Changes to Admission Requirements and Start Dates in New Bar Admission Program

May 15, 2020

With the new Bar admission program launching this year through the Canadian Centre for Professional Legal Education (CPLED), we want to remind you of some changes and new key dates for students to register and start the program.

Under the previous program, articling students started their Bar admission program in August, but in the new Practice Readiness Education Program (PREP) students can begin as early as June 1, 2020.

Registration for PREP is now open and students are encouraged to register as early as possible to select their desired schedule. Once registered, students can begin phase one, the Foundation Modules when the materials are released to get a head start on PREP. Or, they can wait and follow the more rigorous schedule.

“Encouraging your students to begin their PREP studies as soon as possible will allow them to build on their foundational knowledge, making them more productive and efficient during their articles,” says Dr. Kara Mitchelmore, CEO of CPLED.

For those students who have yet to secure articles, CPLED has changed its admission requirements for the June and December 2020 intakes of PREP. Students with a Canadian common law degree or Certificate of Qualification (CQ) from the Federation of Law Societies of Canada may now register and complete PREP without secured articles. This change provides students with an opportunity to complete their Bar admission program without delay. As well, it allows students to develop the necessary competencies and practice lawyer skills within PREP which they can apply immediately when they begin their articles.

During these difficult times, law firms and organizations are still encouraged to do their part in training the next generation of lawyers by hiring articling students. This decision was not intended to hinder firms from hiring articling students but rather to help students who are having a difficult time finding an articling position continue on their path to becoming a lawyer.

Registration for the June 2020 intake of PREP closes on Friday, June 26 and students must begin their PREP studies no later than Tuesday, June 30.