Training after FE1s question

Ainm

Hi all

I'm in the middle of my FE1s at the moment, I'll hopefully be finished them in the next round in Feb. However there is now a possibility that I will be moving to Canada in November. If this is the case I have been considering continuing studying for them over there and coming back here for the month to do the exams.

My main concern is after that - the 2 years training. I am going to do the American bar exam so I can practice over there. Is there any way around doing the training here in Ireland? Could I finish the FE1 exams, then do the Bar Exam and train in Canada?

I should probably explain that my original plan was to complete my training and be fully qualified here in Ireland, and then do the Bar exam so then if emigration was still on the cards in a few years I would be all set. But now I will more than likely be moving in the next couple of months. So as you can imagine I don't want to throw away all the work I've done so far and I also want to be able to practice over here should I have to come back in a few years..

Sorry for the long post

Mrs.QC

Do you have an apprenticeship secured?

bear17

Well, even without doing the FE1's, my understanding is that once you qualify as an American attorney, you dispense with the need to train here at all, as you would then be qualified to practise there. So, if you sought to return home to practise here as a solicitor at a later stage, you would be required to sit the QLTT. I don't know if maybe your having the FE1s done already would impact on that requirement though.
I haven't a clue myself as to how the transfer to practising in Canada would work, but I'd imagine there would be some agreed concessions for US attorneys. Hope someone else can be of more help to you on this issue because I'd like to know myself!

Ainm

Thanks for the replies. No I haven't got an apprenticeship secured yet. I haven't got any kind of undergrad degree in law, my degrees are an undergrad in history and philosophy and a postgrad in history, as I understand it you need at least some sort of basic qualification in law to qualify to do the bar exam..?
I'm really stressing about this whole thing, I don't know whether to stay here and finish qualifying (but for personal reasons I really don't want to do this) or give up altogether and start fresh in Canada which I'm guessing will mean a whole lot more time that I'll have to spend qualifying Just when the end of my college life was in sight. *sigh*

Mrs.QC

I'll put this as simply as i can.
Go and qualify elsewhere.
Forget about qualifying here, doing the FE1s etc if you dont have an apprenticeship. It will most likely take less time, stress and disappointment to qualify elsewhere. If you want to practice in Ireland at some stage, you can always come back as a qualified lawyer from another jurisdiction and sit the QLTT. However, as far as I know to sit US bar exams, you NEED a law degree (not sure about Canada but I think there may be a similar requirement there). Doing the FE1s here alone will not in anyway be recognised as any sort of ..... well anything really, in any other jurisdiction.
Unless you're sure you can secure an apprenticeship here after doing the FE1s, there is absolutely no point in trying to qualify here. Sorry...but thats just my view and im sure most would agree.

dats_right

Canada has the most restrictive cross-qualification requirements in the entire common law world. See details. I understand that even qualified lawyers have more or less to go through the whole qualification process from begining to end, including a significant amount of time in University before even being permitted to train as a lawyer.

Indeed at present one who becomes a "qualified" Ney York Attorney can apply to the Law Society of Ireland to sit the QLTT and if they are succesful they are admitted to the Roll of Solicitors. However, the English Law Society have closed this loop-hole whereby so-called "qualified lawyers" without any experience of actual practice or even ever having met a client before can be admitted to practice. It may well be that our Law Society will follow suit and end this farcical sitaution.

Furthermore, qualifying in this manner will not open too many employment doors with firms in Ireland, as they will see your qualifcation for exactly what it is i.e. worthless. An apprentice on day 1 (having passed the Fe-1's) will be of far more value to a firm than someone who is "qualified" but only knows about New York Contract law! And besides it will cost a firm substantially less to employee an apprentice than a qualified solicitor, both in terms of wages and professional indemnity insurance & practising certificate fees, etc. My advice therefore would be, by all means do the NY Bar but don't do it as a short-cut to qualification here, only do it if you feel it will of benefit to your career or intend practising in NY.

Ainm

Thanks for the great advice guys that's a huge help to know all that