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Practising law in the United States as a foreign lawyer

A route exists, with conditionsYou can advise on your home-country law

There is no single American bar. Each state decides who may practise, so a foreign-qualified lawyer must choose a state. Most routes go through a US-style bar exam, and many states also offer a licence for advising only on your home-country law.

Updated October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.

Rules change. This page describes the kinds of route that exist. The regulator listed under “Official sources” publishes the current requirements, fees and dates, so always confirm with them. This is general information, not legal advice.

The routes

Sit a state bar exam

For: Lawyers who want to practise US law as a fully admitted attorney.

  1. Choose a state and ask its bar authority whether your foreign law degree and qualification are accepted as equivalent to a US law degree.
  2. If they are not enough, many states require further study at a US law school, usually a one-year LL.M. in bar-tested subjects. A few states accept certain foreign-trained lawyers with no extra study, and some require a US J.D.
  3. Pass the state's bar exam (many states use the Uniform Bar Exam) and the professional-responsibility exam (MPRE), where required.
  4. Pass the character and fitness review, then take the oath.

New York and California are the states foreign lawyers use most, because their rules are comparatively open. Even so, their conditions differ from each other and change over time.

Foreign legal consultant licence

For: Lawyers who want to advise on their own country's law or on international law from a US office, without taking a bar exam.

  1. Hold a licence to practise in your home country, in good standing, with several years of actual practice (New York, for example, asks for three of the last five years).
  2. Apply to the state's licensing authority (in New York, the Appellate Division) for a foreign legal consultant licence.
  3. Practise only within the licence: home-country law and international law, not US law, and no court appearances.

Many states offer this kind of licence, but not all. The rules for each state are separate.

Practising only your home-country law

In states that license foreign legal consultants, you can advise on the law of your home country, and often on international law, without taking the bar. You cannot advise on US law or represent clients in court. States that have no such licence give no formal way to practise as a foreign lawyer.

Where you come from matters

  • From a common-law country (UK, India, Australia, Canada and others). Your degree is often easier to match to a US degree, and some states let you sit the bar with fewer extra courses.
  • From a civil-law country (most of Europe, Latin America, Asia). You will usually need a US LL.M. before you can sit the bar in most states, because your degree may not be judged equivalent.

Preparing for this route

We make exam preparation for some of these routes. These are separate paid products, and this guide is free either way:

Understand the legal system first

The United States belongs to the Common law family. Knowing how its system works makes the admission route easier to follow.

Read the United States legal-system profile in the Legal Families Atlas →
Compare United States with another country →

Official sources

Other countries

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TheLawToKnow Tools’s Bar Admission guide is an educational overview of general rules. It is not legal advice, and it does not replace the regulator’s own information. Report a mistake.