The State Bar of California includes attorneys who have been educated abroad. CA Bar accepts applicants with foreign licenses.You do not need a JD or LLM. If you do not have a qualifying foreign law degree, you are not eligible to take the California bar exam. I am a foreign attorney. Just passed the california bar exam. In California, a foreign lawyer must complete an additional 20 credits of study in an LL.M. Program, including instruction in bar-tested subjects. Yes, foreign lawyers can take the California Bar Exam, but there are specific requirements and conditions they must meet. 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. 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.