How to Become a Lawyer in New York?

Becoming a lawyer in New York requires a combination of academic qualifications, passing the bar exam, and satisfying some additional requirements. The process of becoming a lawyer typically takes several years to complete the following steps:

1. Earn a bachelor's degree
You must first obtain a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university. The degree can be in any subject and there is no specific subject requirement.

2. Take the LSAT
You need to take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) which is a standardised test that measures a candidate's reading and reasoning skills. It consists of multiple-choice questions and an essay, and is used by law schools to evaluate a candidate's potential for success in law school.

3. Attend a law school
You must then attend an American Bar Association (ABA) accredited law school and obtain a Juris Doctor (JD) degree. If you obtain a common law degree completed full-time on campus in 3 years in a foreign country, you are likely qualified to sit the bar exam directly. If your foreign law degree is not a common law degree, you need to obtain an LLM from an ABA accredited law school to top up your legal qualification before you can sit the bar exam.

4. Pass the UBE
After graduating from law school, you must pass the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE), which is a standardised bar exam that measures a candidate's knowledge of general legal principles. The UBE is a 2-day exam which consists of Multistate Performance Test (MPT), Multistate Essay Exam (MEE), and Multistate Bar Exam (MBE). On Day 1, you answer two 90-minute MPT questions in the morning and six 30-minute MEE questions in the afternoon. On Day 2, you take the MBE which consists of 200 multiple-choice questions.

5. Pass the MPRE
You must also pass the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE), which tests your knowledge of professional responsibility and ethics.

6. Complete the NYLC
You must complete the New York Law Course (NYLC), which is a 15-hour online course covering New York-specific legal principles and topics.

7. Pass the NYLE
After completing the NYLC, you must pass the New York Law Exam (NYLE), which tests your knowledge of New York law and procedure.

8. Complete the pro bono service
The state of New York requires all applicants for admission to the New York Bar to complete 50 hours of law-related pro bono service. Pro bono work must be law-related and supervised by an attorney, judge, or law school faculty or instructor in order to qualify.

9. Satisfy the SCR
Applicants must comply with the Skills Competency Requirement (SCR). There are five ways to satisfy the SCR: (1) law school certification of competence in skills and professional values; (2) 15 credits of experiential learning; (3) completion of the Pro Bono Scholars Program; (4) completion of a post-graduate apprenticeship; or (5) practice in another jurisdiction for a specific period.

10. Complete the Character and Fitness application
You must complete a Character and Fitness application, which requires you to disclose any criminal history, disciplinary actions, or other issues that may affect your suitability to practice law.

After completing all of the above steps, you are eligible for admission to the New York Bar. You are reminded that the above requirements may change from time to time, so it is important to keep yourself updated with the latest regulations and requirements set by the regulator.
Back to blog
UOLLB SQE Turbocharge

UOLLB SQE Turbocharge

Get ready for the SQE1 with high-performance SQE Study Guides developed by UOLLB and published by UOL Press to revolutionise your study method and exam strategy.

Turbocharge SQE Performance Here

UOL Case Bank

Upon joining, you become a valuable UOL student and gain instant access to over 2,100 essential case summaries. UOL Case Bank is constantly expanding. Speed up your revision with us now.

Subscribe Now

Where are our students from?

Council of Europe
Crown Prosecution Service
Baker Mckenzie 
Yale University
University of Chicago
Columbia University
New York University
University of Michigan 
INSEAD
University of London
University College London (UCL)
London School of Economics (LSE)
King’s College London (KCL)
Royal Holloway, University of London 
Birkbeck, University of London
SOAS, University of London
University of Manchester
University of Zurich
University of York
Brandeis University
University of Exeter
University of Sheffield
Boston University
University of Washington
University of Leeds
University of Law
University of Kent
University of Hull
Queen’s University Belfast
Toronto Metropolitan University
Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
University of Buckingham
ESSEC Business School

  • Criminal Practice

    Diagrams and Charts

    Our carefully designed diagrams and charts will guide you through complex legal issues.

  • Criminal Law

    Clear and Succinct Definitions

    Key concepts are concisely defined to help you understand legal topics quickly.

  • Property Law

    Statutory Provisions

    Statutory provisions are provided side by side with legal concepts to help you swiftly locate the relevant legislation.

  • Public Law

    Case Summaries

    We have summarised important cases for you so that you don't need to read long and boring cases.

  • Evidence

    Rules and Exceptions

    Rules and exceptions are clearly listed so that you know when a rule applies and when it doesn't.

  • Company Law

    Terminology

    Legal terms and key concepts are explained at the beginning of each chapter to help you learn efficiently.

  • Case Law

    Case law is provided side by side with legal concepts so that you know how legal principles and precedents were established.

  • Law Exam Guide

    Law Essay Guide

    You will learn essential law exam skills and essay writing techniques that are not taught in class.

  • Law Exam Guide

    Problem Question Guide

    We will show you how to answer problem questions step by step to achieve first-class results.

  • Conflict of Laws

    Structured Explanations

    Complex legal concepts are broken down into concise and digestible bullet point explanations.

  • Legal System and Method

    Legal Research

    You will learn legal research techniques with our study guide and become a proficient legal researcher.

  • Jurisprudence and Legal Theory

    Exam-focused

    All essential concepts, principles, and case law are included so that you can answer exam questions quickly.