Foreign Lawyer Program

The Foreign Lawyer Program is a 20-credit part-time program. Students who complete the program do not receive a degree. Eligibility to apply to the Foreign Lawyer Program requires a determination by the New York State Board of Law Examiners that you qualify to take 20 credits at a U.S. law school to sit for the New York State Bar Examination. Their determination is based upon your academic background and your admission to practice in a foreign jurisdiction. There are no specific course requirements; however, we recommend enrollment in courses that would normally be part of the first-year curriculum in the J.D. program. It is also strongly recommended that students in the program take courses that focus on procedure; such as Civil Procedure, Evidence, and New York Practice. Some students have found that New York Law in National Perspectives is a helpful course.

Students may take 8-12 credits per semester. Most students will complete the 20 credit program in two semesters; attending for a third semester is permissible only if 20 credits have not yet been earned.

Students must maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.000. Students who fail to meet this minimum academic standard may not continue in the program.

As a non-matriculated student, you will be permitted to register for specific courses on a space-available basis only; students in the J.D. program receive priority in registration. Therefore, registration will not occur until the first several days of classes. Students in the program may not be able to register for their first choices in classes if they are filled. Students who successfully complete the Foreign Lawyer Program, because they were not matriculated students, are not allowed to audit New York Law School classes.

APPLICATION DEADLINES

Students may start the Foreign Lawyer Program in the fall, spring, or summer terms. Candidates must allow sufficient time to receive a determination from the New York State Board of Law Examiners, take and receive scores from standardized tests, and gather and submit all required documentation. Applications must be submitted and completed by these deadlines:

APPLYING FOR ADMISSION

The following must be submitted to the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid to apply for admission to the Foreign Lawyer Program:

1. completed, signed, and dated application for admission;

2. $65 nonrefundable application fee;

3. copy of a letter from the New York State Board of Law Examiners indicating that the candidate needs to take 20 credits at a U.S. law school to be eligible to sit for the New York State Bar Examination;

4. personal statement, or short essay, of approximately two pages highlighting the candidate's relevant experiences and outlining the candidate's future plans;

5. at least one, but no more than three, letters of recommendation in support of the candidate's admission to the program;

6. official score report from either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)¹ or the Law School Admission Test (LSAT)

7. course-by-course evaluation of all prior transcripts completed by an agency of our approval.

All of these required documents will be used in making a decision on admission, thus no requirements will be waived. Admission is competitive and decisions of the admissions committee are final and not subject to appeal for any reason.

¹Candidates whose prior education was in English must submit LSAT scores and cannot use TOEFL for admission.

NEW YORK STATE BOARD OF LAW EXAMINERS

Your first step in applying for admission is to get a determination of your eligibility for a 20 credit program.

For information, contact:

New York State Board of Law Examiners

7 Executive Centre Drive

Albany, NY; 12203-5148

(518) 452-8700

www.nybarexam.org

REQUIRED TESTS

Candidates for admission to the Foreign Lawyer Program must present recent scores from either the Test of English as Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). Because facility in reading, writing and speaking English is important for success in the program and essential for success on the bar examination, we strongly recommend TOEFL, rather than the LSAT, for candidates whose prior education was in a language other than English.

Candidates whose prior education was in English must submit LSAT scores and cannot use TOEFL for admission.

For TOEFL information, test dates, and registration, contact:

TOEFL/TSE Services

Box 6151

Princeton, NJ; 08541-6151

(800) 468-6335

www.TOEFL.org

The LSAT is offered four times per year; February, June, October and December. For information, test dates, and registration contact:

Law School Admission Council

Box 2000

Newtown, PA; 18940-0998

(215) 968-1001

www.LSAC.org

FOREIGN CREDENTIAL EVALUATION

New York Law School requires a course-by-course evaluation of your transcripts from all prior colleges and universities attended, whether or not you earned a degree at that institution. We approve the following services; please secure our approval first if you wish to use a different agency:

World Education Services

PO Box 745, Old Chelsea Station

New York, NY; 10113-0745

(800) 937-3895/(212) 966-6311

info@wes.org

www.wes.org

International Education Research Foundation

PO Box 3665

Culver City, CA; 90231-3665

(310) 258-9456

www.ierf.org

COSTS AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

This program does not qualify for federal and state financial assistance programs. Some students may be eligible for private educational loan programs. For information, contact:

Office of Admissions and Financial Aid

New York Law School

(212) 431-2828

financialaid@nyls.edu

ACADEMIC ADVISEMENT

The Office of Academic Affairs provides advisement and counseling for course selection and registration. You must meet with a staff member in the Office of Academic Affairs to select your courses.

STUDENT LIFE

Students in the Foreign Lawyer Program are encouraged to participate in the student life of the Law School. You may join student organizations and attend symposia, colloquia, lectures, and events that are open to students. Activities are publicized on the Law School web site, by e-mail, and through postings throughout the Law School.