Many of our Canadian students return to Canada after they have graduated to pursue legal careers.
Canadian Accreditation Requirements
In order to practise law upon returning to Canada, students with LLB degrees from overseas will need to assess their qualifications with the National Committee on Accreditation (the NCA).
The NCA will assess the qualification you have earned outside of Canada and will decide if you will be admitted to a common-law bar in Canada. Accreditation will depend on your educational and professional background. The Committee will assess the quality of grades during your degree. After reviewing your application, the NCA will reply and let you know the subjects and/or legal education you will need to ensure that your qualification is comparable to an approved law school in Canada.
In order to obtain an NCA Certificate of Qualification, you will likely be required to sit further tests upon your return to Canada. The NCA organizes four tests per year and you can self-study for these tests. Most students can complete these exams within 4 to 6 months. Alternatively, you can complete more studies at a law school in Canada
The number of tests that you will be required to take will depend on a number of factors, including:
- your results in each module of your degree.
- the degree programme that you have taken (i.e. the 2-year or the 3-year programme).
- whether you entered the UK University directly from high school
Every Law graduate who has studied outside of Canada must complete the 5 exams of Canadian content:
- Foundations of Canadian Law
- Canadian Criminal Law
- Canadian Constitutional Law
- Canadian Administrative Law
- Canadian Professional Responsibility
Please note the other core subjects required by the NCA are:
- Tort Law
- Contract Law
- Property Law
- Business Organisations
These subjects are deemed to be so similar between the UK and Canada that once you have passed them in the UK with at least a 45% you do NOT need to repeat these exams in Canada. At most Law schools the equivalent to Business Organisations is ‘Company Law’.
Most law societies in Canada accept the NCA’s Certificate of Qualifications for entry to their bar admissions process. Additional requirements for the Canadian Bar are determined by the National Committee on Accreditation for all Provinces except Quebec.
