CAL PROGRAM GUIDELINES AND POLICIES
PROGRAM GOALS
Preparation for New York and California Bar Examinations
The fourteen-week intensive Certificate in American Law (CAL) Program is primarily designed for foreign licensed attorneys who plan to take either the New York or California Bar examination. This includes Foreign Legal Consultants (FLCs) who may have previously obtained an LL.M. degree in a non-U.S. jurisdiction. Some participants may wish to undertake this Certificate program to further their understanding of the American legal system, and may choose not to take any Bar examination.
We cannot guarantee that participation in the CAL program will result in your passing of the Bar examination. Our Program’s goal is to provide a “program of study” that is in many respects comparable to LL.M. study programs, to provide participants with sophisticated background knowledge of American law subjects that can increase the likelihood of their passing the Bar examination. Most courses will be taught by members of the Berkeley Law School faculty who teach our J.D. and LL.M. programs during the traditional academic year.
New York Bar Eligibility Rules
Under the New York State Bar eligibility rules, an applicant who wishes to take the Bar examination must obtain 20 units of credit from an ABA-accredited law school. Many students obtain such 20 credits through an LL.M. degree program, such as those offered at Berkeley Law School’s full-year and two-summer LL.M. programs. However, it is not necessary to take an LL.M. degree program to qualify for the Bar examination. Instead, you can obtain the required 20 units of credit by successful completion of Berkeley-Koguan’s non-degree Certificate program.
California Bar Eligibility Rules
By comparison, the California Bar eligibility rules are less strict for foreign applicants who are already licensed in another jurisdiction, and do not impose any formal study requirements. The Berkeley-Koguan CAL program provides an opportunity to engage in an extended summer intensive experience learning American law, and may enhance your chances of passing the California Bar exam.
Upon completion of the CAL program requirements, you may apply to take the New York Bar exam and/or the California Bar exam as many times as you wish, at the offered times each year in February and July. There is no limit to the number of times that you may apply to take each Bar exam, once you have completed the CAL program.
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Foreign Applicant Bar Pass Rates
The annual Bar examination pass rates for foreign applicants vary by state, and by year. In general, the California Bar examination is considered to be significantly more difficult for foreign applicants to pass due to the extended legal writing requirements. For example, for the July 2009 period, the pass rate among first-time foreign applicants who took the California Bar examination was 20.6% versus 46.2% for foreign-educated applicants who took the New York Bar examination.
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Credentialing Procedures for Bar Examination
Upon successful completion of the CAL Program, you will be issued a Certificate of Completion and a program transcript that you may submit to the respective Barexamination authorities, as part of your application for eligibility.
Please note that the individual credentialing, application and fee requirements must be met separately for each Bar examination. For purposes of the New York Bar, it is highly recommended that all applicants begin their advance credentialing procedures simultaneously with, or even in advance of, applying to our Program. It can take from 6-12 months to complete this credentialing process, and you will be sent detailed instructions upon receipt of your program application. The requirements and procedures for this credentialing are set forth at the official websites below:
New York State Board of Law Examiners:
Please note that in the case of the New York Bar eligibility rules, your non-U.S. degree, e.g., LL.B., must meet the minimum requirements of 75 weeks of on-campus residency coursework and 1120 hours of classroom study, which are deemed to be equivalent to a U.S. based three-year, full-time J.D. program.
California State Committee of Bar Examiners:
In the case of the California Bar eligibility rules, foreign attorneys who are licensed in another jurisdiction are considered “Attorney Applicants” and must establish proof of admission in such foreign jurisdiction to take the General Bar Examination.
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Professional Enrichment Opportunities
As part of our CAL Program’s goals, we would like to encourage collaboration and networking among our participants with professional members of the San Francisco Bay Area legal community. Toward this goal, we plan to integrate weekly meetings with Bay Area lawyers, judges, business and civic leaders, as well as with the Berkeley Law Faculty, to foster these professionally enriching opportunities.
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First-Year Program Quota
Due to the academically rigorous nature of this program and the importance of ensuring that our participants are given every opportunity to succeed in their goals, we are limiting the first-year participation to a maximum of thirty (30) participant attorneys selected for admission from around the world.
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Non-Degree Program
The CAL program is a 20.0 credit unit non-degree program of study that has been approved by the New York Board of Law Examiners (NYBLE) as a “program of study” meeting the requirements of Section 520.6 of the Rules of the Court of Appeals for the Admission of Attorneys and Counselors at Law.
The CAL program does not confer any type of degree. All participants who successfully complete the program requirements will be issued a Certificate of Completion, and a program transcript.
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Non-Transferrable Credits
Credits earned in the CAL non-degree courses are not transferrable to Berkeley Law LL.M. programs. Whether the program credits may be transferred to other degree programs depends on the academic policies of each receiving institution, and you are advised to check with each such institution.
PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
Application Procedures
To complete the application process, you will need to submit the following documents:
(1)Three-page Application Form
(2)One or two Letters of Recommendation from your employer or academic advisor
(3)One-page Statement of Purpose
(4)Copy of academic transcript for your undergraduate LL.B. and other degrees
(5)Copy of your TOEFL or IELTS performance score
The application deadline is December 10, 2010, and applicants who are accepted for admission into the CAL program will be notified by December 20, 2010.
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Summer 2011 Fees and Payment Schedule
For Summer 2011, the comprehensive fees are as follows:
Program Tuition: USD 25,000.00
Campus housing(optional): USD 5,842.00
Visa processing fee: USD 410.00
Health insurance fee: USD 210.00 (included in the tuition)
Textbook fee: USD 380.00 (included in the tuition)
CalNet ID fee (optional): USD 450.00
Program tuition: The first program deposit in the amount of USD 12,910.00(including the USD 410.00 visa processing fee) is due on January 7, 2011. The second program deposit of USD 12,500.00is due by no later than February 1, 2011. There will be no refunds issued after March 1, 2011, and a 5% fee will be assessed for administrative processing of refunds.
Berkeley Faculty Club accommodations: to reserve your room availability, the housing deposit should be sent separately to the Berkeley Faculty Club by February 20, 2011, and consist of 50% of the total amount due. Space is very limited, and will be provided on a first-come, first-serve basis. The remaining balance due may be paid upon your arrival in May 2011. The Berkeley Faculty Club’s website is:
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Courses Taught in English
All courses will be taught in the English language on the main campus of Berkeley Law School, during the entire 14-week program duration. It is highly recommended that you be able demonstrate both written and verbal English fluency, in order to ensure strong prospects of comprehending the course materials, and of passing the Bar examination. For this reason, we have instituted a TOEFL score of 100 as part of our program application requirements. Alternatively, if you have taken the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) examination, we will accept a minimum score of 7.0. Supplemental tutoring sessions will also be made available each week, to help participants with their comprehension of the assigned study materials.
Accelerated Coursework Schedule and Exams
Please note that this program is designed for individuals who seek an intensive study program. There will be a total of ten (10) course subjects taught over the 14-week period, with a two-hour examination scheduled at the end of each course module. The course exam will be graded. Classes will meet daily from Monday through Friday, from 9:00-12:00 (morning session) and 1:20-2:45 pm (afternoon session). Every third Friday, no afternoon class will be scheduled to allow participants time for recreational travel and additional study.
The materials taught in the classroom and assigned for nightly readings will be significant in volume. Participants will be expected to engage in three (3) hours of nightly readings and class preparations to maintain this accelerated pace of learning and comprehension.
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Successful Completion of 20.0 Units
In order to qualify for eligibility for the New York Bar examination as a foreign licensed applicant, you must successfully complete all 20.0 credit units of the CAL program. This requires both: (a) mandatory attendance of all classroom lectures; (b) obtaining a passing grade in each of the Course examinations, which will be administered throughout the 14-week program. The grading system will be identical to that used in Berkeley Law School’s regular curriculum. You must also separately fulfill the foreign attorney credentialing requirements for each Bar exam, as explained above.
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Campus Housing Arrangements
Berkeley Law has arranged special long-term accommodations for the CAL Program participants at the Berkeley Faculty Club, which is an excellent facility conveniently located within five minutes’ walking distance from the main Law School building on campus. Rooms will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis, and pricing is based on double occupancy (USD 5,842) for the entire 14-week duration, including daily breakfast. If you wish to make special arrangements for single occupancy, the cost will be higher. Participants are also free to choose and make their own housing arrangements for their program duration.
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Extended Study Visa
Upon your acceptance to the CAL Program, you will be notified of the procedures for obtaining an extended study visa through Berkeley Law’s International Office. Berkeley Law will issue the invitation letter and provide all necessary assistance to process your study visa documents in a timely manner. The International Office will assess a separate fee of USD 410.00 for this visa document processing.
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CalNET ID Application
For students accepted into the CAL program, please note that you will have the option of applying for a CALNET ID card. This card will entitle you to the full privileges of being a UC-Berkeley student. These privileges include full library access, use of sports recreational facilities, the creation of a temporary Berkeley.edu email account, and parking discounts. The fee for this option is USD 450.00 and you will receive more information with your acceptance letter.
Supplemental Bar Preparation
The purpose of the 14-week Certificate program is to provide foreign trained attorneys with a theoretical framework and foundational understanding of key concepts and doctrinal principles found in the American common-law system.
Following completion of the CAL program, it is highly recommended that all participants enroll in a supplemental Bar exam preparation course such as Barbri, which are offered online and typically last about six (6) weeks. For example, both Berkeley Law’s J.D. and LL.M. students typically enroll in such supplemental online study programs upon graduation, as do both American and foreign graduates of most law schools. These supplemental preparation courses provide a more detailed understanding of laws specific to the New York or California jurisdiction and state substantive laws.
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