In California, a foreign lawyer must complete an additional 20 credits of study in an LL.M. Program, including instruction in bar-tested subjects. Foreign-educated attorneys who seek to sit for the Massachusetts bar exam may enroll with special status to take courses required for the bar exam.Most states do require a J.D. degree for a US law school in order to sit for the bar exam. If you are a licensed lawyer in another jurisdiction, you are eligible to sit for CA bar exam even without having a LL.M degree. Currently, 34 states and one jurisdiction that allow foreign attorneys to sit for the bar exam if they have earned LL.M. degrees in the United States. If you do not have a qualifying foreign law degree, you are not eligible to take the California bar exam. You would not be able to take the bar in California based on your LLB alone.