FOREIGN LEGAL EDUCATION

REGULATIONS FOR DETERMINING EQUIVALENCY OF FOREIGN LEGAL EDUCATION

PLEASE NOTE:

FEE FOR THE ADVANCED DETERMINATION OF EQUIVALENCY OF FOREIGN LEGAL EDUCATION (see link below) IS $250, PAYABLE BY CASHIER’S CHECK OR MONEY ORDER TO THE MAINE BOARD OF BAR EXAMINERS. THIS FEE IS NONREFUNDABLE, BUT MAY BE USED AS A CREDIT TOWARDS THE APPLICATION FEE, IN THE EVENT THAT APPLICANT IS FOUND ELIGIBLE.

DEADLINE FOR REQUESTS FOR AN ADVANCED DETERMINATION OF THE EQUIVALENCY OF FOREIGN LEGAL EDUCATION IS NO LATER THAN TWO MONTHS BEFORE THE APPLICATION DEADLINE FOR THE BAR EXAM (thus, the determination deadline is October 20 for the February exam, and March 20 for the July exam).

The Board has adopted the following regulation pursuant to Maine Bar Admission Rule 13 in order to administer its duties under Maine Bar Rule 10(b)(4):

An applicant who has graduated from a foreign law school may be deemed to have a legal education equivalent to that provided in those law schools accredited by the American Bar Association if the applicant shall have successfully completed, as part of the law school education or at a law school accredited by the American Bar Association, at least 24 semester credit hours, or the equivalent, of courses dealing with either the law of the United States or the law of one of the States of the United States, and with at least 16 of those semester credit hours from among at least five of the categories enumerated below:

  1. Constitutional Law
  2. Evidence
  3. Taxation
  4. Procedure
  5. Uniform Commercial Code
  6. Decedents’ Estates
  7. Real Property
  8. Corporations or Business Organizations
  9. Torts

In order for the Board to determine whether the requirements of this rule have been met, it must have:

  • (a) A transcript showing the applicant’s grades and a description of the school’s standard grading.
  • (b) A concise description of the subject matter of the courses taken.

All documents must be sent to the Board directly from the school and must be certified as copies of the originals. If the documents are not in English, they must be accompanied by a translation. The Board may also request additional evidence as it may deem appropriate in order that it may be assured that these requirements have been fulfilled.

Amended: October 9, 2017

Advanced Determination to Determine Equivalency of a Foreign Legal Education

Checklist for Items Required to be Submitted with your request for Advance Determination of Equivalency of a Foreign Legal Education