You’re a foreign-trained lawyer considering a move to Canada and want to understand the process of qualifying to practice law there.

To become a lawyer in Canada, you must apply to the National Committee on Accreditation (“The NCA”) for an assessment, which will outline the requirements you need to fulfil for accreditation. The current (2025) application fee is $500 CAD plus applicable taxes.

As part of your application, you must submit:

• Official transcripts sent directly from your law school as well as any other undergraduate or graduate transcripts.

• A certificate of good standing from your legal regulatory body (if applicable).

• An official copy of transcripts from your legal regulatory body for any required examinations (if applicable).

• An updated résumé or curriculum vitae in your application that details your education and both legal and non-legal work experience (if applicable).

The NCA only accepts official law school transcripts and letters of good standing that are sent directly by the issuing law school or organization. If your law school cannot send your official transcripts via post or courier, they may use a secure document-sharing service and send them to Transcripts@flsc.ca. You can find a list of acceptable services here.

If any of your documents are not in English or French, you must include an exact translation into either French or English by a translator.

After The NCA receives your completed file, processing will take approximately 4–6 weeks.

Once you receive your assessment, you must fulfil the outlined requirements through one of the following options:

1. Writing NCA-administered exams, which include at least five mandatory subjects in addition to a legal research and writing course.

2. Completing prescribed courses at a Canadian law school.

3. Earning a Canadian common law degree.

The last two options require applying to Canadian law schools, which is a highly competitive process.

You must complete your NCA requirements within five years of receiving your assessment. Once completed, the NCA will provide a Certificate of Qualification to both you and the Canadian Law Society of your chosen province, enabling you to start the bar admissions licensing process.

(The above information is only applicable to all Canadian provinces other than Quebec. The process for becoming a licenced lawyer in Quebec is different and you should consult Barreau du Quebec for information on their licensing process.)

If you have any questions about the qualificaiton process in Canada, do not hesitate to contact NCA Tutor, we’d be happy to assist you along your licensing journey.