Re: LL.M degree will not get you bar admission

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On 1/05/08, CLB wrote:
> North Carolina & Connecticut will allow bar admission with a non-ABA JD if
> you have earned a LLM from a ABA approved school. Don't take my word for
> it, go to the ABA website and download the "Comprehensive Guide to Bar
> Admission Requirements 2007".
>
> http://www.ncbex.org/fileadmin/mediafiles/downloads/Comp_Guide/2007CompGuid
> e.pdf
>
> I have attached the weblink directly it. Hope it doesn't get filtered when
> I post this.
>
> This guide is the single most informative source of information for anyone
> trying to determine the bar admission standards for each state.

Yes the "Comprehensive Guide to Bar Admission Requirements 2007" ("Guide")
is the best source of information but the Guide is long and complicated to
read. Your reading of the requirements for Connecticut and North Carolina
is incorrect as will be seen below from the quotes found on pages 45-46 of
the guide.

You must often read several of the tables in conjunction with each other and
then read the synopsis explanations for each table to understand the
admission requirements. (kind of like legal research only easier) It was
written for individuals preparing for bar admission who are expected to be
able to analyze documents as a qualified lawyer would. First rule is to
make sure you are always referring to CURRENT law. Most bar admission
requirements were written decades ago before the Internet. States begin to
realize the need to inform applicants that an Internet degree would not be
accepted to fulfill the educational requirement and begin to change their
laws and policies. (There were a lot of disappointed DL students in tears
when they were rejected--Very messy.) Most states have completed the task
of updating their requirements but you MUST check about their current policy
on DL, you can not just make assumptions that sound good. To a large
degree, admission to sit for a bar exam is discretionary and when it comes
to evaluating the quality of education which is not ABA approved the
discretion is absolute.

Here is what page 46 says about Connecticut:

[Connecticut Currently, applicant who did not receive first
degree in law from an approved law school may
submit credentials to committee. If accepted,
committee will permit applicant to sit for exam upon
receipt of LL.M. from approved school. Legal
education obtained in countries whose system is
based on English common law is required. All other
foreign trained applicants must obtain a J.D. or
LL.B. from an approved law school. However,
admission based on foreign credentials is under
review by the Court. The Bar Examining Committee
has requested a rule change that would require all
candidates to obtain a J.D. from a U.S. law school
approved by the Committee:]

You also need to read other sections regarding "equivalency" requirements
for education and additional ABA education requirements.

On page 45, the Guide says this about North Carolina:

[North Carolina Effective August 1, 1995, all law schools
must be ABA-approved. As of January 1996, an
applicant who was educationally eligible prior to
August 1, 1995, remains so. Effective August 2005 an
LL.M degree will not make one educationally eligible
to take the North Carolina bar exam.]