The primary reason that lawyers practising in the UK can comparatively easily transition to working in the US is that the US legal system, similar to the English, is based on common law. This system is heavily reliant on precedents, the doctrine of stare decisis and creates many similarities between the legal systems in the two countries.
England and Wales share a legal jurisdiction and courts. If you want to become a lawyer in the UK, you should be aware that there is no ‘UK judicial system’ or ‘UK lawyer’. Each jurisdiction has its own distinct:
From September 2021, all foreign qualified lawyers must take the SQE to qualify as solicitors in England and Wales. Candidates who have passed the MCT but not the OSCE by 1 September 2021 are subject to a transition period can still complete the qualification under the QLTS regime.
Most lawyers in the U.S. follow a typical path to practice: law school, then the bar exam, plus a few additional requirements. But some law professionals are trained abroad. It can sometimes be difficult to practice law in the U.S. as a foreign-trained lawyer, but it's not impossible.
In the States without specific foreign-trained lawyer requirements, it is most often required that they either complete their Juris Doctor (JD), a three-year postgraduate degree, or a Master of Law (LLM), a one-year postgraduate degree, at an American institution.
Practicing law in a host country depends on local regulations; many countries will not recognize U.S. bar admission. U.S. attorneys may only be able to practice U.S. law or work as an associate with a local attorney. In some countries, there may be no restrictions while in others you may not be able to practice at all.
It is possible to obtain a law degree/complete a training contract in one jurisdiction (such as Scotland) and later practise law in England and Wales so long as an appropriate conversion course is undertaken in England or Wales.
Put quite simply, the US is more expensive than the UK and probably always will be. Although scholarships, student grants and loans are available, if the cost of an LLM is the main factor you have to consider – the UK is the cheaper resource. US law schools are known for their costly expenses and program conditions.
While work depends on the setting, American lawyers find work overseas working in the office of a U.S. law firm or as an attorney in a law firm abroad. American lawyers may also work for U.S. multinational companies as the local legal liaison overseas.
Jonathan Wohl: First of all, you're absolutely right. Most of the American firms here—and there are many, many American law firms in Paris—the great substantial majority, if not almost the total legal staffing, is done by French trained lawyers, French nationals.
Salaries for newly-qualified lawyers across the rest of the UK are in the region of £27,000 to £60,000. As a newly qualified solicitor in Scotland, you can expect to be paid around £30,000 rising to £38,000, depending on your area of private practice or whether you're working in house.
It is pretty hard. Anything that take two or three days of hard work is going to be very difficult. Most states will have the Multi-state exam, 200 multiple choice questions cover all aspects of the law. And a day of essay questions delving into state specific questions.
Lawyer - Average Salary The average salary for a Lawyer is £68,700 gross per year (£4,030 net per month), which is £39,100 (+132%) higher than the UK's national average salary. A Lawyer can expect an average starting salary of £25,000. The highest salaries can exceed £200,000.
"Assuming you have a US law degree, to qualify as a solicitor in the UK you must pass a US state bar exam and gain two years of common law practice experience. Then you can complete the Qualified Lawyers Transfer Test (far easier than a US bar exam).
No matter what your grades we can find a route to law school in the UK for you! Canadian and American students have the choice of studying a qualifying law degree at a wide range of UK Universities immediately after high school or after they have completed an undergraduate degree.
Only the leading US firms (or US offices of UK firms) are likely to hire ex-pats and their barriers to entry will be high. Similarly, you will need a background with the right type of firm. This will probably be a UK/international heavyweight or an overseas office of a US law firm.
There are many opportunities to acquire international experience while a law student— from externing at an international law or policy government office domestically to interning at a US embassy abroad— and even more opportunities for recent law graduates and long-time practitioners to pursue an international career.
The truth is, lawyers work in and are admitted to practise in jurisdictions, which by their nature are local. In other words, being an international lawyer is not just another type of lawyer, like an employment lawyer or a criminal defence lawyer.
In fact, more and more large law firms offer their mid-level associates the opportunity to work abroad for several years. Also, many law firms are involved in some type of international work, so a large number lawyers to need to employ comparative legal skills and cross-cultural understanding.
If you are curious about going to law school overseas, you should try and study in the country where you intend to work. The specificity of the law system in each country makes it difficult for lawyers to attend law school abroad and come home and practice in their home country.