Canadian law schools teach either the civil law system (mainly in Quebec) or the common law system. The civil law system followed in Quebec, stemming from the traditions of its first French colonizers, is based on the tradition of drafting specific and comprehensive laws that apply to all areas of private civil law in a civil code. Lawyers in the civil law system may be lawyers or notaries. Each role has its own educational and practical requirements. There are six law schools that teach civil law: After your law school, you`ll need to find an internship — this is a period of nine months to a year during which you`ll work for one or more law firms, government agencies, or nonprofit organizations in some sort of training. How does Western`s personal statement differ from the requirements of the past? School profiles in LSAC`s Official Young Women in Canada Program Guide provide information on admission requirements, special programs, financial aid and more. Each page also contains a link to the school`s website. Canadian lawyers must apply to the state in which they wish to practise and pass the bar exam. Each state has its own bar eligibility rules, so you`ll need to decide where you want to live and work. Some jurisdictions, such as New York State, would allow an internationally trained attorney to practice, as long as they earn a certain number of credits at an American Bar Association-approved law school for at least one year. Often, Canadian law graduates will earn a Master of Laws degree. Graduation to meet the bar examination requirements. Your first year of law includes general courses such as constitutional law, property law, contract law, and criminal law.

This is where your bachelor`s degree in police or criminology would help you excel. During your second and third year, you will have the opportunity to choose more specialized courses based on your areas of interest. You will also participate in a mock experiment and write several lengthy research papers. In Canada, obtaining a law degree alone is not sufficient to allow a candidate to practise law (i.e., work as a lawyer). To be called to the bar in one of Canada`s provinces or territories, you must also take and pass the provincial bar examinations and: In Canada, the French civil law tradition is widespread in Quebec and the English common law tradition is widespread in the other provinces and territories. To practice law in Quebec, it is generally necessary to obtain a civil law degree from a law school in Quebec or from the civil law program at the University of Ottawa. In order to practice law in common law jurisdictions, it is generally necessary to obtain a degree from one of the common law schools mentioned on this site. Canada has a number of so-called mobility agreements that have greatly facilitated the temporary or permanent mobility of lawyers between provincial jurisdictions.

More detailed information on the protocols and requirements for the practice of the law can be obtained from the law societies of the various provinces. Canadian law schools do not list their job numbers on their websites, so an applicant must contact a school or its alumni to determine job prospects. Candidates who intend to practice in Quebec must obtain a law degree from a law school in Quebec. Applicants from Quebec who wish to practise English common law must attend a law school in another province or region. Three national mobility agreements between Canadian Bar associations govern the practice of lawyers across provincial and territorial borders. For those looking to earn a law degree in Canada, the good news is that it is possible. There are many Canadian law schools and most of them allow international students to enroll. However, before considering this, individuals should focus on what you are going to learn. Because Indigenous Canadians have traditionally been under-represented in the legal field, some law schools have a separate category of Indigenous and Indigenous people with different application requirements. Other categories you may encounter are the discretionary category (candidates with special factors in their background, such as age, financial hardship, disability or membership in a historically disadvantaged group), the individual category of consideration (older applicants or those who have encountered barriers in their education), adults (candidates with five or more years of work experience) and access (candidates who have a systematic or socio-economic inequality Barriers in education). These additional categories may also have different application requirements, such as RLs or medical reports. The Admissions Committee may, in its sole discretion, respond taking into account these particular factors.

If you are a graduate of U.S. law school and wish to become a lawyer in Canada, you must apply for accreditation with the Federation of Law Societies of Canada and obtain the appropriate visa. The association will review your education and work experience to determine if you are qualified to practice in the country. If you are considered qualified, you must meet the other requirements to become a lawyer in Canada. If you practice law in the United States, you may be able to waive the articling requirement. But any major can lead to a law degree. “Law is special in that any degree can work,” says Eden. “I enjoy spending time with students and discussing the transferable skills they have learned in their program. When choosing a major, Eden advises, “Ask yourself what will bring you joy? I understand the need to be a competitive candidate, but you`ll do better if you enjoy the courses you take! Since graduating in Medieval Studies, I had an excellent foundation in critical thinking, research, and writing. It really helped law school read a lot, write, go through a lot of information, and synthesize it quickly. Christina Cameletti is an award-winning real estate lawyer in Guelph.

She graduated from Université Saint-Jérôme with a degree in medieval studies and a specialization in history. “When I was 25, I decided I wanted to be a lawyer,” says Christina. “I had been working for three years to keep up with youth labour market trends and started thinking about my own skills and opportunities. At university, I saw what law students were doing and I thought, “This is not for me!” But law school was what I needed at this later stage of my life. Each path is a little different. The next step to becoming a Canadian lawyer is law school.