A recent law school graduate in New York has taken the bar exam but did not pass. Under the limited exception in Judiciary Law §484, when may this graduate practice law?
Graduates must pass the bar exam to practice law independently, not just take it.
Graduates must be supervised by an approved legal aid organization, not just any attorney.
Judiciary Law §484 allows practice under supervision of an approved legal aid organization after failing the bar exam.
This matches the exception in Judiciary Law §484. The source states that law school graduates can practice law if they have taken the bar exam and passed; if they failed the bar exam, they may practice only when acting under the supervision of a legal aid organization approved by the appellate division of the supreme court.
Explanation
Judiciary Law §484 allows limited supervised practice by certain nonlawyers. For law school graduates, the rule distinguishes between those who passed and those who failed the bar exam. A graduate who failed may practice only if acting under the supervision of a legal aid organization approved by the appellate division of the supreme court. This is narrower than the rule for students, which includes additional conditions such as completing 2 semesters and having taken the bar exam.