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B. QUESTION OF THE MONTH – BAR ADMISSION IN CANADA, THE U.S. AND THE U.K.

Some months I use this newsletter to answer a "question of the month." If you have a suggestion for a question please email at: jr@lawschoolbound.com

Please remember that my answers to these questions are my opinions. You should pay attention to my reasoning. If the question pertains to your situation, please discuss the question with your academic and/or career advisor.

In the February newsletter, I dealt with was "How should I select law schools?" In this context I discussed the joint LL.B./J.D. programs at Windsor, Ottawa and the new Osgoode LL.B./J.D. program. The article that I wrote on those programs (along with some others that you may want to see) may be found at:

http://osgoode.yorku.ca/media2.nsf/0/e108170e7921e81285256f95005c0dd1?OpenDocument

In the March newsletter I discussed joint law programs where a law degree is combined with another kind of academic degree.

In the April newsletter, I considered the value that the joint LL.B/J.D. degree may have in the legal marketplace. The article I wrote for the Lawyers Weekly may be found at: http://www.prep.com/LW.pdf

In this May issue, I will discuss how Canadian law school graduates can become admitted to the bar in Canada, the United States and the U.K. This topic relates directly to the issue of joint degree programs.

(The three previous newsletters are available on our site at: http://www.prep.com/law/lawnews.html)

Please remember that the rules for Bar Admission are continually changing. You should always check for changes and updates.

The Question:

So, from a Canadian perspective, how do you become a lawyer - earn a license to practise law - in Canada, the U.S. and the U.K.?

There are two issues:

First, where can you attend law school and be eligible to complete the licensing requirements to be a lawyer?

Second, once you have graduated from law school, what are the licensing requirements for bar admission?

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Re First: Where Can You Attend Law School?

First, it is possible to be admitted to the bar in Canada, the U.S. and the U.K. by attending law school in either Canada or the U.S. Once you are admitted to the bar in Canada or the U.S. you can become an English Solicitor by passing the QLTT (Qualified Lawyers Transfer Test - more on this below).

Although bar admission is possible with either a Canadian or U.S.law degree you should be aware that with respect to:

Canadian Province Bar Admission - Eligibility To Do The Bar Admission Course

- the easiest way to be admitted to the bar in a Canadian province is to earn a Canadian law degree (note that you can go to law school in any province and be admitted to the bar in any province you choose). Canadian law graduates can automatically enter the Bar Admission Course;

- graduates of foreign law schools (including U.S. schools) will require permission (a certificate of equivalency) from the National Committee on Accreditation - visit: http://www.flsc.ca/

U.S. State Bar Admission - Eligibility To Sit The Bar Exam

- the easiest way to be admitted to a U.S. state bar is to graduate with a U.S. law degree from an ABA (American Bar Association) approved school. U.S. ABA law school graduates can take the bar exam in any state they want. Foreign law school graduates require permission to take the bar exam in U.S. states. But, some U.S. states (of which New York and California are examples) will allow Canadian law graduates to take their bar exam. Graduates of Canadian law schools who want to be admitted to U.S. state bars are urged to contact the bar administrators in the relevant state.

U.K. Bar Admission - Becoming An English Solicitor

- this will be done after becoming a member of a state or provincial bar. As a qualified lawyer you pass a test that allows you to transfer your skills to the U.K.

Re Second: What Are The Requirements For Bar Admission?

U.S. States - After completing you law degree you are required to pass a bar exam that typically lasts two or three days (depending on the state). Most people fulfill this requirement in the summer after graduating from law school.

Canadian Provinces - You must complete a bar admission course in the province of your choice. The bar admission course is composed of two components:

1. Written exams;

2. Articling - working as an apprentice lawyer (in Ontario this lasts ten months)

U.K. - Becoming An English Solicitor

You are required to pass the QLTT (Qualified Lawyers Transfer Test). See the feature article below.

How does all this relate to the concept of the joint LL.B./J.D. programs that have been discussed in previous newsletters? Well, I would think that a person with both U.S. and Canadian law degrees would want to be admitted to the bar in both Canada and the U.S. and do it in the shortest amount of time. See the following account by a graduate of the Windsor Detroit LL.B/J.D. program.

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