CA and NY Bars? When to take? Forum

[PinkPolo]

Hi all,

Unfortunately, I need to take both the CA and NY bars. My firm wants me to spend a year or so at their HQ in NY before shipping out to CA.
It's my understanding (which could be completely wrong) that I can't take both at the same time nor should I try to. That being said, when would be the best time to take the CA bar? I need to take NY in July, so I can start work in the Fall, but is it realistic to assume I can juggle work and studying for the February CA bar?
Any advice, suggestions, help?

Thanks everyone

[5ky]

Hi all,

Unfortunately, I need to take both the CA and NY bars. My firm wants me to spend a year or so at their HQ in NY before shipping out to CA.
It's my understanding (which could be completely wrong) that I can't take both at the same time nor should I try to. That being said, when would be the best time to take the CA bar? I need to take NY in July, so I can start work in the Fall, but is it realistic to assume I can juggle work and studying for the February CA bar?
Any advice, suggestions, help?

Thanks everyone

That's kind of weird, and you should ask them what they want you to do. But I would just skip NY and take CA. If you're only going to be in NY for a year, you won't event get officially admitted until the last half of your year anyway.

[badaboom61]

Yeah you probably won't actually be doing anything that constitutes the practice of law as a first year, so you should ask if you can just get by with CA.

If not, and you really need to take the NY bar, I'd try to take the CA bar in February. If anything goes wrong, you'll have another chance in July.

[Guchster]

Hi all,

Unfortunately, I need to take both the CA and NY bars. My firm wants me to spend a year or so at their HQ in NY before shipping out to CA.
It's my understanding (which could be completely wrong) that I can't take both at the same time nor should I try to. That being said, when would be the best time to take the CA bar? I need to take NY in July, so I can start work in the Fall, but is it realistic to assume I can juggle work and studying for the February CA bar?
Any advice, suggestions, help?

Thanks everyone

Haven't taken the CA bar, but I wouldn't have taken the NY bar unless I absolutely needed to... Even if you have all your paperwork ready to go when you find out you pass the bar in NY and submit the next morning, you still likely won't be admitted until January (unless you're in a certain dept. and lucky), and in reality, given how long it takes to collect all the crazy character affidavits, pro bono forms, etc., most likely won't get sworn in until February or March.

If for some bizarre business reason they are absolutely unwilling to negotiate, I think it's possible to take the CA one while working (esp. if they give you some vacay time off for bar studying which my firm does). Just keep the MBE knowledge fresh and that wipes out a giant chunk of your bar studying, and hammer home CA law that gets you the most points.

[Actus Reus]

Take CA, waive into DC, then use DC's reciprocity to get New York on a waiver after a few years.