Becoming a Principal
A principal is generally the most influential person in the life of an articling student. A principal will often play many roles during the articling year: mentor, role model, manager, counsellor and friend. A principal’s level of involvement throughout a student’s articles will often correlate directly with the student’s success, both in the office and in the bar admission process.
Principals, students and bar admissions staff work toward a common goal – to provide students with the skills and knowledge necessary to competently serve the public upon admission to the practice of law in Saskatchewan.
The Law Society of Saskatchewan regulates who can act as a principal (Rule 704).
A lawyer seeking to act as a principal must complete and submit to the Law Society the Application to Act as Principal (Form A-17). In order to be approved as a principal, the lawyer must be currently practising full-time in Saskatchewan and have practised in Saskatchewan for at least the past five consecutive years. The lawyer must also meet the requirements of Subrule 729(2). The Law Society has the discretion to approve a lawyer to act as a principal who does not meet the qualifications stated in Rule 704, but who satisfies the Law Society that he or she is suitable to act as a principal (Subrule 704(6)). Please note that Rule 704 requires a principal to receive prior approval to take an articling student.
Effective March 12, 2021, as a temporary pandemic impact measure for students seeking articling positions, the Law Society is lifting the restriction set out in subrule 704(4) to permit members to act as a principal to two students-at-law at the same time. This temporary measure will be available for the duration of the 2021-2022 articling term. Principals interested in taking a second articling student will be asked to provide supporting information on how they plan to appropriately accommodate and supervise two students. For more information, please contact the Law Society at bar.admissions@lawsociety.sk.ca.