La. High Court OKs Practice By Foreign Lawyers
NEW ORLEANS — Reversing a long-standing policy, Louisiana’s Supreme Court has decided to allow lawyers from foreign countries to practice law in the state as long as they are in the nation legally.
The amended rule, posted on the high court’s Web site this week, takes effect in January. It allows admission to the state bar of “an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence, or an alien otherwise authorized to work lawfully in the United States.” The rule includes some education requirements, including 14 semester hours of education in an American law school.
Foreign attorneys had fought unsuccessfully for years to practice in Louisiana but the state Supreme Court rebuffed the efforts. A 2005 federal appeals court decision upheld the state’s right to prohibit practice by foreign citizens.