Ukrainian advocates in the USA will be helped to integrate into the legal community

«We not only support our citizens, but also help Ukrainian advocates who have moved to California due to the war to find work, obtain licenses, and integrate into the local legal community».

This was emphasized by the representative of the Ukrainian National Bar Association in the United States, Dmytro Lyushenko, who participated in the annual Bench Bar Reception on the occasion of a meeting of lawyers (judges, advocates, prosecutors). The event was organized by the Sacramento County Bar Association (SCBA).

«For me personally, this is a matter of professional solidarity and human dignity», - explained the UNBA representative, commenting on the motivation behind his activities and initiatives aimed at supporting Ukrainian colleagues who found themselves abroad as a result of the war.

During his meeting with representatives of law firms, D. Lyushenko also discussed the possibility of providing free legal advice to the Ukrainian community in Sacramento County.

It should be noted that a key feature of legal practice in the USA is that legal services can only be provided by an advocate licensed by the state Supreme Court. Each state and territory of the USA has its own legal regulation of legal services, which is usually carried out by the state supreme courts. Most often, states adopt their own rules based on model regulations developed by the American Bar Association (ABA). At the same time, a license grants the right to practice only in one state. For another state, you need to take a new exam and go through everything from the beginning (unless the states recognize each other's licenses on a reciprocal basis).

Obtaining a license to practice law in the USA (practice law) involves the following steps:

1. Choosing a law school that offers a J.D. program.

2. Conducting an official assessment of foreign education.

3. Submitting an application to take the bar exam (Bar Exam Application).

4. Preparing for and taking the basic exam (Uniform Bar Exam, UBE).

5. Fulfilling additional qualification requirements for admission to the bar.

6. Applying for admission to the bar and undergoing a character and fitness investigation.

7. Taking the advocate's oath (Swearing In Ceremony).

However, persons with a Ukrainian law degree also have opportunities to work in their specialty.

For more information, see the UNBA webinar «Access to the Legal Profession Abroad».