College of Law’s New York Bar Course
It’s certainly an attention grabber but what’s the point?
From September, students sitting the full-time Graduate Diploma in Law programme who go on to complete either the Legal Practice Course (LPC) or Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC) at the College of Law will be able to take the New York Bar Exam after an additional 22-week study programme.
Qualifed at the New York Bar, how glamourous.
CoL chief executive Nigel Savage told the Lawyer: “With the increased competition for training contracts and pupillages, students will have the option to take the New York Bar Exam and be a qualified American lawyer. Theoretically, they could go on to work as an American lawyer at a US firm in London.”
Two things. Firstly, it appears as though this is limited to College of Law students. Why would that be? Secondly, are U.S. firms really going to take UK educated students via this route over U.S. students who have a JD to do American law in London? Note Nigel Savage’s use of the word ‘theoretically’ here. Also note that U.S. firms in London already employ significant numbers of English lawyers to work as… English lawyers.
If you think the theoretical unlikely, then this American dream course may smell like it has more then a whiff of marketing magic about it.
And if it’s New York you want – an all inclusive week’s break can be had for as little as £592.
March 15, 2010
I think it’s a good idea. For students prepared to do the extra it could be a great opportunity.
March 15, 2010
Blatant marketing tactic to get students to sign up. Whoopy doo qualified in New York! Try competing for a job over there with students from Harvard, Yale etc. As for improving your chances with US firms here, I can’t see any great advantage in it.
Tells me CoL and BPP will offer virtually anything to get one over on each other.
March 16, 2010
utterly pointless
March 16, 2010
No thanks. I’d rather put the money in a brown envelope and attempt to bribe a recruitment partner than spend an extra week at a law school of any denomination.
March 23, 2010
Plainly you are unaware that a qualified US Attorney ( which you’d become after passing the NYBar) is then viewed as a Qualified Overseas Lawyer by the UK SRA/Law Society. Passing the UK QLTT (Qualified Lawyers Transfer Test) plus a two year stint ( maybe less) in a paralegal capacity (**NOT a training contract) and you can be placed on the Solicitors Roll = Qualified Solicitor. Alternatively you can keep on sticking your head in the bacon slicer and ‘hope’ that one day the tooth fairy will come along and give you a training contract ‘cos your nice.