Becoming a Lawyer in Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan CPLED Bar Admissions Program
Applying for the CPLED Bar Admissions
Program
CPLED is the acronym for the Canadian Centre for Professional
Legal Education. CPLED is an organization formed by the Law
Societies of Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Alberta to better meet the
needs of the legal profession and the public in relation to the
articling process and the licensing of new lawyers. It was
developed after extensive research, planning and cooperation
between the three provinces.
In addition to other Law Society
requirements, students seeking admission to the Saskatchewan
Bar must successfully complete the CPLED Bar Admissions
Program.
Registration for the CPLED Program
(Rule 159)
Students must submit the following to The Law Society of
Saskatchewan:
- A completed Saskatchewan CPLED Program
Registration Form;
- the CPLED Program Fee; and
- a recent photo of yourself (passport photo is
recommended).
Fees for the Saskatchewan CPLED
Program
The Program Fee is payable when you register for the Program;
please see the Bar Admissions Calendar
for this year's deadlines. Any Program Fee received after the
deadline will be subject to the Late Fee of $150 plus GST.
The CPLED Bar Admissions Program
All inquiries about the Saskatchewan CPLED Program should be
directed to The Law Society of Saskatchewan - Bar Admissions
Office.
Funding
The Law Society and the Law Foundation of Saskatchewan fund the
Saskatchewan CPLED Program in approximately equal amounts.
The Saskatchewan CPLED Program fees account for only a portion of
the cost of the Program.
The Goal of the Program
The CPLED Program is the licensing process for
students-at-law. The CPLED Program, in combination with the
articling process in a law firm, court or organization, provides
the basis for determining whether a student-at-law has met the
requirements and qualifications to be admitted as a practicing
lawyer by the Law Society. The Program builds on the training
and education obtained through a law degree and helps develop and
assess the skills necessary to competently serve the public upon
admission to the practice of law in Saskatchewan.
The goal of the Program is that students achieve competence in
the basic areas that are likely to be encountered in a general
practice in Saskatchewan at the level of a first year lawyer. In
addition, the Program aims to ensure students recognize and
understand a lawyer's ethical responsibilities.
Focus of Instruction
The emphasis of the CPLED Program is on building and assessing
the skills that research has shown are essential for a lawyer in
the first five years of practice. Students will be expected
to develop the skills necessary for the practice of law and
demonstrate appropriate application of the law by solving the
problems of 'virtual' clients. These problems will expose
students to a number of typical practice activities based on fact
scenarios designed to assess students' knowledge and understanding
of various substantive areas of law.
Throughout the Program students will be required to identify,
analyze and resolve legal and ethical problems in a manner that is
consistent with appropriate professional attitudes and
conduct. Students will be required to display ethically sound
judgment and professionalism throughout the Program.
The skills in the CPLED Program are based on the Competency
Profile adopted by the Benchers of the Law Society in December
2001. Students will be required to demonstrate competency in
each of the following skills areas:
Drafting Wills
Legal Research and Writing
Practice Management
Interviewing and Advising
Written Advice and Advocacy |
Drafting Litigation
Pleadings
Drafting Contracts
Negotiation
Oral Advocacy
Ethics and Professionalism |
Structure of the CPLED Program
The CPLED Program consists of twenty weeks of online learning
divided into a series of online modules. In addition, there are
three one-week modules which take place in a classroom setting
("face-to-face"). Content of the modules is common across Alberta,
Saskatchewan and Manitoba, however, there will be slight variations
due to substantive law and procedural issues unique to each
province. There will be additional subject matter specific to the
province in which you are taking the CPLED Program provided during
the face-to-face sessions.
Online Modules
During the online modules, students will read materials and
prepare Assignments and Competency Evaluations that will be
submitted online. Students will participate in these modules while
working at their articles.
The Assignments will give students an opportunity to practice
the skills they are learning and are designed to help them prepare
for the Competency Evaluations. An online "Learning Group
Facilitator" will review the Assignments and provide each student
with feedback that will help them improve their performance of the
skill.
Students and their principal should discuss the student's
schedule to ensure that they have some time during regular office
hours to participate in the online modules. During online modules
articling students will spend 10-15 hours a week on the CPLED
Program. They may need more time when the area of law or skill is
new to them.
Face-to-Face Modules
During the three face-to-face modules, the instructors will
introduce students to the essential elements of each skill that
they will be learning. In class students will have the opportunity
to discuss and practice these skills and receive feedback on your
performance. There are no written Assignments or written Competency
Evaluations during the face-to-face sessions.
Instead, students will be required to demonstrate competency in
the following areas: Oral Advocacy, Interviewing and
Negotiation.
Face-to-face modules are each one-week long. The first and last
face-to-face modules are held in Saskatoon while the second
face-to-face module is held in Regina (locations to be announced).
During face-to-face modules, sessions are generally scheduled from
8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday. Please refer to the Bar
Admissions Calendar for additional details.
Assignments and Competency Evaluations
(Rule 160)
Students are required to prepare and submit original work
according to the instructions provided and within established
timelines. Assignments and Competency Evaluations will be assessed
as "Competency Demonstrated" (CD) or "Competency Not Yet
Demonstrated" (CNYD). The criteria that will be applied to assess
whether competency has been demonstrated is based upon the
Competency Profile.
Students must demonstrate competency on all Assignments and
Competency Evaluations in order to successfully complete the
program. Students are required to resubmit assignments during the
module if they receive a CNYD. Students are required to complete a
Supplemental Competency Evaluation if a standing of CNYD is
attained on a Competency Evaluation. All Supplemental Competency
Evaluations are scheduled at the end of the CPLED Bar Admissions
Program. These requirements are subject to the rules and policies
of The Law Society of Saskatchewan and the Saskatchewan CPLED
Program and are outlined in the Program Handbook.
Please refer to the Module Schedule for
information regarding the dates and deadlines of the assignments
and competency evaluations.
Materials
As a component of the Saskatchewan CPLED Program, students will
receive access to a comprehensive set of procedural and
substantive resource materials in addition to materials specific to
the module content. Students will be able to download and print
these materials through their own computer.
The Saskatchewan CPLED Program Resource Materials are included
in the online materials. However, if students wish to purchase a
complete set of Saskatchewan CPLED Program Resource Materials in
hard copy, please indicate this in the appropriate section of the
Registration Form. Students will be invoiced for these upon receipt
of the materials. If you are not currently enrolled in the
CPLED Program and wish to order a set of the Saskatchewan CPLED
Resource Materials, use the CPLED Bar Course
Materials Order Form.
During the program students will be referring to the materials
published by The Law Society of Saskatchewan, including:
The Program Handbook
The Program Handbook is the source for the
rules, administrative policies and requirements set by the Law
Society for students in the Saskatchewan CPLED Program.
Please read through the Handbook carefully; students are asked to
retain it as a reference throughout the Program.
