Qualifying as a lawyer in Canada involves several steps, including completing law school, undertaking an articling process, and passing licensing or training courses required by provincial law societies. Here’s a breakdown of each topic.
Completion of Law School
To become a lawyer in Canada, you must first obtain a law degree from a recognized Canadian law school. The typical path is to complete a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) or a Juris Doctor (J.D.) program, which usually takes three years of full-time study.
Articling Process
After completing law school, aspiring lawyers then need to complete an articling period. Articling is a period of supervised practical training that allows law graduates to gain hands-on experience in a legal workplace. During articling, individuals work as a student-at-law under the supervision of a practicing lawyer or firm.
The requirements for articling may vary by province. Generally, articling lasts for about 4 to 10 months, and it involves a combination of legal research, drafting documents, attending court proceedings, and other tasks relevant to the practice of law.
Each provincial law society has information on articling requirements however, the following sites are examples of that process:
- Law Society of Ontario (Articling in Ontario): https://lso.ca/becoming-licensed/lawyer-licensing-process/articling-in-ontario
- Law Society of British Columbia (Articling in British Columbia): https://www.lawsociety.bc.ca/becoming-a-lawyer-in-bc/articling-in-bc/
- Barreau du Québec (Articling in Quebec — in French): https://www.barreau.qc.ca/venir-membre/modes-acces/auxiliaire/
Passing Licensing or Training Courses
Qualifying as a lawyer also requires aspiring lawyers to pass licensing or training courses mandated by the provincial law society in the province where the individual intends to practice law. These courses typically cover legal ethics, professional responsibility, and the rules and regulations specific to the legal profession in that province.