The New York Bar Map for foreign-trained lawyers.
Eligibility, the UBE and the NY extras, one topic per page.
An illustrated study guide for lawyers who earned their law degree outside the United States, often with a U.S. LL.M. Rule 520.6 and the LL.M. rules, the common-law ideas a civil lawyer has to switch on, the seven MBE subjects, essay writing in a second language, the NY Law Exam and the MPRE. Plus a practice book with every answer explained. eBook or printed.
Both books on the desk in the U.S., the PDF on the phone · U.S. addresses only · $89.99
Not 1,000 pages of dense English. One topic per page.
Every page works the same way, so after a workday you can open it anywhere and take in one rule in a few minutes, in plain English.
This is what the pages look like.
Already a lawyer. New to American law.
Next to your course, not instead of it
Bar review courses give lectures and large question banks. This guide gives you the map: one picture per rule, to read before a lecture or after a wrong answer.
Studying in the evenings
Each page stands alone, so a short session still ends with one rule learned. Chapter 14 has a 16-week plan of about 15 hours a week, with the admin deadlines on the same calendar.
The switches to make first
Precedent, juries, cross-examination, three standards of proof, federal and state courts. Chapter 2 sets them up before the MBE subjects start.
An MBE-style question, written for the book.
A citizen of New York sues a company incorporated in Delaware, with its principal place of business in New Jersey, in federal court. The claim is for breach of contract under state law, for $75,000 plus interest and costs. The company moves to dismiss. How should the court rule?
(A) Deny the motion, because the parties are completely diverse.
(B) Grant the motion, because the amount in controversy does not exceed $75,000.
(C) Deny the motion, because interest brings the claim above $75,000.
(D) Grant the motion, because contract claims must be heard in state court.
See the answer and why
(B). The parties are diverse (New York against Delaware and New Jersey), but 28 U.S.C. §1332(a) requires an amount that exceeds $75,000, not counting interest and costs. Exactly $75,000 is not enough, so (A) and (C) are wrong. (D) is wrong because federal courts hear state-law contract claims when diversity jurisdiction exists. This is the page-62 flowchart in action.
The rules around the exam.
They come from the New York State Board of Law Examiners. The guide's first chapter explains each one with a flowchart or a calendar.
Evaluation first
Every first-time foreign-educated applicant must ask the Board for an advance evaluation. If you need an LL.M. to qualify, the file must be complete by May 1 (for February) or October 1 (for July) of the year before.
24 credits, with rules
At least 24 classroom credits on a U.S. campus, two semesters, finished within 24 months, including professional responsibility, legal writing, American legal studies and 6 credits of bar subjects.
The steps after it
A UBE score of 266, then the NY Law Course and NY Law Exam (30 of 50 right), the MPRE (85 in New York), 50 hours of pro bono and character and fitness.
Rule 520.6 before you pay $750.
The four tests the Board applies to a foreign law degree, the LL.M. "cure", the documents and the deadlines, drawn as a flowchart and a checklist.
- Duration and content equivalence, explained with the Board's own numbers
- Why many civil-law degrees need the LL.M., and why it can't cure two gaps
- The 24-credit LL.M. checklist, with the four kinds of credit that don't count
- Documents sent straight from your school, certified translations, the 6-month wait
You know the law. The system is different.
Before the subjects, the habits: who finds the facts, where the rules come from, how sure the decider must be, which court can hear a case.
- Precedent and stare decisis, with how the MBE expects you to state a rule
- Adversarial trial, cross-examination, the jury box
- Preponderance, clear and convincing, beyond a reasonable doubt
- Federal and state courts side by side
Two hundred questions, seven subjects, drawn.
Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Contracts, Criminal Law and Procedure, Evidence, Real Property and Torts, each built from the NCBE subject outline. The MBE is half of the UBE score.
- Federal jurisdiction, hearsay, offer and acceptance as flowcharts
- Under the Federal Rules, as the MBE requires, not New York or home-country rules
- A worked example on every topic page
- The rule statements you can reuse word for word in an essay
Writing the essays in a second language.
Six 30-minute essays and two 90-minute performance tasks. The MEE instructions ask for the facts, the issues, the law and the reasoning, and this chapter turns that into a routine.
- One IRAC block per issue, with a worked paragraph
- A phrase bank to start every part of the answer
- The July 2026 change: Family Law and Trusts & Estates now come through the MPT
- MPT: how to use the File and the Library in 90 minutes
The NY extras and a plan around a job.
The New York Law Course and Exam, the MPRE, pro bono, skills competency and admission, with the 2027 dates and registration deadlines. Then a 16-week plan for people who work.
- NYLE: 50 questions, two hours, open book, 30 right to pass
- MPRE: 60 questions, $185, New York's score of 85
- The one-year and three-year windows that make people repeat steps
- About 15 hours a week, built around weekday evenings and weekends
Less reading, more seeing.
Reading dense legal English for hours is slower in a second language. A diagram shows the structure of a rule at once, and the words around it stay short.
- Short sentences, plain English, legal terms explained the first time
- Each number points to the official page it comes from
- Cram sheets with every memory trick at the end
The map and the practice book, for the whole route.
The Guide · full table of contents
The Practice & Writing Book · 120 pages
On screen, on paper, or both.
Color PDF, anywhere in the world
The guide and the practice book on a phone, tablet or computer, right after payment. The format for anyone outside the U.S.
Two spiral-bound books
The 256-page guide and the 120-page practice book, lying flat on the desk. Ships to U.S. addresses only, free, about 5–8 business days. Want both? Printed + eBook for $89.99.
Cram sheets for the last week.
Every memory trick from the book on a few pages, plus the 2027 calendar of exam dates and registration deadlines.
- Rule statements for the seven MBE subjects
- The essay routine and phrase bank on one page
- A score tracker to see which subjects need another pass
See 10 real pages, free.
The route in one page, the official pass rates, Rule 520.6, the LL.M. checklist, common law for civil lawyers, the UBE, federal jurisdiction, hearsay, essays in a second language and the 16-week plan. Read them and decide with the pages in front of you.
See the 10 pages ↓
How is it different?
| What it has | This guide | Full bar review courses | Text prep books | Free official materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A diagram or chart on every page | ✓ | Varies | Mostly text | — |
| Rule 520.6 and the LL.M. rules explained | ✓ | Varies | Rarely | ✓ The Board's pages |
| Common law set up for civil lawyers | ✓ | Varies | Rarely | — |
| Practice questions with explanations | ✓ 140 | ✓ Usually thousands | Varies | Sample sets |
| Video lectures | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | NY Law Course only |
| Price | From $39.99 | List prices about $3,000–$4,000 | About $26–$63 for NY prep books on Amazon | Free |
You can start tonight.
You pay
Secure checkout, no account, no subscription. One payment.
You open the eBook
If you chose the eBook, the download link arrives by email, wherever you are. Open it on a phone, tablet or computer.
The books arrive
If you chose the printed books, they ship free to your U.S. address. We don't ship printed books outside the U.S.
The whole New York route, explained with pictures.
- 256-page illustrated guide, 15 chapters
- Rule 520.6, the LL.M. checklist and the evaluation deadlines
- Common law for civil lawyers, then all seven MBE subjects and Business Associations
- Essays and the MPT in a second language
- 120-page Practice & Writing Book: 140 questions, 6 essays, 2 MPT walkthroughs
- NYLE, MPRE, admission steps and a 16-week plan with the 2027 calendar
Printed books ship to U.S. addresses only
What foreign-trained lawyers ask before buying
Is this affiliated with the New York Board of Law Examiners or NCBE?
No. This guide is not affiliated with or endorsed by the New York State Board of Law Examiners, the New York Court of Appeals or the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE). You apply and pay for the exam with the Board, separately.
Does it tell me if I'm eligible?
No. Only the Board decides, through the advance evaluation every first-time foreign-educated applicant must request. The guide explains the rules the Board applies, so you can read your own transcript with the right questions in mind and prepare the file.
Which exams does it cover?
The February 23–24 and July 27–28, 2027 New York exams, which use the Uniform Bar Examination (MBE, MEE, MPT) with New York's passing score of 266. It includes the July 2026 change to the essay subjects.
What about NextGen?
New York replaces the UBE with the NextGen exam starting July 2028, and won't accept NextGen scores from exams taken before then. The guide explains the dates. It is written for the UBE, not for NextGen.
Do I still need a bar review course?
It depends on how you study. Courses add lectures and large question banks; this guide adds diagrams, the foreign-applicant rules and a plan. It's designed to sit next to a course, not to replace one.
Will this book make me pass?
No book can promise that. The guide explains the rules and the subjects and gives you practice with explanations. How much you study, and how, is up to you.
Are these real exam questions?
No. Every question was written for this book in the style of the exam. NCBE's own questions are protected and sold separately by NCBE.
I live outside the U.S. Can I buy it?
Yes, choose the eBook: it arrives by email right after payment, in any country. The printed books ship only to U.S. addresses.
Is this legal advice?
No. It's a study guide with general information for exam preparation. It isn't legal or immigration advice and doesn't replace the Board's own determination or an attorney.
When do the printed books arrive?
Shipping to U.S. addresses is free and takes about 5–8 business days. The eBook arrives by email right after payment.
What if it's not right for me?
You have a 30-day guarantee. Write to us within 30 days and we'll refund you. No questions, no forms.
Ready to see the whole New York route in pictures?
256 illustrated pages, 140 questions with every answer explained, essay practice, and the 2027 calendar. 30-day guarantee.
From $39.99 · eBook worldwide or printed (U.S.)