American student looking abroad for school. Thoughts? Forum

[echoicreated]

Hi guys, legal translator here.

I am an American-Italian citizen currently moving back to Italy and really considering the University of London's External LL.B. program. My ideal course of action would be to take it, obtain a U.S. LL.M. in my home city of New York at a later date and then go on to take the bar and practice. I'm in no rush because I never may return to NY. I like the LL.B. because of fewer loans, if at all, to complete it (I would eventually need loans for an LL.M.--sigh, America) and because if I choose to go on to qualify in England instead of going right back to NYC it would allow me the ability to practice EU-wide using the title of solicitor. With my dual Italian citizenship, this is a really good perk for me as I can work anywhere in the EU.

However, I keep reading conflicting info:

1. Some sources state that since the LL.B. is external, it won't be recognized no matter what--even with the U.S. LL.M. taken in residence at a later date at an ABA-accredited school.

2. Some sources state that holders of foreign first-level legal degrees are eligible to sit the NY bar as long as they obtain an LL.M. in residence at an ABA-accredited school.

3. Say I hypothetically went on to qualify as a solicitor in England and spent a few years working in a firm. Does NY quantify real-world experience and does that bolster my chances of being eligible to sit for the exam, given the distance learning aspect of the degree? I.e. does work experience remedy any deficit in education?

I'm at a really difficult position because I have no transcripts of which to speak to send to the NY Bar and ask for equivalency or evaluation. Yes, the UoL LL.B. is a distance learning program but students are held to the exact same standards as in-residence students with the same exams as well. I wish I could get one answer so I could say, "Okay, this is my path and I'm going to take it" but it's proven very difficult!

Thoughts?

TL:DR Have EU citizenship, live in the EU. Want to obtain an LL.B. from an external English program and sit the NY bar at a later date. Love the law, but I don't love it to the tune of $150,000+ in loans because BigLaw isn't my end game. What do?