0

Most law schools in the US require applicants to have bachelor's degrees (used here and throughout the question to refer to a typically 4 year college degree) - usually on topics related to law such as English, Political Science, or Philosophy. I'm a US citizen who has attended some US college part-time. I'm considering pursuing a bachelor's degree in law in Spain - a 4/5 year program that provides basic legal training for those hoping to become lawyers in Spain (further specialization is typically required before becoming an attorney). If I obtain a bachelor's in law in Spain, will that be equitable with a bachelor's from a US institution for meeting the requirements of law schools in the United States? In two parts:

  1. Will a foreign bachelor's meet the hard requirement?
  2. Will a foreign bachelor's be "looked down upon" or considered "less than" a US degree?

Let me know if the Law Stack Exchange is more appropriate for this question, I wasn't sure.

Improve this question
6
  • 1
    It's not my field, but I would worry that preparation for Spanish law might not carry over very well to a US law program.
    – Buffy
    Commented May 3, 2020 at 23:13
  • European undergraduate degrees tend to be more specialised than those in the USA (i.e. you will only study law and not law + biology + underwater basket weaving + ...), so I don't think it would be considered to be worth less. Have you looked at the admissions criteria for various law schools in the USA? It could even be worth getting in touch to ask their admissions officers how they deal with Spanish degree-holders (you surely will not be the first).
    – astronat supports the strike
    Commented May 4, 2020 at 8:46
  • @Buffy - on the other hand, it could be considered highly if the OP is applying to a law school that has international law as a concentration area. Like many questions here it will depend on the institution...
    – Jon Custer
    Commented May 4, 2020 at 13:15
  • @Buffy I honestly think that most Bachelor's in the US don't really do much to prepare one for law school in the US. Obviously a degree in English, PoliSci, or Philosophy would help, but a degree in law in a foreign language seems equivalent or better in some ways. The laws and their foundations will clearly be quite different, but having an understanding of some basic concepts and a system by which to compare them to seems quite useful.
    – James G.
    Commented May 4, 2020 at 19:57
  • @astronat I've contacted multiple law schools, most directed me to LSAC to decide if it would qualify for admissions, and I've contacted LSAC now too. It appears it meets the hard requirement, but the soft question of "will it be looked down upon" still stands.
    – James G.
    Commented May 4, 2020 at 19:58

0

Reset to default

You must log in to answer this question.

Browse other questions tagged .