Can California lawyers practice in other states?
It is well-known that in the USA it is the state administration that regulates licensure processes and applications, and not the federal government. Each state has its principles and criteria for admission to the state bar. If you complete the admission process to the state bar and practice in your state, you think about where you can practice law next. Many states open the opportunity to practice law to lawyers from other states. This is called reciprocity. These states usually have reciprocal agreements. But some states do not have reciprocity with other states due to their strict regulations for licensure processes.
Which states do not have reciprocity?
The states of Alabama, Arizona, Delaware, Florida, Kansas, Montana, and some other states do not have reciprocity. If you need to practice in these states, you may need to pass additional exams to be accepted by the state bar. If a state does not have reciprocity with other states, that means that the other state bars will not let a licensed specialist practice in their state as well.
A good example of such a state is California. The State of California has no reciprocity agreement with other states. This means that if you have been licensed in the State of California, you will not be able to practice law in another state without passing the licensure process for law in that state. This also means that if you have a law license in another state, you can’t practice law in the State of California.
How to get a law license in California?
You must be licensed in the State of California to be eligible to practice law. The licensure process for California is not simple. To pass the State Bar Exam, you first need to meet the education and experience requirements.
To get a California law license, you have to earn Bachelor’s degree with a pre-legal program. When you have already completed your BA, you must get a legal education. This must be at one of the law schools that are accredited by ABA. There are 21 accredited law schools in California. After finishing law school, you take the MPRE exam, get a good score, and then you are ready for the State Bar exam. Besides, you will have to pass a background check so you can receive a positive moral character determination. What a long and challenging journey to get licensed, right?
Can California lawyers practice in other states?
If you have already become a licensed lawyer in other states, you may need to practice in California for a while. Note that because the State of California doesn’t have reciprocity agreements with other states, the State Bar doesn’t let licensed lawyers from other states practice in California. In this case, there is a shorter examination for the lawyers from other states, but you will still have to pass some tests for admission to the Bar. A shorter exam is offered to those attorneys who have been licensed in other states with good standing for at least four years at the moment of the application.
