Most students take the New York Bar and then apply for the equivalency exam to gain entrance into the French Bar. In the past, early examinations for students in the 4L year have been arranged to allow students to return to the US to study for the Bar exam in early June. (French exams usually extend through the end of June into July).
Once students have passed the exam and have been admitted to the NY State Bar, they may apply in France to take the equivalency exam. There, a committee is assigned to review each application to determine on which areas of French law the applicant will be examined. It may be possible that graduates of the Double Degree may be exempted from taking several sections of the French equivalency exam because of the number and type of French law courses they have taken through the Double Degree program. As of 2002, four Columbia graduates of this program have successfully taken and passed the French equivalency exam.
