Practicing US Lawyer Moving to D.R. ???

I just found this forum and hope that I can get some guidance. I am an attorney at a major law firm in the U.S. I have been practicing law since 2005 and licensed to practice in New York, Connecticut, and Maine. I was born in the Dominican, but educated here in the States. Now I am exploring the possibility of moving back to the D.R. and practice law there. My questions are:

1. As a foreign educated attorney, will I be required to obtain a law degree from a Dominican university?

2. If the answer to the above is yes, then what degree will I need? How many years will it take to obtain such degree? Could I practice law while obtaining such degree?

3. Aside from a degree, if any, are there any other requirements that I will need to meet?

4. How can I get admitted to the "Colegio de Abogados"? Do I need?

5. Assuming I do everything necessary to be able to practice law in the D.R., what are the job prospects?

6. I would be interested in joining a large law firm as an associate: how difficult are such jobs to come by? How can I go after such jobs?

7. Any ideas what associates at large firm make in terms of salary? I doubt I could make the same I am making now, about $150,000 a year, but I want an idea of what kind of salary to expect.

I know these are many questions and don't expect answers to all. Thank you all in advance for you help. Thanks.

Thanks for all the info. It sucks that I would have to go back to school for three years !!!

Ken2 said:

I don't know if it makes any difference, but do you have dual citizenship?

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Yes. I was born in the dominican and became a U.S. citizen so I am a dual citizen.

JFD said:

It's not very intense, you can do something else on a side, like working in a law office. It's just you won't be able to go to court.

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I would be fine if I could work at a firm as a lawyer except going to Court. But practicing law is more than just going to Court, so I wonder if I could even work at a law firm. Thanks.

Adrian Bye said:

come over and ask some of the guys like fabio guzman if you can take them to lunch. with a US education + contacts you might be quite valuable here although i don't know the law market.

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I would be so lucky if one of those guys would take time off their busy schedule to have lunch with me so I could pick their brains. I travel to the DR often enough !!!

Oche said:

Thing is that most big firms take only lawyers with specialized studies or hand picked lawyers from PUCMM or UNIBE (probably the best law schools in DR). Consider the option of exploring some of other smaller respectable and prestigious law firms who either have established or are branching out to hotspots tourist sectors around the country such as Bavaro and Punta Cana, who are always in need of english speaking lawyers able to handle a lot of paperwork and english speaking clients in order to fulfill (not necessarily litigation).

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Thanks for the insight. Sounds like before I start thinking about a job, I better figure out the degree situation. I know attorneys that come from the DR can take the NY bar with a LLM degree, which can be obtained in about 1.5 years. So hopefully, I can get the dominican degree in less than 3 years. Definitely need to explore that further. THanks.

J D Sauser said:

You do realize that the French Napoleonic code of law is very, but very different from US (common) law?
It's not just that you couldn't plead your cases in court here, without a local degree, I fear you would need more assistance than you could be of assistance to a firm here before you would be well taught in the local legal system.
And over time, unless you do acquire a local degree, you might just be burning a hole into your curriculum.

If you were born here, you could try to become a president here though. :bunny:


... J-D.

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I was born in the Dominican, so I should just forget about the lawyer thing and run for President !!!!!

Yes, I am very aware of the huge differences between the bases for U.S. legal system and for that of the Dominican. But, again, lawyers from the dominican can come to the states, get an LLM in about 1.5 years and then take the NY bar. It should be just as easy to do the opposite.

? bient?t said:

I didn't think this was possible, since the New York State Board of Law Examiners specifically states in Section 520.6(b)(1) the following:

(4) that the jurisprudence of such foreign country is based upon the principles of the English Common Law; and

(5) that the "program and course of law study" successfully completed by the applicant were the substantial equivalent of the legal education provided by an approved law school in the United States.

Foreign Legal Education

We may have to wait: Mr. Guzm?n is on vacation.

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My interpretation of the rules is that if you meet the requirements you listed, then you can sit on the bar exam without needing a LLM from a U.S. Law School. But if those requirements are not met, then you'll need an LLM:

"Curing a durational or substantive deficiency under subdivision (b)(1)(ii). Subdivision (b)(1)(ii) of part 520.6 permits certain applicants to cure either a durational or substantive deficiency by successfully completing further study at an approved law school in the United States."

I am getting a little off topic since I am interested in knowing how to become eligible to practice law in the D.R. having been educated in the U.S. and not the other way around.

J D Sauser said:

Well, GOOD for you then.
You now only need to learn or re-learn to call your country the Dominican Republic. "The Dominican" usually refers to a male of this country. No vivimos en "Dominicana" aqui, sino en la Republica Dominicana. (Gawd, have I waited long enough to serve that lecture back to someone born here!:cheeky: Boy, do I feel relieved!)

... J-D.

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WOW, someone is a little sensitive !!! Born and raised there until I was 14 years old, so feel pretty much feel as Dominican as anyone who has never left. And you should blame the Dominican Turism department for they are using "The Dominican" instead of the official name to promote the country internationally. But I take the joke !!!


:squareeye:squareeye