Qualifying graduates of foreign law schools may request permission from the Board to sit for the Illinois bar examination under Rule 715. In New York or California, a degree in English common law or an attorney certificate may be enough to establish eligibility to sit for the state bar exam.The Illinois bar requires you to have practiced law in your country for 5 consecutive years of the 7 years immediately preceding the year of your application. The State Bar of California includes attorneys who have been educated abroad. In California, a foreign lawyer must complete an additional 20 credits of study in an LL.M. Program, including instruction in bar-tested subjects. Applicants don't have to provide proof of citizenship or residency, but if you are a foreign attorney, you may not take the Attorneys' Examination. Yes, foreign lawyers can take the California Bar Exam, but there are specific requirements and conditions they must meet. Application for admission on motion is a two step process. The first step is to complete and have approved a Preliminary Questionnaire for admission on motion. There are some states which do allow foreign law graduates to sit for the bar exam, including New York, California, New Hampshire, Alabama, and Virginia.