All posts tagged: Bar Exam

Returning to a Legal Career through Temple’s LL.M.

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Before coming to Temple Law, I had already built a legal career in Kazakhstan. After earning my LL.B. and a master’s degree in international law from Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, I spent more than 20 years practicing immigration, corporate, business, and international law. I managed my own legal practice, represented clients before courts and government agencies, and advised individuals and businesses on a wide range of legal matters. When I moved to the United States, I initially told myself that I would not return to legal practice. I decided to pursue business instead and opened a trucking company. However, over time, I realized that I could not completely separate myself from the legal profession. I missed legal practice, legal thinking, and the work of helping clients solve serious problems. That realization pushed me to return to law and pursue an LL.M. degree in the United States. My decision to attend Temple was both practical and personal. At that time, I was living in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, close to Philadelphia, so Temple was geographically convenient …

Our Dreams Are Valid: Turning Aspiration into Achievement at Temple Law

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For a young man who grew up in a part of the world where daily struggles were considered normal, I realized very early in life that I had more dreams than my environment seemed willing to permit. Walking through the corridors of public schools in Abuakwa, a suburb of Kumasi in Ghana’s Ashanti Region, I dreamed of becoming a businessman, a leader in public service, and a lawyer. Even before I turned twelve, I knew I wanted more. But in an environment where people constantly reminded you of the reasons why you could not succeed, I learned to be careful about how loudly I spoke about my dreams. Before finishing high school, I understood the sacrifices my parents had already made on their modest salaries as teachers. Pursuing law in Ghana was a long and expensive journey, and I convinced myself that it would be wiser to pursue a path that could provide immediate financial stability while postponing my legal ambitions. Still, I never abandoned the belief that I was meant for more. I entered …

Passing the California Bar Exam

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I enrolled in LL.M. in U.S. Law in May, 2015 aiming to become a competent lawyer who can discuss legal matters on an equal basis with U.S. lawyers working for a U.S. affiliate. Due to increased opportunities to collaborate and work with foreign lawyers, I became aware that obtaining knowledge about U.S law was essential to pursue my career as a legal professional in the long run. The learning environment at TUJ was ideal for me because the lectures were mostly scheduled for evening, which allowed me to learn at TUJ and earn LL.M. while working full-time without leaving Japan. Although I planned to manage both work and study, in reality, especially at the beginning I spent a large amount of time for extensive reading required for each class, which sometimes challenged me in balancing among work, study and life. Despite the busy days, I always looked forward to attending live classes and enjoyed learning U.S. laws and cases. The live classes at TUJ greatly helped me understand the principles of U.S. laws and enabled …