Would it be stupid to go to law school and not practice law?

If i go to law school in the UK can i practice in the US?

• I want to go to law school in the UK, but I live in the US. If I go to law school in the UK would I be able to practice in the US? what are the different requirements? I know I would have to take the bar for whatever state I want to practice in, but are there any special requirements or is it state by state? If it is state by state does anyone know the requirements for Texas, New York and California?

• Answer:

  If you wish to become an attorney then you really need to develop your research skills and this simple matter should not pose a problem for a law candidate. If you obtain an LL.B. from the U.K. you would not be eligible to sit the bar exam in most States ((NY and California are two of the exceptions) because one of the requirements to sit for the bar is that you must have at least 12 months of education or hold a J.D. from an ABA accredited law school-- which if you study in the U.K. you will not have. If you decide to take and pass the bar in NY and California then you will still find it difficult to be employed since you will just be an LL.B. attorney living in a J.D. world and thus are considered under-educated and under-experienced compared to those who graduated from a U.S. law school. The idea is to obtain a law degree within the country that you wish to practice in. The better alternative for you would be to obtain your J.D. from a ABA accredited law school and then go abroad, should you choose to, and obtain an LL.M. (Master's of Law). This will save you a lot of money and a lot of heartache in the long-run.