International Students

Coursework to Qualify for State Bar Exams

Toledo Law is an American Bar Association-accredited institution. That means that we can offer courses that currently will qualify foreign-trained attorneys for state bar exams in Alabama, Alaska, California, District of Columbia, Massachusetts, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia and West Virginia. States differ in their requirements for foreign law school graduates, and it is essential that you read and understand the current rules for the state whose bar exam you wish to take. For additional information, see “Chart 4: Eligibility to Take the Bar Examination: Foreign Law School Graduates” in the Comprehensive Guide to Bar Admission Requirements 2011 at www.ncbex.org

Master of Studies in Law Program

For those wishing to obtain a degree while taking courses to prepare for an American state bar exam, Toledo Law offers the Masters of Studies in Law (MSL) program. The MSL degree requires 30 credit hours in courses that can also prepare you for a state bar exam as a graduate of a foreign law school. Please note that the MSL degree is not a Juris Doctor (J.D.) or Master of Laws (LL.M) degree; more information on Toledo Law’s two-year J.D. program for foreign-trained lawyers is here.

Recommended Coursework

Students taking additional coursework at Toledo Law to qualify to sit for an American state bar examination are encouraged to take the following courses, which are the subjects tested on the Multi-State Bar Examination (MBE):

• Constitutional Law I and II (6 credit hours)
• Contracts I and II (6 credit hours)
• Criminal Law (3 credit hours)
• Criminal Procedure (3 credit hours)
• Evidence (4 credit hours)
• Property I and II (6 credit hours)
• Torts (4 credit hours)

Admission Application

The application for admission to take coursework to qualify for a state bar exam is available here. There is no application fee.