Bachelor of Science, Law

oops

Sorry – I somehow truncated my reply. I meant to say that many in the IP fields hold advanced degrees in biotech, computer science and other hard sciences.

 

I should have included computer science.

Actually, my reasoning is heavily dependent on the willingness of the young lawyer to do the work. If you absolutely HATE working up patent applications for new antibiotics, no amount of money is likely to keep you happy for very long...

(Or so they SAY. I'VE never had the chance to find out...)

 

Banch office in Calcutta

There’s been a small amount of actual patent prosecution moved off shore in recent months (India). It will be interesting to see if that trend continues. IP lit is probably a safer bet than patent prosecution. The case budgets are typically larger (4 times on average) than in other types of cases, and it would be difficult to outsource the lit practice ( though were finding off shore vendors in the legal research, case automation and other support function areas). -

 

I've wondered about this. I really can't think of any reason why a great deal of commercial and in house counsel legal work couldn't be "off shored". Given what some big forms charge, $300-$500 per hour, it might be worth the inconvenience.

 

The one case I knew of was a Canadian LL.B. admitted to practice in Canada. The University of New Mexico gave him a year or maybe a little more advanced standing toward a JD.

No ABA accredited school is likely to give any advanced standing credit toward its JD based on correspondence or D/L work. ABA standars probably wouldn't allow it.

Some (most?) ABA schools WILL admit D/L LL.B. holders into their LL.M. programs for foreign lawyers. Possessing such an LL.M. will allow the holder to take the Bar exam in several states. These are resident LL.M. programs, BTW. I know of only one ABA school offering a D/L LL.M., and it's in taxation.

These same schools may be willing to admit holders of American unaccredited JD degrees, as well.

I doubt that a foreign LL.M. however earned, will qualify the holder to take the Bar in any state.

I know of no American LL.M. programs that will admit a student without a first degree in law.

 

Hunh. So there is one. Interesting. I would think that credits completed in such a program would be transferrable to a JD.

 

University of Pennsylvania will allow non-law graduates into their LLM program under some circumstances:

http://www.law.upenn.edu/prospective/grad/faq.html

Q. Do I need a law degree to apply to the LL.M. program?

In most cases, an applicant must have a law degree in order to be considered for the program. However, we have made exceptions in some cases where it is clear that the applicant has sufficient knowledge to be eligible to apply. Typically, this would be for an individual with an advanced degree in a related field and/or one who has passed an examination in his/her country, allowing him/her to practice law there.



Considering how competitive it is to get into Penn's LLM program the chances are very slim, but it's *possible.*

 

You know, I'd bet they'd admit a BA holder who got admitted to the Bar through apprenticeship.