How Can You Become A Lawyer in Canada?

Being a lawyer in Canada is a tedious task. You need to collect a lot of requirements before, during, and even after your studies. This is most especially true if you are from another country, and you aren’t very familiar with how you can achieve the title in Canada. However, this doesn’t mean that you should just give up on your dream nor stop working and studying in order to be a lawyer. Keep in mind that the average salary of lawyers in Canada amounts to around $90,000, which is one of the top-paid ones globally, and the said country’s economy just boosts the convincing factors of majoring in the said field. If you’re interested in being a lawyer in Canada, then refer to the following sections. We have provided the specific steps that you should do in order to reach the title in a proper timeline, even if you plan to work in a lawyer firm in Red Deer.

Not only that, but you may also be deprived of your social life and financial capabilities in the process. This is most especially true if you are from another country, and you aren’t very familiar with how you can achieve the title in Canada.

However, this doesn’t mean that you should just give up on your dream nor stop working and studying in order to be a lawyer. 

Keep in mind that the average salary of lawyers in Canada amounts to around $90,000, which is one of the top-paid ones globally. The said country’s economy just boosts the convincing factors of majoring in the said field.

If you’re interested in being a lawyer in Canada, then refer to the following sections. We have provided the specific steps that you should do in order to reach the title in a proper timeline:

#1: Complete your pre-law degree.

Before you can specialize in a law degree, you first need to have your undergraduate course completed. This is required by Canadian law schools in order to be eligible for their academic curriculum. 

More often than not, any course under BS (Bachelor of Science) or BA (Bachelor of Arts) will be accepted. This is as long as you have completed at least 90 credit hours or 3 years worth of academic credibility. Most also don’t mind if the pre-law degree is completed outside of Canada.

Of course, you should still keep in mind that requirements vary from school to school. It will save you more time if you check a law school’s standards beforehand.

#2: Pass the LSATs (Law School Admission Test).

Once you have an eligible pre-law degree, you should now enter, take, and pass the LSATs. This stands for the Law School Admission Test, and is required before you can be accepted into any law school in Canada. 

Basically, no matter how good your performance is from your pre-law course, it won’t mean anything if you haven’t passed the said examination yet.

The LSAT is held four times in a year. This means that you will have many chances of adhering to the requirement.

Note, though, that this won’t be easy if you don’t prepare beforehand. If you have the budget, consider attending review classes that specifically target the LSATs. Alternatively, you can always access free study resources from online sites and physical libraries.

#3: Attend and finish your law degree in one of Canada’s law schools.

As soon as you have all your requirements and you’re fully qualified to be a law school student, you can now attend and finish your law degree in Canada. This is probably the most exciting yet tiring part of the process towards becoming a lawyer. 

The good thing about studying in Canada is you have a lot of choices for law schools. As of the present, there are 24 professional and top-rated law schools that you can look into. 

You need to complete your full law degree in any of the said schools to obtain a certification of completion for Juris Doctor and Bachelor of Law programs.

#4: Pass the bar exam for lawyers.

The last step to becoming a lawyer in Canada is to pass the bar exam. You will only be qualified for this if you have earned your law degree. The whole process will depend on what province you will take the exam on, so make sure to get acquainted with the respective venue beforehand. You can do this by simply coordinating with the law society in your school.

Summary

Being a lawyer is hard. Don’t expect this task to be a piece of cake, no matter if you’re applying in Canada or in any other country. 

The only thing that you can do is to ensure that you’re following the proper timeline with the right skills sets and requirements. Combine this with an exemplary academic performance, and you’ll be one of the top lawyers in Canada in no time.

If you haven’t processed your migration yet, then this should be your topmost priority before worrying about how your studies will go through. Keep in mind that you will need a certain type of visa depending on whether your only plan is to study or work on the side. To make this process more efficient, consider contacting Canadian immigration lawyers Total Law. Their professionals will surely put you at a higher leverage.