Canada is a federal state with eleven components structured on the base of 10 provinces and three government territories. If you want to become a lawyer in Canada, first, you need to know that each province in Canada is governed separately. Becoming a professional lawyer is challenging and might take a lot of time, but all your efforts will be worth the hardwork as it offers a fulfilling career. It may take 7-8 years to become a lawyer in Canada, as it involves multiple steps. Even if you have completed your legal studies outside Canada, you can still become a lawyer in Canada by passing the NCA exam run by the Federation of Law Societies in Canada.
A foreign-trained lawyer can demonstrate their competency in practicing law in Canada through the NCA examination. The NCA exams are held four times a year. The aspirants of the NCA exam prepare for the examination on their own, but a majority of students opt for preparatory courses offered by leading institutions in Canada.
The NCA course comprises five mandatory subject areas: Canadian Law, Canadian Constitutional Law, Canadian Criminal Law, Canadian Administrative Law, and Foundations of Canadian Professional Responsibility. Once internationally trained Law successfully passes the exam, they can start their law profession in Canada. This is how you can complete your legal studies abroad but practice law in Canada.
If you want to know the steps and count of years of becoming a lawyer in Canada, keep reading this blog. Let’s dive into the process and time required to become a lawyer in Canada.
- Pre-law undergraduate degree: Law is an intensive theoretical and practical study. Legal studies in Canada start subject-wise during the undergraduate level.
- Take the LSAT( Law School Admissions Test): LSAT is the pathway to entering a law school across the United States and Canada. The Law School Admission Council administers it, and the exam is held about four times a year.
- Bachelor’s degree: After completing college and passing the LSAT, students can get the opportunity to study for a bachelor’s degree in Law, which will take at least four years of undergraduate-level education. In Canada, the law degree is commonly known as Juris Doctor (JD) programmed law. This course can be completed within three to four years, depending upon the law school.
- Master’s degree: Many students opt for a master’s degree in law, popularly termed LLM, after completing the bachelor’s degree. The LLM degree offers specialized knowledge of a specified law discipline.
- Provincial Bar Admission Course and Articling:Students on the pathway of becoming a lawyer in Canada complete their provincial Bar Admission Course with a period of 10 months to a year of Articling. During this time, students work under the supervision of a member of the provincial bar as a clerk in a law firm, legal department, or courtroom. Once the student successfully goes through the Bar Exams in their province are licensed to practice law freely in Canada.
Lawyers in Canada are called Barristers or Solicitors and tend to define their practice with their chosen title. If you are a legal graduate from outside Canada but dream of addressing yourself as a Barrister or Lawyer in Canada, then you must get enrolled in an NCA preparatory course to pass the NCA exam on the first attempt. Apply now!
