In December 2015, the Court of Appeals adopted a Skills and Values Requirement ("Skills Requirement") for admission to the bar in New York. This requirement is to "demonstrate that the applicant possesses the skills and values necessary to provide effective, ethical and responsible legal services in this State."
This requirement applies to
• JD students commencing their studies after August 1, 2016; and
• LLM students commencing their studies after August 1, 2018.
For JD:
Pathway 1:
Pathway 1 is satisfied if you complete 6 credits of experiential courses.
To satisfy this requirement, courses must be primarily experiential in nature and must:
(i) integrate doctrine, theory, skills, and legal ethics, and engage students in performance of one or more of the following professional skills:
(a) Knowledge and understanding of substantive and procedural law;
(b) Legal analysis and reasoning, legal research, problem-solving, and written and oral communication in the legal context;
(c) Exercise of proper professional and ethical responsibilities to clients and the legal system; and
(d) Other professional skills needed for competent and ethical participation as a member of the legal profession.
(ii) develop the concepts underlying the professional skills being taught;
(iii) provide multiple opportunities for performance; and
(iv) provide opportunities for self-evaluation.
The faculty in each area of law has identified expected learning outcomes regarding the skills and training you will receive from their classes.
NOTE: Experiential Learning Caveat and Writing Option B
As per ABA Interpretation 303-1, students may not use one course to satisfy more than one requirement. At present clinics, externships and simulation courses are configured in our system as counting towards the experiential learning requirement. A professor may designate that a simulation course or a clinic/externship satisfies the Option B writing requirement. A clinic or externship (both the seminar and fieldwork components) may only satisfy one requirement within a semester. See more details here.
Pathway 3:
Pathway 3 is satisfied if you are accepted into and complete the Pro Bono Scholars Program.
For LLM:
Pathway 4 or 5:
To establish competency NYU Law LLM students must use the pathways described in subsections (a)(4)and (a)(5) of New York State (§520.18 of the Rules of the New York State Court of Appeals for the Admission of Attorneys and Counselors at Law).
Pathways 4 and 5 allow candidates to establish competence before or after the LLM through legal apprenticeship or legal practice in the US or another jurisdiction. The New York State Court system has provided information online which you can find at the following link (online FAQ).