Qualifying in Canada - NCA Requirements

benway

Just curious as to whether anyone's applied through Canada's National Committee on Accreditation? I'm toying with the idea of heading to Toronto rather than taking on the Inns, given the degree of pessimism that's surrounding the professions at the moment.

I have a Law Degree and Masters, wondering especially how people without professional qualifications have gotten on - I imagine that there may be a few equivalency exams before even getting to the stage of taking on the bar exams.

kronsington

benway wrote: »

Just curious as to whether anyone's applied through Canada's National Committee on Accreditation? I'm toying with the idea of heading to Toronto rather than taking on the Inns, given the degree of pessimism that's surrounding the professions at the moment.

I have a Law Degree and Masters, wondering especially how people without professional qualifications have gotten on - I imagine that there may be a few equivalency exams before even getting to the stage of taking on the bar exams.

i was in touch with the law soc about this last week and they sent me some info. pm me and ill send it on to you. i was born in canada and am therefore a citizen so i figure its worth exploring. qualify as a solicitor in the very near future

benway

PM'd you there - any advice would be much appreciated ... although I'm kinda figuring that it's just a case of sending in your transcripts and crossing fingers and toes that they don't send you for exams.

paky

im sure the info would be very helpful for a lot of people here. care to share?

mitzicat

benway wrote: »

PM'd you there - any advice would be much appreciated ... although I'm kinda figuring that it's just a case of sending in your transcripts and crossing fingers and toes that they don't send you for exams.

You will have to do at least four exams. These are mandatory. The reality will probably be closer to eight. Once these are finished you will have to article for a year - this means finding an articling position. With foreign law degrees this is not an easy task. In Canada you have to do an undergrad degree before you take an LLB. When you only have your LLB degree (even with a Masters) this will make you less competitive with Canadian trained articling students. However, you will be paid while you article. For smaller firms in rural areas this could be about $30,000 CDN. Top firms in major cities, up to $80,000.

Once you article for a year you have to study and sit eight (I think) bar exams. If you have found an articling position with a decent firm, they will pay for these.

Obviously in Canada you will not have to make the decision to be either a solicitor or a barrister, as the profession is joined and when you pass the bar, you will become both.

The conversion process is expensive and time consuming. It could take you about a year in Canada (as the NCA may recommend you take some courses at a Canadian law school - not just allowing you the option of sitting the conversion exams) to get to the position where you can article. Your best bet may be checking out the accreditation program at the University of Toronto.

benway

mitzicat wrote: »

accreditation program at the University of Toronto.

Spotted this, thanks a lot. Nobody ever said it was going to be easy.

I don't suppose you'd happen to know if there'd be any decent prospect of picking up Legal Assistant type roles off the back of Irish qualifications and experience?

mitzicat

benway wrote: »

Spotted this, thanks a lot. Nobody ever said it was going to be easy.

I don't suppose you'd happen to know if there'd be any decent prospect of picking up Legal Assistant type roles off the back of Irish qualifications and experience?

You can check out this site:

http://www.paralegaljobs.ca/

However, I don't know why you'd want to stick yourself into a legal assistant position. Unless you mean legal advisor. Legal assistants do a two year college course and generally do the administrative tasks in a firm. It may be difficult to get such a position with Irish qualifications as they generally have to have a strong knowledge of the Canadian court system, Quicklaw, legal document drafting like factums and statements of claim. Fast typing skills. They spend a considerable portion of their time simply taking dictae from lawyers.

You could probably get a much higher position with your Irish law degree. Check out Canadian universities, banks (Scotiabank, CIBC, Royal Bank of Canada, Toronto Dominion) insurance companies and provincial and federal government websites. There's lots of areas you can work in with a law degree.

For example, here's the job site for the Ontario Public Service, if you're thinking of going around Toronto:

http://www.gojobs.gov.on.ca/Search.aspx

If you'd like to work with the non-profits in a legal/legal research capacity:

http://charityvillage.ca/

I would think if you looked into international law firms in Canada - those that advise people doing business in Europe you may also have an edge with your understanding of EU law. You should also look at Federal government departments like Minister of Trade.

A federal government job site for you:

http://jobs-emplois.gc.ca/index-eng.htm

I'm just saying do not limit yourself to working as a legal assistant in a firm. Even if you get a job that's not with a legal practice, you can always do your conversion exams/courses while working somewhere else. This won't hurt you either when it comes to applying for your articling positions.

benway

That's brilliant advice, thanks do much.

Jev/N

mitzicat wrote: »

You will have to do at least four exams. These are mandatory. The reality will probably be closer to eight. Once these are finished you will have to article for a year - this means finding an articling position. With foreign law degrees this is not an easy task. In Canada you have to do an undergrad degree before you take an LLB. When you only have your LLB degree (even with a Masters) this will make you less competitive with Canadian trained articling students. However, you will be paid while you article. For smaller firms in rural areas this could be about $30,000 CDN. Top firms in major cities, up to $80,000.

Once you article for a year you have to study and sit eight (I think) bar exams. If you have found an articling position with a decent firm, they will pay for these.

Obviously in Canada you will not have to make the decision to be either a solicitor or a barrister, as the profession is joined and when you pass the bar, you will become both.

The conversion process is expensive and time consuming. It could take you about a year in Canada (as the NCA may recommend you take some courses at a Canadian law school - not just allowing you the option of sitting the conversion exams) to get to the position where you can article. Your best bet may be checking out the accreditation program at the University of Toronto.

Any idea what the story is if already qualified?

mitzicat

Jev/N wrote: »

mitzicat wrote: »

You will have to do at least four exams. These are mandatory. The reality will probably be closer to eight. Once these are finished you will have to article for a year - this means finding an articling position. With foreign law degrees this is not an easy task. In Canada you have to do an undergrad degree before you take an LLB. When you only have your LLB degree (even with a Masters) this will make you less competitive with Canadian trained articling students. However, you will be paid while you article. For smaller firms in rural areas this could be about $30,000 CDN. Top firms in major cities, up to $80,000.

Once you article for a year you have to study and sit eight (I think) bar exams. If you have found an articling position with a decent firm, they will pay for these.

Obviously in Canada you will not have to make the decision to be either a solicitor or a barrister, as the profession is joined and when you pass the bar, you will become both.

The conversion process is expensive and time consuming. It could take you about a year in Canada (as the NCA may recommend you take some courses at a Canadian law school - not just allowing you the option of sitting the conversion exams) to get to the position where you can article. Your best bet may be checking out the accreditation program at the University of Toronto.

Any idea what the story is if already qualified?

I've heard before that if you have five years as a qualified barrister you can practice scross common law countries. I don't know if this is true. I've heard from one woman who had a JD from Harvard and years experience still had to go through the NCAA exams and sit the 8 bar exams. I don't think even being qualified here will get you out of that much. You have to do bar exams even if you just change provinces. The legal profession in Canada, as are most professions, is strictly regulated