A reporter recently asked me what’s the “easiest” U.S. bar exam for non-U.S. trained lawyers who receive a Master of Laws (LL.M.) from a U.S. law school.

My answer was easy:  I said “It depends”.

I said that 30 U.S. jurisdictions permit non-U.S.-trained LL.M. graduates to sit for their bar examination. Some let them join the bar without sitting for the exam. But each of these states has a different set of requirements.

A general information source for U.S. bar admission requirements is the Comprehensive Guide to Bar Admission Requirements 2014, published by the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBEX) and the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar. For details about each jurisdiction’s requirements, you should contact the bar admissions authority of that particular jurisdiction. Contact information is published in the Comprehensive Guide.

The Comprehensive Guide identifies 30 U.S. jurisdictions that permit non-U.S.-Trained law graduates to become members of their bar. Explore the rules of each jurisdiction carefully to determine whether you qualify. Then, pick and choose among the ones for 

The National Jurist reports that a new program at Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law at Arizona State University will permit students to seek bar admission in both the U.S. and Canada. They hope that this will create additional opportunities in an increased job market for graduates.  The National Jurist reports:

"The school’s North American Law Degree will allow students to graduate, within three years, with a J.D. designed to allow them to immediately seek licensure in Canada without further coursework, in addition to qualifying them for bar admission in the U.S."

The National Jurist further notes:  "The school’s dean, Douglas Sylvester, is a dual citizen of the U.S. and Canada and a graduate of both Canadian and U.S. schools of higher education."