CA Bar accepts applicants with foreign licenses. You do not need a JD or LLM.The State Bar of California includes attorneys who have been educated abroad. Hi I am a foreign attorney. Just passed the california bar exam. Well, I'm not sure about California, but you cannot take the NY bar exam as a foreign lawyer unless your first law degree is in COMMON law. A New York lawyer would have to take the California bar exam to practice independently in California. Yes, foreign lawyers can take the California Bar Exam, but there are specific requirements and conditions they must meet. You are eligible to take the bar exam if you have a qualifying law degree that is durationally and substantively equivalent to a JD degree in the US. The New York Court of Appeals adopted the UBE effective with the July 2016 administration of the New York State bar examination.