UK Law Degree? Living in London?

My son has an offer to study law at Kings College London...Does anyone know what further study would be required for him to get an American law degree after?  Thanks!  Also, if anyone has any input reference what it's like to live and study in London I'd appreciate it...

I am assuming that your son is fresh out of high school.

Law degrees in the UK are three years and are an undergraduate degree.  To continue on to practice in the UK, you have a year of what is called the LPC.  You then do two years as a trainee before being fully qualified.

Now, to the best of my knowledge:  if he wanted to pursue a career in law in the US, he would be the same as any other student who had completed an undergraduate degree and would have to go to law school.  HOWEVER, I have seen adverts in the backs of some magazines here offering a 6 month course to study for the New York bar.  I can't speak for the accuracy or reliability of those.

I am studying law here in the UK (in Manchester) but I don't plan on trying to practice in the US so I'm not very knowledgable about it.  I would have a look at the American Bar Assn's website or write them and they may be able to help you.

good luck!

I am pretty sure a UK law degree is considered equivilant to a JD, so he'd only need take the relevant bar exams.

I know quite a few people who have their UK law degrees and have just popped over to take NY or Caifornia Bar exams, and this seems to be enough.  They have then finished articles in the UK so they are qualified to practice in both juristictions.

Vicky

It varies state-by-state:

"In order to sit for the bar examination, most states require an applicant to hold a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from a law school that meets established educational standards. A J.D. earned at an ABA-approved law school meets the educational requirements in every jurisdiction in the United States. For those individuals who have not earned a J.D. degree from an ABA-approved law school, bar admission authorities have developed varying requirements and criteria to ascertain if such individuals meet the minimum educational requirements for bar admission. In most jurisdictions individuals who lack such a J.D. will find that they do not satisfy the minimum educational requirements for bar admission and are ineligible to take the bar exam. In some of the remaining states, graduates of foreign law schools will find that additional schooling such as an LL.M. is required, and a few others recognize with regularity the sufficiency of a specific foreign legal education. A number offer an alternative licensure mechanism known as a Foreign Legal Consultant which is a limited license to practice. And finally, some jurisdictions will allow individuals to be eligible for admission without examination under certain conditions if they have been admitted to the bar in another U.S. jurisdiction."

From the ABA website

http://www.abanet.org/legaled/postjdprograms/postjdc.html#2foreign

Thanks to everyone for your help...I appreciate it!!