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Or do I have to pass the bar exam in the state I want to practice in?

How does it work??

Bar exam.

The only exceptions are Wisconsin and Marquette where by state law you can practice in WI without taking the bar.

inthefuture wrote:Or do I have to pass the bar exam in the state I want to practice in?

How does it work??

You need the pass the Bar in whatever state you want to practice in, or the Bar in a state with reciprocity. So you are qualified to practice law anywhere in the US, so long as you sit for that state's bar.

Now there is a question of employability that is more complicated. Unless you are attending a T20 school, it will be extremely difficult to find a job outside of the immediate region of your law school. So you will be practically, if not technically, limited to that state.

jks289 wrote:Now there is a question of employability that is more complicated. Unless you are attending a T20 school, it will be extremely difficult to find a job outside of the immediate region of your law school. So you will be practically, if not technically, limited to that state.

^^^ This (while maybe not your direct question) is extremely important -- do not underestimate this when applying to law schools.

jks289 wrote:

inthefuture wrote:Or do I have to pass the bar exam in the state I want to practice in?

How does it work??

You need the pass the Bar in whatever state you want to practice in, or the Bar in a state with reciprocity. So you are qualified to practice law anywhere in the US, so long as you sit for that state's bar.

Now there is a question of employability that is more complicated. Unless you are attending a T20 school, it will be extremely difficult to find a job outside of the immediate region of your law school. So you will be practically, if not technically, limited to that state.

This.

jks289 wrote:Now there is a question of employability that is more complicated. Unless you are attending a T20 school, it will be extremely difficult to find a job outside of the immediate region of your law school. So you will be practically, if not technically, limited to that state.

I'd say Emory, Notre Dame, BU, and BC can get you a job in your home region in addition to the school's region. They have solid national reputations. I'd also say Fordham although most people here think Fordham gets no respect outside NY (I disagree). So outside those 4 (or 5), I'd agree it's T20.

On paper no, but for most intents and purposes, yes.

splinter23x wrote:

jks289 wrote:Now there is a question of employability that is more complicated. Unless you are attending a T20 school, it will be extremely difficult to find a job outside of the immediate region of your law school. So you will be practically, if not technically, limited to that state.

I'd say Emory, Notre Dame, BU, and BC can get you a job in your home region in addition to the school's region. They have solid national reputations. I'd also say Fordham although most people here think Fordham gets no respect outside NY (I disagree). So outside those 4 (or 5), I'd agree it's T20.

Sure, I meant T20 in a more abstract sense than the actual USNWR rankings T20. There is probably an argument that statement more accurately applies to T30 or T14. The general idea holds. Regional schools, however you define them, mean regional employment.

Aside from the literal answer to this, which is that you have to take the Bar in the state you wish to practice in, you can essentially practice anywhere you want. If you are unsure where, you should probably keep your loans down really low so that you are able to have more flexibility in your job search.

jks289 wrote: Sure, I meant T20 in a more abstract sense than the actual USNWR rankings T20. There is probably an argument that statement more accurately applies to T30 or T14. The general idea holds. Regional schools, however you define them, mean regional employment.

Gotcha, agree entirely then. Dumb USNWR.

I would say that Emory, BU and BC may be quasi national, in that I don't doubt they get respect outside of their market. To get a feel for which law schools I might want to attend I started asking around to a lot of attorneys which schools they respected. As conventional wisdom on here would suggest, most listed HYS, Columbia and NYU made almost all lists, and Duke made nearly all lists. Few mentioned Chicago and no one brought up Northwestern. Berkeley was usually listed in the same breath as HYS and UCLA and USC where usually the first schools people suggested. This isn't to criticize any of the schools, or to bump any, but even among the elite law school is regional. I did my asking in Los Angeles and I think the answers I got reflect this.

No one, not even once, not even as an after thought, brought up Fordham. Never. Could be a firm size issue, though. They all either work at Mid-size, small, or are in house. Biglaw might give a whole different perspective.

sawwaverunner wrote:Aside from the literal answer to this, which is that you have to take the Bar in the state you wish to practice in, you can essentially practice anywhere you want. If you are unsure where, you should probably keep your loans down really low so that you are able to have more flexibility in your job search.

TITCR

I'm a 0L, and I want to return to the PNW, but not until 5 years or so after law school. I'll be attending school on the east coast, and plan to work there after graduation while my husband gets further training (medicine). I've been led to believe that portability is easier after you've worked for awhile. I know a ton of lawyers here at Microsoft, few went to school around here, all worked for firms for a few years before being hired here.

I've talked to people who have moved around, and I'm confident it can be done. However....I'm not looking forward to taking the bar in two places!

People certainly move; even in a state with quite an insular legal market I run into attorneys who didn't go to law school anywhere near here (and didn't go to T20 schools, either). But there are some caveats to that:

1) If you have strong connections "back home" with people who are willing to hire you, obviously you can go to school wherever you like. Most people find jobs through networking anyway. However, if you neither have personal connections in a market, nor are attending school in the market, nor are attending a top "national" school, don't expect to find a job in said market, particularly ITE.

2) Even though you'll meet plenty of people not working in the area where they went to school, it's much easier to move once you've been in the workforce for awhile. Unless you're getting a job through personal connections, expect to work the first few years near where you went to school.