Laudator Temporis Acti

22 New York Codes, Rules and Regulations § 520.4 (Study of Law in Law Office):

(a) General. An applicant may qualify to take the New York State bar examination by submitting to the New York State Board of Law Examiners satisfactory proof:

(1) that applicant commenced the study of law after applicant's 18th birthday; and

(2) that applicant successfully completed at least one academic year as a matriculated student in a full-time program or the equivalent in a part-time program at an approved law school and at the conclusion thereof was eligible to continue in that school's degree program; and

(3) that the applicant thereafter studied law in a law office or offices located within New York State under the supervision of one or more attorneys admitted to practice law in New York State, for such a period of time as, together with the credit allowed pursuant to this section for attendance in an approved law school, shall aggregate four years.

(b) Employment and Instruction Requirements. An applicant studying law in a law office or offices within New York State must be actually and continuously employed during the required period as a regular law clerk and student in a law office, under the direction and subject to the supervision of one or more attorneys admitted to practice law in New York State, and must be actually engaged in the practical work of such law office during normal business hours.

In addition, the applicant must receive instruction from said attorney or attorneys in those subjects which are customarily taught in approved law schools.

(c) Credit for Attendance in Approved Law School. Credit shall be allowed for attendance in an approved law school as follows:

(1) credit of one full year or 52 weeks shall be allowed for any successfully completed year of a full-time law school program;

(2) credit of three quarters of a year or 39 weeks shall be allowed for any successfully completed year of a part-time law school program;

(3) proportionate credit shall be allowed for any successfully completed semester, quarter or summer session in such a full-time or part-time law school program;

(4) for any period of law school study not successfully completed, credit may be allowed for attendance as determined by the New York State Board of Law Examiners based on an evaluation of performance in the individual case.

(d) Vacations. Vacations taken by the applicant in excess of one month in any year of study shall be deducted from the period of law office study for which credit shall be given, but failure by the applicant to take a vacation shall not decrease the period of study required by this section.

(e) Certificate of Commencement of Law Office Study. It shall be the duty of the attorney or attorneys with whom a period of law office study is about to be commenced to obtain from, complete and file with, the Clerk of the Court of Appeals a certificate of commencement of clerkship, Appendix B-2, infra. At the time the certificate of commencement of clerkship is filed, the applicant shall provide the Court of Appeals with a copy of the determination of the New York State Board of Law Examiners of the credit to which the applicant is entitled under subdivision (c) of this section.

(f) Credit for Law Study in Law Office. Credit shall be given only for study in a law office or offices completed subsequent to the filing of the certificate required by subdivision (e) of this section.

(g) Proof Required. Compliance with the requirements of this section shall be proved to the satisfaction of the New York State Board of Law Examiners.

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