Licensing and Accreditation Task Force
Federation of Law Societies Task Force on the Common Law Degree
Convocation approved the final report of the Federation Task Force on the Canadian Common Law Degree at its February 2010 meeting.
The Federation's final report recommends that law societies in common law jurisdictions establish a uniform educational requirement for entry to their bar admission programs or licensing processes. The requirement is expressed in terms of competencies in basic skills, awareness of appropriate ethical values and core legal knowledge that law students are expected to acquire during law school. The final report also sets out certain institutional requirements, such as prerequisites for entry and length of program, that law schools are expected to meet.
The Law Society will recommend to the Federation that the committee responsible for implementation include appropriate representation from Canadian law schools, and that law societies have an opportunity to approve the implementation committee's recommendations.
Final Report of the Federation Task Force on the Canadian Common Law Degree
Law Society's Licensing and Accreditation Task Force
Law Society confirms articling requirement and enhances licensing process
Licensing and Accreditation Task Force Report to Convocation - September 2008
Licensing and Accreditation Task Force Consultation Report - January 2008
On September 25, 2008, the Law Society's governing body, Convocation, voted to accept the Licensing and Accreditation Task Force's recommendations to continue the articling requirement, to enhance the licensing process, and to require new lawyers to complete 24 hours of continuing education during the first two years of practice.
The Task Force brought its recommendations to Convocation after an extensive consultation during which the profession overwhelming supported the importance of articling. The Law Society plans to work with legal organizations and the profession to support and enhance the articling process and increase the number of articling positions.
Enhancements to the articling process include:
- an online articling registry to improve information on articling opportunities;
- a new Law Society outreach position to assist in promoting and co-ordinating articling initiatives and additional job placements;
- a voluntary bridging program for internationally trained candidates in the licensing process to support their integration into the Ontario legal profession;
- streamlined articling requirements for internationally trained lawyers; and
- simplified administration of the program for articling principals.
The licensing process will include a new online professional responsibility and practice course integrated with the articling program. This new course will replace the current in-person Skills and Professional Responsibility Program. Successful completion of the new online course, the articling requirement and the current licensing examinations are the requirements for call to the Bar.
Beginning 2011, there will be a requirement for all new lawyers called to the Ontario Bar to complete 24 hours of compulsory professional development during their first two years of practice.
The Task Force's recommendations are based on an extensive consultation with law schools, legal organizations and lawyers. The Task Force began its consultations in January 2008 with the release of its consultation report on the professional responsibility and skills program and the articling components of the licensing process. It received more than 100 written responses from individuals and legal organizations.
About the Law Society Task Force
As legal education and the context within which lawyers are licensed evolve, the Law Society periodically evaluates its licensing process to ensure its learning and competency standards are being achieved in the most effective way.
A number of factors contributed to the formation of the Licensing and Accreditation Task Force in 2007 including:
- Indications that the number of articling positions would not keep pace with the growth in the number of internationally and domestically trained candidates seeking admission to the profession;
- Initiatives to establish new law schools in Canada;
- An increasingly, diverse legal profession; and
- The recently enacted Fair Access to Regulated Professions Act, which places emphasis on ensuring that admission standards for regulated professions are transparent, objective, impartial and fair.
Convocation approved the Task Force's report on articling requirements and the Law Society's licensing process on September 25, 2008. (see above)