a similar course designed to introduce students to U.S. law. At least six credits in subjects tested on the New York bar examination (consisting of the UBE) or the New York Law Examination Corresponding BU Law Course Professional Responsibility for LLMs Legal Research and Writing for LLMs Introduction to American Law OR Constitutional Law See the next page for a list of qualifying Content Outline courses 2

C. ALP LLM Students The following additional classes have been approved by BOLE for qualifying for the Content Outline requirement: LLM Courses: Alternative Dispute Resolution for LLMs (Seminar) Contracts for LLMs (Fundamentals Track) Corporations for LLMs (Fundamentals Track) Evidence for LLMs (Fundamentals Track) Property for LLMs (Fundamentals Track) Transactional Contracts for LLMs First Year JD Courses: Constitutional Law Contracts Criminal Law Civil Procedure Property Torts Upper Level Courses: Administrative Law Alternative Dispute Resolution Business Law: Sales Business Law: Secured Transactions Constitutional Theory (Seminar) Contract Drafting Corporations Criminal Procedure: Adjudicatory Process Criminal Procedure: Comprehensive Criminal Procedure: Investigatory Process Evidence Family Law Federal Civil Practice (Seminar) Federal Courts (either 3 or 4 credits) First Amendment Uniform Commercial Code Trusts, Wills & Basic Estate Planning 3

D. Banking LLM Students In the Graduate Program in Banking and Financial Law, students must take the following courses to qualify for the NY bar exam: (1) Introduction to the American Legal System; (2) Legal Research and Writing; (3) Professional Responsibility; (4) Corporations I and II and (5) Secured Transactions. Fall Semester Introduction to the American Legal System Legal Research and Writing Corporations I Spring Semester Professional Responsibility Secured Transactions Corporations II E. Taxation LLM Students Foreign-trained lawyers who intend to pursue the LLM in Taxation are encouraged to obtain their LLM degree through the 32-credit Graduate Tax Program option and should meet with the Director of the Graduate Taxation Program to discuss this option when they are planning their course schedules. III. ADVANCE EVALUATION OF ELIGIBILITY AND APPLICATION PROCESS The process of applying to sit for the New York bar exam is complicated and has strict deadlines. You should start by carefully reviewing the instructions on the BOLE website: https://www.nybarexam.org/foreign/foreignlegaleducation.htm In short, a foreign-trained applicant seeking to sit for the New York bar exam must complete the following three steps, discussed in more detail below: STEPS Step 1: Complete the Online Request for Foreign Evaluation of Academic Credentials, and arrange for BOLE to receive ALL supporting documents Step 2: File application and pay non-refundable $750 fee Step 3: Submit your Handwriting Specimen Form and LLM Certificate of Attendance TIMELINE BOLE must receive your Online Request for Foreign Evaluation supporting documents by: October 1 if you wish to sit for the July exam May 1 if you wish to sit for the February exam It is strongly recommended that you begin this process one year prior to the exam date April 1-30 for the July exam. November 1-30 for the February exam. After graduation but no later than: June 15 for the July exam. February 1 for the February exam. 4

A. Online Request for Advance Evaluation of Eligibility and Supporting Documents The first required step in the application process for all foreign educated lawyers is the submission of the Online Request for Foreign Evaluation of Academic Credentials ( Online Foreign Evaluation Form ) and required supporting documents to obtain a decision on their eligibility to sit for the NY bar exam. You must keep in mind the early deadline by which BOLE must receive your Online Foreign Evaluation Form and all the supporting documents: Exam Date July Exam February Exam Deadline to Submit Online Foreign Evaluation Form and Supporting Documents October 1 of the preceding year May 1 of the preceding year These deadlines are set for six months prior to the application period of the exam you plan to take. However, BOLE and Boston University strongly recommend that students submit their Online Foreign Evaluation Form and supporting documents at least one year before they plan to sit for the exam. You should begin this process before you leave your foreign country to start your LLM program. BOLE will not begin to review your Request for an Advance Evaluation of Eligibility until it receives all of this information. If you miss the deadline, you may not be eligible to sit for the NY bar exam corresponding to that deadline. 1. Online Foreign Evaluation Form Your first step is to fill out the Online Foreign Evaluation Form. This Form and related instructions are available at: https://www.nybarevaluation.org/intro.aspx. The process of completing the Online Foreign Evaluation Form is simple and does not cost any money so you should complete it as soon as you begin thinking about the New York bar exam! You must complete the Online Request in order to be assigned a BOLE Identification Number, which is required for all correspondence with BOLE and for the submission of supporting documents. 2. Supporting Documents You must carefully review the detailed BOLE guidance for documents required as part of the Advance Evaluation of Eligibility: http://www.nybarexam.org/foreign/foreignlegaleducation.htm. In short, BOLE requires the following documents from most foreign applicants: 1. Official transcript from every law school attended 2. Degree certificate (if not clearly stated on transcript) 3. Proof of fulfillment of the educational requirements for admission to the practice of law in the foreign country: a. If you are admitted to practice law in a foreign country: a copy of your admission certificate b. If you are not admitted to practice law in a foreign country: i. proof of the educational requirements for admission to practice law in your country and ii. proof that you have fulfilled these requirements 5

4. Written accreditation that your foreign law school is recognized by the relevant foreign accrediting agency or authority. After you submit the Online Evaluation Form, you may receive an automatic notification from BOLE that you do not need to submit proof of accreditation if your school is on BOLE s list of accredited foreign institutions. 5. LLM Certificate of Attendance (sent after graduation see below) 6. LLM Handwriting Specimen (sent after graduation see below) BOLE has strict guidelines for the submission of supporting documents: All correspondence must contain the applicant s BOLE ID number. All supporting documents must arrive to BOLE in a sealed envelope directly from the issuing foreign law school or institution or government agency. If (and only if) the issuing institution will not send documents directly to BOLE, you should request that the official supporting documents be sent to you in a sealed envelope and then send the envelope to BOLE along with an explanation of your institution s policies in your cover letter. This is often a lengthy and complicated process, especially after you have left your home country. Ideally, before you move to Boston, you should contact all the necessary foreign institutions and request that they send the required documents to BOLE. BU Law will not be able to provide copies of any required foreign documents. The documents must be originals or copies certified by the institution. You must submit official English translations of any required documents that are not in English. Translations may be mailed by the applicant, rather than the institutions. If there are extraordinary circumstances that prevent you from following BOLE s document requirements, you should submit a detailed cover letter to BOLE with an explanation. Appendix A of this Handbook contains a sample cover letter to BOLE. Note that BOLE will not consider your Request for an Evaluation to be complete and will not begin evaluating your eligibility until it receives all supporting documents. If BOLE receives incomplete or improperly submitted documents, BOLE may not determine your eligibility in time for the bar exam, or you may need to pay a non-refundable application fee before the eligibility determination. All correspondence to BOLE should be mailed to: NEW YORK STATE BOARD OF LAW EXAMINERS BUILDING # 3 CORPORATE PLAZA 254 WASHINGTON AVENUE EXTENSION ALBANY, NY 12203-5195 If you have any questions or want to confirm receipt or the status of your documents, you may contact BOLE directly at (518) 453-5990. 6

3. Notification of BOLE Eligibility Determination After your documents are submitted to BOLE, you should receive several separate automatic email notifications from BOLE confirming receipt of: (1) your foreign transcript(s), (2) your foreign degree certificate, (3) a document in support of the requirement to submit Proof of Fulfillment of the Educational Requirements in your country, and (4) a document in support of the requirement to submit Proof of Accreditation (if applicable). You may also receive a BOLE notification advising you that certain required documents have not yet been submitted. Once BOLE has confirmed via an automatic email notification that it has received all of your supporting documents, you must simply wait for its determination. It may take up to six months to determine your eligibility. If BOLE determines that your prior foreign studies and background meet the eligibility requirements, you will receive an email which will state, in part: Your foreign credentials including your foreign law school transcript has been approved by the Board. However, the Board s final decision with respect to your eligibility to sit for the New York bar examination is contingent on your submission of, and the Board's subsequent approval of, the required proof of successful completion and graduation with a qualifying LL.M. degree from an ABA-approved law school in the United States. If you have received this email, great news! This means you are eligible to sit for the NY bar exam, assuming that you complete your LLM program, fill out the NY bar exam application, pay the application fee, and submit the required post-graduation documents. 4. Application for Waiver of Rules After Negative Eligibility Determination If you receive a negative eligibility determination, you may appeal the decision to the New York State Court of Appeals by way of an application for waiver of strict compliance with the requirements of the rules. More information on this can be found at: http://www.nycourts.gov/ctapps/admattrnyfaq.htm. The application or petition must be prepared in letter or affidavit form, and must be notarized. It must set forth the following information: the petitioner s name, age, residence, and an email address or telephone number where the petition can be reached; the facts relied upon; and a request for relief. The Court requires an original petition and one copy, although only one set of exhibits or attachments, if any, is required. The petition must indicate the reason why strict compliance with the rules will cause a hardship to the applicant. The petition should be addressed to the Clerk of Court and sent via regular mail. 7

a. Waiver of Strict Compliance with Substantive or Durational Equivalency Requirements An applicant who is denied eligibility to sit for the NY bar exam on the basis of their education in their home country must apply for a waiver of strict compliance with with the substantive or durational equivalency requirements in Rule 520.6 for foreign legal education. The New York Court of Appeals requires the following information in determining the appeal: the month and year of the bar exam for which the applicant plans to sit; a description of the applicant's foreign legal education, including the degree completed and the month and year of graduation; a description of any legal studies in the United States, including the month and year of graduation; if applicable, the month and year of any foreign admission(s); a description of any legal or law-related employment in or outside the United States, including the month and year the applicant began and ended such employment, the applicant's job title, and the address of the office out of which the applicant worked; a copy of any correspondence from the State Board of Law Examiners denying the applicant's request to sit for the bar exam; transcripts from each law school that the applicant attended; and proof of admission to practice in the foreign country, if applicable. b. Waiver of Strict Compliance with LLM Course Requirements The vast majority of applicants who are denied eligibility to sit for the NY bar exam are denied on the basis of their education in their home country and not on the basis of their U.S. LLM degree. However, if you are denied on this basis, please talk to Professional Development or your Program Director so we can offer you guidance on how to proceed. B. NY Bar Exam Application and Fee In order to sit for the NY bar exam you will need to complete the Online bar exam Application during the filing period. Even if you have not yet received a determination about your eligibility, you must still apply for the NY bar exam during the filing period. The link to the application can be found at https://www.nybarapply.org/intro.aspx. You can only apply for the exam during the two application filing periods below: Exam Date Application Period July Exam April 1-30 February Exam November 1-30 Along with filing the application, you must pay the application fee of $750. Please note that the fee is non-refundable. If you submit the application prior to receiving an advance determination of your eligibility from BOLE, your fee will not be refunded or credited if BOLE later determines that you are not eligible to sit for the NY bar exam. 8

C. LLM Certificate of Attendance, Final Transcript, and Handwriting Specimen The last step in the NY bar exam application process is the submission of your LLM Certificate of Attendance and Handwriting Specimen. The deadlines for submission of these documents are below: Exam Date Deadline to Submit LLM Certificate of Attendance, Final BU Law Transcript, and Handwriting Specimen July Exam June 15 February Exam February 1 BU Law LLM Certificate of Attendance, BU Law Final Transcript and Handwriting Specimen Immediately after completing your LLM program, you must arrange for BOLE to receive an LLM Certificate of Attendance and your final official BU Law Transcript. To do this, print out the Certificate of Attendance form, fill it out (except for Law School Certification at the bottom of the last page), and give it to the Registrar on the 5 th Floor. Once the Registrar s Office receives your Certificate, the Registrar will complete and sign the Law School Certification portion at the end and send the entire document along with your LLM Final Transcript to BOLE. The Certificate of Attendance is available at: http://www.nybarexam.org/docs/llmcertificateofattendanceform.pdf. Much of the information needed to fill out the Certificate of Attendance can be found in your Student Link. If you need to know which courses are subjects tested on the New York bar exam, refer to page 3 of this Handbook. If you need help filling out the certificate, please ask your LLM Program Coordinator. The Registrar cannot help you fill out the Certificate of Attendance. If you complete and submit the Certificate of Attendance to the Registrar immediately after graduation (or earlier), the Registrar s Office will send out your transcript to BOLE in time to meet the deadline. However, this will only be done if you complete the Certificate and submit it to the Registrar s Office. You can access the Handwriting Specimen Form at http://www.nybarexam.org/forms/forms.htm. You must print out the form and complete it in the presence of a Notary Public do not complete this Form in advance. Lorraine Kaplan (BFL) and Miriam Evangelista (ALP and IP) are notaries. You can use an off-campus notary (for a fee), but one may be difficult to find outside of the U.S. D. Notification of BOLE Application Approval Once your NY bar application has been approved, you should receive an email from BOLE that includes the language below: All required documentation has been reviewed and approved. You are now eligible to sit for the [DATE] bar examination. Approximately two weeks before the examination, you will be sent an email with a link where you will be able to view and print your seat ticket. A copy of your seat ticket is necessary to gain entrance into the examination room. 9

Congratulations! You have successfully completed the evaluation and application process, and now it is time to think about the NY bar exam itself! IV. NY BAR EXAM FORMAT AND REQUIREMENTS All applicants for admission to the Bar of New York must complete the following steps, each of which is discussed in further detail below: Pass the UBE, which is the same thing as the NY bar exam Complete the online New York Law Course (NYLC) Pass the online New York Law Exam (NYLE), which is different from the NY bar exam Pass the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) Comply with the 50 hour pro bono service requirement Satisfy character and fitness requirements A. The Uniform Bar Exam (UBE) In 2016, New York replaced its bar exam with the UBE. The UBE tests fundamental knowledge and lawyering skills that are needed to begin the practice of law, and is used by other states in addition to New York (including Massachusetts). The UBE is a two-day exam, administered every July and February, which follows this schedule: Tuesday morning: Multistate Performance Test (MPT), two 90-minute items, testing fundamental lawyering skills in a realistic situation Tuesday afternoon: Multistate Essay Examination (MEE), six 30-minute essay questions Wednesday: Multistate Bar Examination (MBE), 6-hour 200 question multiple choice exam For more information about the UBE, please see: https://www.ncbex.org/exams/ube and https://www.nybarexam.org/ube/ube.html How should you prepare for the UBE? The UBE will test your ability to memorize rules on a variety of US legal subjects. The UBE is also a tough English test for most foreign LLM students. You cannot pass the UBE without intense study. As an LLM student with only one year of US legal studies, you cannot and will not pass if you do not dedicate a lot of time and effort to studying. The UBE will test your ability to memorize rules on a variety of US legal subjects. The UBE is also a difficult English test for most foreign LLM students. You cannot pass the UBE without intense study. Bar preparation courses provide a systematic, outline-form presentation of US doctrine that is tested on the UBE. It is highly recommended that you take a bar exam preparation course. JDs enroll in bar preparation courses, even after three years of US legal studies. The various companies that offer such courses will introduce themselves to you throughout your time at Boston University School of Law. The courses typically begin a few days after graduation and continue until just before the bar examination. You should conduct research to select a reputable bar preparation company. 10

B. The NYLC The NYLC is a free online on-demand course that focuses on important aspects of New York law that are different from the general principles tested on the UBE. It covers the subjects of Administrative Law, Business Relationships, Civil Practice and Procedure, Conflict of Laws, Contracts, Criminal Law and Procedure, Evidence, Matrimonial and Family Law, Professional Responsibility, Real Property, Torts and Tort Damages, and Trusts, Wills and Estates The NYLC consists of 15 hours of videotaped lectures with embedded questions that must be answered correctly before an applicant can continue viewing the lecture. The NYLC may be completed up to one year before or within 3 years after the applicant first sits for the UBE. The NYLC does not need to be completed in the U.S. and may be completed in a foreign country for example, after you learn that you have passed the UBE. For more information on the NYLC and available course materials, go to: https://www.nybarexam.org/ube/ube.html https://www.nybarexam.org/content/coursematerials.htm https://www.newyorklawcourse.org/ C. The NYLE The NYLE is an online 50 item, two hour, open book, multiple choice test. It tests important New York rules that are covered in the New York Law Course. Every applicant must complete the NYLC before registering for the NYLE. The passing score on the NYLE is 60% (30 out of the 50 items correctly). A passing score expires after 3 years. An applicant who fails the NYLE must re-take both the NYLE and the NYLC. The NYLE is offered four times per year, and registration must occur at least 30 days in advance of the exam, but only after completing the NYLC. When to take the NYLE is up to each individual, but be aware that admission to the bar is contingent upon passage of the NYLE. BOLE recommends that candidates concerned about timely admission to the bar take the NYLE before their UBE results are released. For more information on the NYLE, course materials, sample questions, and upcoming test dates, go to: https://www.nybarexam.org/ube/ube.html https://www.nybarexam.org/content/coursematerials.htm D. Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) The Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE) measures knowledge of standards related to professional conduct of lawyers. It is a 2-hour exam with 60 multiple-choice questions. The MPRE is offered three times a year (in November, March, and August). It must be taken in person in the U.S. We recommend that foreign LLM students aiming to sit for the UBE portion of the NY bar exam in July take the MPRE in March, a few months in advance. This way, if you do not pass the March MPRE, you can take it again in August, when you are still likely to be in the U.S. Note that you do not need to pass the MPRE before sitting for the New York bar exam. 11

The MPRE fee is $95 (or $190 for late registration). You should register early, as soon as registration is available for your target date, because convenient Boston test locations fill up quickly. For additional information on the MPRE, upcoming test dates, and registration information, go to: http://www.ncbex.org/multistate-tests/mpre/ https://www.nybarexam.org/mpre/mpre.html E. New York Bar 50-hour Pro Bono Requirement The New York Court of Appeals requires all applicants to the New York State Bar to complete 50 hours of pro bono legal work. For more information and for details on the specific criteria of what qualifies as pro bono work for purposes of this requirement, go to: http://www.nycourts.gov/attorneys/probono/baradmissionreqs.shtml https://www.nycourts.gov/attorneys/probono/faqsbaradmission.pdf Note that the 50 hours of pro bono work may be completed in the U.S. or in a foreign country. You DO NOT need to complete the 50 hours before applying or sitting for the NY bar exam. The 50 hours may be completed up to one year before your LLM program, during your LLM program, or within three years of being notified that you have passed the UBE. You may want to wait and see if you have passed the UBE before tackling the 50 hour pro bono requirement. The NY Court of Appeals itself administers the NY pro bono requirement. BU Law cannot verify or confirm that a particular activity will satisfy the NY pro bono requirement. If you have specific questions after reviewing the Pro Bono Admission Requirements website and Frequently Asked Questions, you can email: ProBonoRule@nycourts.gov. 12

V. TO DO LIST FOR JULY 1 NEW YORK BAR EXAM A year before you hope to sit for the NY bar exam, carefully review: o The official website of the New York Board of Law Examiners (BOLE): http://www.nybarexam.org/ o BOLE s guidance for foreign-trained attorneys: http://www.nybarexam.org/foreign/foreignlegaleducation.htm o This LLM New York Bar Handbook By October 1 of the preceding year (or earlier!), fill out your Online Foreign Evaluation Form and submit an online evaluation request By October 1 of the preceding year (or earlier!), submit ALL required supporting documents to BOLE In the Fall and Spring semesters, register for and take required LLM courses In December, register for the MPRE In the winter, research and sign up for a bar preparation course In March, take the MPRE (unless you signed up for an August or November date) In April, complete the NY bar exam application and pay the application fee By June 15, arrange for BOLE to receive your LLM Certificate of Attendance Form, final BU Law LLM Transcript and Handwriting Specimen After graduation, begin to STUDY! In July, sit for the NY bar exam Take the New York Law Course Take the New York Law Examination Begin completing the required 50 hours of pro bono work Apply for admission to the New York bar after completing all of the requirements 1 If you plan to sit for the February New York bar exam, you should follow this same To Do List, but your deadlines and timeline will be different. 13

VI. TEMPLATE COVER LETTER TO BOLE YOUR NAME YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION DATE New York State Board of Law Examiners Building # 3 Corporate Plaza 254 Washington Avenue Extension Albany, NY 12203-5195 Dear Board of Law Examiners: Please accept the enclosed documents in connection with my request for an evaluation of my eligibility to take the New York Bar Exam in [DATE]. I submitted the Online Foreign Evaluation Form on [DATE]. My BOLE Identification number is [ ]. I received my law degree from [FOREIGN COUNTRY] in [YEAR] and am currently enrolled in the LLM Program in [ ] at Boston University School of Law. [Banking and Financial Law students add: This program is a one-year, full-time 24-credit program, focusing on a broad array of commercial law topics and containing substantial U.S. statutory, regulatory and case law materials. Students in the Graduate Program study U.S. banking law and regulation, business transactions, choice of law and forum, civil procedure in international litigation and arbitration from a U.S. perspective, commercial financial documentation and selected topics of commercial law related to banking and trade.] [American Law students add: This is a one-year, full-time 24-credit program focusing on American law topics and the U.S. legal system.] [Tax students add: This is a 32-credit program that focuses on tax law, with latitude to pursue fundamental topics in the U.S. legal system.] I have completed or am currently enrolled in the following fall semester classes: [LIST YOUR FALL COURSES]. In the spring semester, I expect to take the following classes: [LIST YOUR ANTICIPATED SPRING CLASSES]. As you will note, this list includes [NUMBER] basic courses in American Law, including Introduction to the American Legal System and [NAME OTHER QUALIFYING CLASSES]. 14

I have enclosed originals [OR DULY CERTIFIED COPIES] and English translations of the following documents for your review: (a) Official transcript(s) from [NAME(S) OF FOREIGN LAW SCHOOL(S)]; (b) Degree certificate(s) from [NAME(S) OF FOREIGN LAW SCHOOL(S)]; (c) Proof of admission to practice in [FOREIGN COUNTRY] / Proof of educational requirements for admission to practice law in [FOREIGN COUNTRY] and proof of fulfillment of those requirements; and (d) Accreditation. Statement from [NAME OF ACCREDITING AUTHORITY] that [FOREIGN LAW SCHOOL] was qualified and approved to confer law degrees during my period of study. Please direct your response regarding my eligibility to the following email address: [YOUR BU EMAIL ADDRESS]. I look forward to hearing from you and thank you in advance for your assistance. Sincerely, [YOUR NAME] [YOUR BOLE ID NUMBER] Enclosures 15