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I didn't know overseas ABA-approved JD programs were a thing until I talked to a Melbourne rep at a recent forum. Australia sounds fun, my husband would be able to work there, and the rep made it sound like they only take highish LSATs, so the program's probably decent... right? Am I nuts to be considering this? How would that degree be regarded for employment back in the US?

I'm a 175/2.7 super-splitter, though I'm talking with my alma mater about transcript issues, and it may end up being revised to 3+. My employment goals are to start out at a small firm, then consider going solo after a few years. I'd rather avoid a situation in which I have to try for biglaw to pay back loans.

Um, unless it's hidden away on the aba site it's not accredited in so much as the jd. You might be able to become a foreign legal consultant depending on what state in the US you try to bar in.

Every now and then I look into practicing law in Australia and I always give up because it looks like a pain in the ass. I don’t know much about Melbourne, but I will say that it’s a general truism that the smaller a firm is the more important it is to have local connections.

I think it’s pretty easy to get a one year work visa in Australia. If you really want to go there, I would go over and spend a year working -whatever- and get a better sense of whether you really want to be there/what the legal market looks like. Do not start your professional career doing something like this without knowing more about it.

Oh, wait, I thought you wanted to end up in Australia. Going to law school in Australia with the goal of coming back and practicing in the US is just dumb. Don’t do it.

I might have misunderstood the accreditation bit - he said it would qualify me to sit for the bar in New York and "most other states," so I assumed that meant it was accredited. Looking through the glossy stuff, though, I can't find any mention of the ABA.

I guess you guys are right. I lived overseas for nearly a decade and loved it, but it's just not practical now. *sigh* Thanks for being the voice of reason!

PurpleOkapi wrote:I might have misunderstood the accreditation bit - he said it would qualify me to sit for the bar in New York and "most other states," so I assumed that meant it was accredited. Looking through the glossy stuff, though, I can't find any mention of the ABA.

I guess you guys are right. I lived overseas for nearly a decade and loved it, but it's just not practical now. *sigh* Thanks for being the voice of reason!

it would qualify you to sit the bar in New York and prohibit you ever working in "most other states".
It's not accredited. It won't get you a job. If cost is your primary concern, you're better off going to CUNY.