If you are an internationally trained lawyer or graduate and would like to practice law in Alberta, there are steps to follow:

1. The National Committee on Accreditation (NCA) Process – If you do not have a Canadian common law degree, you must have your degree evaluated by the National Committee on Accreditation (NCA). The NCA is a standing committee of the Federation of Law Societies of Canada with a primary mandate of protecting the public interest by assessing the legal education and profession experience of individuals who obtained their credentials outside Canada or in a Canadian civil law program. A national uniform standard is applied to each applicant and the qualification process varies dependent on additional NCA Exams or courses, which may be required. The NCA is a separate entity to the Law Society so please direct any questions you may have to their office.
2. Law Society Student-at Law Enrolment Process – Once you have met the requirements for the NCA and they have sent the Certificate of Qualification to the Law Society, you must apply for student-at-law status with the Law Society. You will need to complete the articling process. This involves finding a lawyer to article with for a one year period. In addition, students-at-law must complete CPLED’s PREP program, which is a six-month bar admission course that can be completed at the same time as your articles. CPLED is run by the Legal Education Society of Alberta (LESA) and all documentation can be found on their website.
3. Law Society Member Enrolment Process – Following completion of articling and PREP, you can apply to become a member of the Law Society.

December 13, 2016 Webinar

Law Society of Alberta Articles

Beginning Again: Internationally Trained Lawyers
Christine’s Story
Christiana’s Story
Nick’s Story