[轉帖]美國律師考試經驗談美國律師考試經驗談

[轉帖]美國律師考試經驗談 我去年八月來美國讀法律，先是讀LL.M.(Master of Law)，隨後轉讀J.D. (Juris Doctor)。 讀完九個月的LL.M.後，我參加了紐約州2002 年七月的律師資格考試，四個月之後，結果傳來，順利通過。欣喜之餘，粗略回顧一下律考經驗，供有誌於到美國攻讀法律的國內朋友參考。 美國沒有全國統一的司法考試。 每一個州都是獨立的司法單位，都有自己的律師考試、報考條件和通過標準。如果你獲得了某個州的執照，通常隻能在該州執業。跨州執業要另行申請，一般需要四到七年的執業經驗才可以申請到其他州免試執業。到聯邦法院出庭也要經該法庭另外核準。首都華盛頓特區有點特殊，隻要你有任何一個州的執照，你都可以到首都執業。加州和紐約是美國人口最多，經濟最發達的兩個州，因此考生人數也最多。紐約是世界金融中心，國際化程度最高，超大規模的國際律師事務所多雲集於此，也就吸引了最多外國考生。 美國律考，每年兩次，分別在二月底和七月底舉行。律考本身由兩大塊組成：全國聯考部分和各州單獨測試部分。考試時間兩到三天，各州不等。紐約州考兩天。上午三小時，下午三小時15分。通過律考的考生，還必須通過職業責任聯考Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) 才能被授予執業資格。MPRE是單獨的全國考試，全是選擇題，一年多次，可在當地考，各州分數線不一，但成績全國有效。 紐約是85分通過。 律考的全國聯考部分是有專門機構統一命題，有MBE（Multi-state bar exam）和MPT (Multi-state performance Test) 兩部分，各州自行決定采用其一或全部，考的是聯邦統一法和通行普通法。聯考科目包括：憲法、刑法和刑事程序法、證據法、合同法、不動產和侵權行為法。MBE一共有兩百道選擇題，被四十八個州采用，考生按每三個小時一百題的速度在兩個時間段內完成。MPT是文書寫作，被二十一個州采用. 各州有權決定統考部分在總分裏的比重。紐約州采用了MBE 和MPT，MBE 占總分的40%，MPT占總分的10%。律考的各州單獨測試部分側重於本州的法律。既有選擇題，也有綜合問答題（essay question）。紐約單獨測試部分考十八門法律，有五十條選擇題和七條問答題。選擇題占總分的10%，問答題占總分的40%。 J.D.學生通常會在三年級下學期報名，各州隨意考，如果考試時間無衝突，你可以參加多個州的考試，同次聯考成績（MBE）各州之間互相承認。LL.M.學生隻能在美國的11個州報考，紐約是其中一個，它吸引了絕大多數的LL.M.考生。LL.M.學生要在考試前的六個月向考試單位申請“考試資格審核”， 一般要求遞交本科四年法律教育的成績單，律師執照 和LL.M.證明等。隻有審核通過後，方可在考試前三個月繳費報考。 考前培訓(Bar Review)課程非常重要，幾乎所有的考生都會參加。課程由專門公司舉辦，最有名的是BARBRI公司, 上BARBRI的課程大約要花掉3000多美圓，越早報名越優惠，找到單位的學生可叫雇主報銷。雖然培訓費用昂貴，但通不過律考的代價更昂貴，所以大部分考生還是願意承受這痛苦的臨門一刀。BARBRI隻有在一些城市和大學開課。如果你離教學地點太遠，沒辦法到現場聽課，你可以另行購買磁帶和CD在家複習(Home Study)。現場聽課和在家複習兩種方式各有好處，實質上效果相差無幾，視每個人的經濟情況和備考習慣來做選擇。自律性強和不願挪窩的人可以在家複習。 培訓課程大約持續六個星期。BARBRI有合理的進度安排，每天上什麽課、做什麽題都有一個明確的指導。衝刺階段會有模擬考試和專家的評改意見。BARBRI的老師都是優秀的法學教授和培訓專家。幾乎每個老師都有多州律考經驗，他們猜題押寶有一定的準確性。美國的法律多如牛毛，浩如淵海。如果沒有培訓課程，根本就無從入手，更摸不著方向。培訓課程可以幫你把握重點，理清線索，幫你把“一頭大象壓縮為一條大腿”。要考BAR，參加考前培訓（Bar Review Class）是通行的保險做法。 BARBRI複習資料有十本書。每本都特大特厚，幾百頁到千來頁不等。既有習題、模考題，也有內容精要和作文範例。其中最重要的一本叫“The Conviser Mini Review”，這本書裏麵全是重要法條（Black Letter Law），內容簡明扼要，務必逐字逐句看，弄明白，記牢固。BARBRI有大量的習題、詳細答案和解題指導。對於外國考生，大量做題是致勝的唯一法寶。每做完一套題，都應該認真核對答案，找出做錯的原因。出錯的部分要多做幾遍。不理解的地方要回頭弄清楚。解題時，宜提綱挈領，分清主次；順藤摸瓜，找出考點。由於題量很大，所以閱讀要快，判斷要準，要敢於取舍（有些難懂的地方，如“Rules Against Perpetuity”理解個七七八八就行了，不要太鑽牛角尖）。MBE的選擇題，有許多是幹擾性答案，容易迷惑人，大量解題，有利於你適應命題風格，避免掉進誘導性的陷阱。問答題部分（Essay question），要簡潔地歸納事實，適用法例，注意結構嚴謹，條理清晰。文書寫作部分要嚴格按照legal memorandum 格式、步驟來完成。評卷人是按考點(testing point)和步驟給分的，所以隻要你想到了什麽都應該分步寫下來。BARBRI的磁帶很好，應該多聽。做一些圖表和卡片（Flashing Cards），會有助於你鞏固記憶。除了BARBRI的資料， 另外一套書“PMBR multi-state specialist”也非常好， 一紅一藍共兩本，各一千頁。 全是聯考的選擇題，共兩千題。如果你能把這兩千題做兩遍，好好理解、消化， 聯考部分應該不會太難。 紐約州律考，一半是客觀選擇題， 一半是主觀寫作題。對於外國學生，由於語言功底相對較弱，要通過考試就必須在選擇題部分拿高分。今年的紐約州律考，總分按1000分算的話， 660分通過，（有消息說，一年後達標分數要提高至675）。外國考生能在寫作部分拿五成的分數已經相當不易，這樣的話，選擇題部分至少應該有75%的準確率。多做多練，準確率自然就上來了。備考的最後階段應多模擬測試幾次，嚴格按照考試時間來，把握好解題的節奏，找出臨場應對的感覺。外國考生通常要到紐約州的州府阿巴尼(Albany)，而非紐約市考試。考試當天，會有幾千外地考生雲集阿巴尼。考試地點一般設在酒店，阿巴尼公共交通不算便利，如果你能夠盡早訂到考點附近的酒店，可省心多了。 我這次律考，既省錢，也省時間。我沒有參加考試培訓，隻是從www.ebay.com網站上花七百美圓買了BARBRI 和PMBR兩套舊書，自己在家複習。我前後花了三個半月來備考。一星期六天，每天八個小時。我的大部分時間都花在解題上了，而且主要是集中全國聯考部分。我的選擇題做得很好，在考試的時候，好多題我都覺得似曾相識。這次考試，我心情很輕鬆，考試時間也充裕，每次都剩15到20分鍾的時間。備考要注意運用“二八原理”，用80%的時間去複習20%最重要的法律。聯考的六大法，一定要花80%的精力。 紐約州部分考18門法律，你可以側重其中的四五門，例如： trusts and wills, corporation, lease and mortgage, conflict of laws, civil procedure等等。有一種備考方式可借鑒。幾個中國學生湊錢，以一個人的名義報讀BARBRI的課程。大家分享資料，共同準備。這種聯合作戰的方式可以提高效率、降低費用，但它也違反BARBRI協議，所以不宜張揚。“窮則思變，變則通。”“我就是窮，我怕誰？”海外的中國學生應該加強團結，互通有無。律師隊伍壯大了，律師的地位才能提高起來。 我曾經在1998年通過中國的律師考試。對比中美兩國律考，我發現： 如果沒有語言的障礙，美國律考會容易點。中國的報考門檻底，通過律也低；美國的報考門檻高，通過率也高。中國的試題刁鑽，好像故意跟考生過不去，理論題不好解答，有爭議的地方多。美國的試題閱讀量很大，覆蓋範圍廣，但考點清晰、內容規範務實，高水平的考生容易拿高分。中美律考的特點從某種程度上也反映了中美法律的差異。 美國律考，語言是關鍵。如果閱讀能力和寫作能力很好，通過律考不難。中國很多學生讀完LL.M.後馬上報考。由於來美時間短，語言方麵的障礙會客觀存在。美國律考是法律知識的總複習，總匯演，準備起來肯定會有難度。但是，我有一種感覺，如果單獨就某條題目而言，美國律考的問題沒有教授的課堂提問和期末考試難。現在我已經通過了律考，也轉到了J.D.學位，但是，回答老師提問，參與課堂辯論還是覺得力不從心，常常掉隊。特別是上Civil Procedure的課，簡直是如墮深淵，不知所措。這也許跟我課前準備不足有關。總體上，我覺得在美國讀法學院比在國內讀研究生要辛苦好幾倍。美國學生對成績的追求比中國學生執著10倍。法學院學生每天都要麵對繁重的功課和無窮的作業。孤獨、重壓，挫敗感常伴左右。這種感覺幾乎每個學生都有，隻不過異鄉求學、舉債度日的外國學生會更強烈。 很多中國學生來讀法律就是衝著美國律師資格來的。有人認為讀了三年的J.D.比隻讀一年的LL.M更容易通過律考，這是誤解。律考和讀LL.M.還是讀J.D.沒有太大的聯係。我有許多LL.M的朋友一試邊過而一些J.D.則屢試不過。律考要考的大部分科目法學院頭一年都學過了，J.D.後兩年學的大多是實操性的課程，如知識產權、稅務、證券交易等，這些技術性很強的法律絕少在律考中考到。律考的內容，即使你沒有學過，隻要你有了BARBRI的教材，自學你也能搞懂。LL.M學生在校期間如果能集中選修律考重點測試的六大法，趁熱打鐵在暑假參加BARBRI課程，預留充足的時間練習解題，再加上原來比較好的法律基礎，過硬的英語功底。一試過關是可以達到的。有些朋友對律考信心不足，猶猶豫豫的。抱著“試一試，積累點經驗”的態度來備考，這殊不足取。要考就大考，拚就地死拚。隻要下足了工夫，一試即過的大有人在。據統計，美國各州律考，一試通過的比率比複試通過的比率高得多。 紐約是世界經濟中心，需要很多的國際律師。它鼓勵外國律師報考，但也有條件限製：外國大學四年法律教育，並且在美國修滿至少20個學分的LL.M課程。你需要通過資格審核，然後交250美圓的報名費。如果讀J.D.， 你可以隨便報考，毫無限製。LL.M則隻能在部分的州考試。花9個月的時間和三分之一的J.D.價錢，就可以獲得考BAR的資格, 這對於發展中國家的律師很有吸引力。這種短平快的學位，立竿見影，值得投資。我個人認為，如果你在中國已經有了很過硬的法律背景，有了律師執照，畢業後想回中國發展。 LL.M學位在未來十年是夠硬的了。如果你希望在美國發展，有J.D.會更加marketable 和competitive一些。考慮到J.D.投進的時間和金錢是 LL.M.的三倍，如果競爭力強一些，後勁足一些，也不足為奇。這裏，我要強調的一點是，在美國法學院，成績意味著一切。美國律師事務所非常迷信成績單。很多有名望的律所隻招收頂尖10%的學生或者法律期刊編輯（Law Review Editor）。達到前10%或者當上法學編輯對中國J.D.學生很不現實。比較而言，下相同的工夫，LL.M學生的成績單可能會漂亮一些。況且，LL.M提供了一個很好的平台讓你能盡早地證明自己，比J.D. 多了兩年的工作經驗和收入，也挺不錯。 這年頭，經濟低迷，失業率高漲，律師滿地跑，想找到一份美差，委實不易。不過，“滄海縛龍”要靠真本領。你硬要崛起，誰也沒辦法阻擋你。 加州的律考我不是很清楚。我知道90%的LL.M.考生投奔了紐約，隻有少數外國律師考加州。紐約隻允許ABA 認證(American Bar Association approved)的法學院的畢業生參加考試（全美大約隻有180所學校），而加州則允許眾多雜牌的加州法學院學生報考。加州對外國律師報考條件要求較嚴格（據說，外國執業律師通過審核後也可報考determination of educational equivalency，但過程很煩瑣，報名費很高）。它對本州學生報考條件放得很寬鬆，加州通過率低的部分原因在這裏。紐約集中了美國最多的超大型律師事務所，是國際金融、貿易和法律業務最發達的地方。如果你希望搞金融證券、資本運作、跨國投資等業務，我認為紐約資格會好些。加州地大物博，氣候溫暖，發展空間廣闊。如果你想供車養樓，住好玩好，眺望太平洋，一解鄉愁，還是加州“律”卡好。加州和紐約是最受歡迎的兩個州，也是公認最難考的兩個州。如果你通過了任何一個，職場前景應該是一片光明。不過，話說回來，機會多的地方，競爭也激烈，在美國發展，說到底要英語好。如果你在小州讀法律，考了該州的執照，由於外來競爭較少，說不定你更有機會找到好工作。據我所知，德克薩斯、佛羅裏達、內華達和伊利諾斯州的執照正變得越來越熱。我想，如果你考下關島、波多黎各，Paulau或者處女島等美國海外飛地的律師執照，到那裏去執業的話，你是老大，賺的錢應該不會少（因為這些地方是資本外流和洗錢逃稅的天堂）。美國還有一個專利律師考試（Patent Bar Exam），一百道選擇題而已。隻要理工本科畢業都可以報考，和通常說的美國律考沒有內在關係，許多法學院學生第二學年就考過了，應該不會太難。 以上是我這次紐約律考的簡單回顧。這僅僅是個人觀感，算不上權威說法。如果你希望得到全麵可靠的信息，最好的方法是直接到各州相應的官方網站去查找。我希望更多的中國律師能夠到美國來觀察、學習和工作。 隻有加快和國際接軌，不斷地向國際同行學習，我們的跨國法律業務才會真正地發展起來。也隻有把市場的蛋糕做大了，我們每個人的口袋才會飽滿起來。 下麵是就一些大家感興趣的問題，做簡單的提示。 全國統考科目： Multi-state subjects: Constitutional law, contract, sales, criminal law, criminal procedure, evidence, real property and torts. 紐約州自考科目： New York subjects: Agency, commercial paper, conflict of laws, corporations, domestic relations, equity, federal jurisdiction and procedure, leases, mortgages, New York practice, no-fault insurance, partnership, personal property, secured transactions, trusts, wills, worker’s compensation, fine points, New York distinctions supplement. 允許LL.M.報考的11個州： Arizona, California, Connecticut, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Paula. 另外Texas, Kentucky也有可能。每一個州都有單獨規定，報考前一定要親自核實。 California: Foreign law school graduates must request individual evaluation to determine pre-legal and legal education equivalency. Graduates from common law foreign law schools may qualify to take additional year of law study at an ABA-approved or graduates generally are required to complete more practice law in foreign or U.S. jurisdiction will qualify to take the bar examination without further education. New York: Applicant must complete period of law study equivalent in duration to that specified in New York rules in law school recognized by competent accrediting agency of the government of such foreign country. All applicants must have their trans evaluated by the Board of Law Examiners to determine if further study, in the form of 20 credits at an approved law school in the U.S., including basic courses in American law, is required. 各州報考人數和通過率,請參考: http://www.ncbex.org/stats.htm 紐約和加州每年都超過一萬考生，加州通過率大約50%， 紐約大約60%，通過率最高的州超過90%，如蒙大拿州、猶他州。 紐約報考條件： Qualifying: Applicants may qualify to take the New York bar examination four ways: 1) Graduation from an American Bar Association approved law school (see Section 520.3 of the Rules of the Court of Appeals); (2) Combination of law school and law office study (see Section 520.4 of the Rules of the Court of Appeals); (3) Graduation from an unapproved law school and practice in a jurisdiction where admitted for five years (see Section 520.5 of the Rules of the Court of Appeals); (4) Foreign law study (see Section 520.6 of the Rules of the Court of Appeals). 紐約州報考資格評估： Obtaining an Evaluation of Credentials: To determine if an applicant educated outside the United States is eligible to take the New York State bar examination the Board must evaluate his or her legal education. You may download a Request for Evaluation of Foreign Academic Credentials from the "Application Materials" section of this website. You should complete it in its entirety and mail it, together with all required supporting documents, t NYS Board OF LAW EXAMINERS, 1 EXECUTIVE CENTRE DRIVE, SUITE 202, ALBANY, NY 12203. If the supporting documentation is to be sent directly by your law school, you should indicate that on the form. An official tran is one that contains an original seal or certification While originals will be accepted and are considered the best proof of your legal education, please keep in mind that they will not be returned. Trans which do not contain the original law school stamp or certification will not be evaluated. Photocopies and fax copies will not be evaluated. While an evaluation from an independent evaluation service, such as World Education Services, may be ted to supplement your documents, it will not be considered as proof of your legal education, and the Board will conduct its own evaluation in any event. All requests for evaluation should be sent to the Board at least six months prior to the examination for which the applicant plans to apply. Due to the large volume of correspondence which the Board receives, you should allow several months from the date of the Boards receipt of your request for a response. Under no circumstances will an evaluation be given by phone, nor will an evaluation be expedited simply because the applicant needs to register for a bar review course therefore, we kindly ask that you do not tie up the Boards phone lines with such requests. Once the application filing period begins, no evaluations for that examination will be conducted. If a determination of eligibility is not completed before the application period begins, the applicant should file their application together with their official trans and assume the risk of being found ineligible to take the examination during the weeks prior to the date of the exam. Under no circumstances should an application be filed and a separate request for an evaluation be sent to the Board at the same time, as this merely delays and confuses the process. 外國法律學生報考條件： Eligibility of Foreign Educated Applicants: Section 520.6 of the Rules of the Court of Appeals contains the provisions covering the eligibility of foreign-educated applicants for admission to the New York State bar examination. In order to be considered eligible to take the bar examination under Section 520.6, the applicant shall show fulfillment of the educational requirements for admission to the practice of law in a country other than the United States by successful completion of a period of study which is (1) the durational equivalent and (2) the substantial equivalent of the legal education required by Section 520.3. We strongly suggest that all interested applicants review Rule 520.6 prior to requesting an evaluation. A copy of the Court Rules are available on this website. Generally, a minimum of three years full-time or four years part-time law study in a law school is required to satisfy (1) the durational requirement. External study, correspondence study, and distance learning are not recognized by the Board, notwithstanding the fact that such study may be recognized by the admitting authority of the country where you were educated. In order to satisfy (2) the substantive requirement, the Board must determine, at a minimum that: (a) the foreign country where the degree was obtained is one whose jurisprudence is based upon the principles of the English Common Law and, (b) that the program and course of study successfully completed by the applicant was the substantial equivalent of the legal education provided by an approved law school in the United States. The Board must establish that the applicant meets both the durational and substantive requirements in order to qualify to take the bar examination. Additionally, the foreign law school which the applicant attended must be recognized by the competent accrediting agency of the government of such other country, or of a political subdivision thereof, as qualified and approved. For further information, go to see:http://www.nybarexam.org/foreign.htm. 關於職業責任考試： Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE): No applicant can be admitted to the Bar in New York without successfully completing both the New York State bar examination and the MPRE. The MPRE can be taken before or after the bar examination. The MPRE passing score is set by the individual jurisdictions requiring that examination. In New York, any applicant who took the MPRE prior to 2002 and attained a scaled score of 72 will be considered as having met the requirement. Commencing with the March 2002 MPRE, the passing score in New York is a scaled score of 85. Any applicant who did not designate New York as the jurisdiction to which the applicants score should be reported at the time of taking the MPRE must have an official score report sent to the Board by the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE), MPRE Records Dept., P.O. Box 451, Iowa City, IA 52243, telephone [phone]. Since October 1994, Section 520.12 of the Rules of the Court of Appeals has required applicants to file the materials required for admission to the Bar within three years from the date of the initial letter sent by the Board of Law Examiners notifying the applicant of having passed the bar examination. Thus, any applicant who has not taken and passed the MPRE at the time of receipt of notification of having passed the bar examination must pass the MPRE and be certified by the Board to the Supreme Court, Appellate Division within three years. The MPRE is administered three times each year, in March, August and November. Applications and explanatory handbooks may be obtained from the NCBE, MPRE Application Dept., P.O. Box 4001, Iowa City, IA 52243, telephone [phone]. The Board receives MPRE scores electronically, and matches them to our applicant files by Social Security Number and date of birth. Therefore, if there is an error in your Social Security Number on your MPRE score report, or if you do not have a Social Security Number and were assigned an identification number by the administrators of the MPRE, you should include that information when you make application to take the New York bar examination. This will enable us to match up your scores manually, and avoid any delay in certification if you are successful on the bar examination. Do not notify us prior to making application for the bar examination, since we do not have any means of storing such information until an application is received. 紐約律考電話、地址和考試日期： Telephone and Fax Lines: The Board of New York Bar telephone number is [phone]. New York State toll free line is [phone]. The voice system operates 24 hours a day. The Board switchboard is staffed Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM Eastern Time. The Board receives faxes 24 hours a day on [phone] using a Canon Laser Class 7000. Correspondence: New York State Board of Law Examiners 1 Executive Centre Drive - Suite 202 Albany, NY 12203-5195 The Board responds to all correspondence by first class mail, but do not reply by fax or e-mail. Dates of Bar Examinations/Application Deadlines: The bar examination is held twice a year, generally on the last Tuesday and Wednesday of July and February. Dates of the next scheduled bar examinations: FEBRUARY EXAM DATES JULY EXAM DATES February 25 - 26, 2003 July 29 - 30, 2003 February 24 - 25, 2004 July 27 - 28, 2004 February 22 - 23, 2005 July 26 - 27, 2005 一些有用的網絡站點： 美國律師協會：www.abanet.org 紐約律考機構：www.nybarexam.org 加州律考機構http://www.calbar.ca.gov/state/calbar/calbar_home.jsp 律考培訓：www.barbri.com National Conference of Bar Examiners: www.ncbex.org American Bar Association Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar: www.abanet.org/legaled 購買舊書：www.ebay.com or www.findlaw.com 美國法學院排名：www.usnews.com 搜索引擎：www.google.com 我的電子郵件是: [e-mail]. 如果時間允許，我樂於給你們解答問題。