Competencies for Entry to Legal Practice (CELP)

The Law Society has not yet implemented the CELP competencies. Articling students and principals do not need to take any action at this time.

Update: renaming WCCP as CELP

In 2024, the law societies of British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan developed the Western Canada Competency Profile (WCCP). After the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society joined the initiative, the profile was renamed Competencies for Entry to Legal Practice (CELP) to reflect its expansion beyond Western Canada.

About CELP

CELP defines the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to enter the practise law. Once implemented, it will set common entry-level standards across all practice areas and settings in all participating jurisdictions.

CELP includes 25 competencies grouped into seven domains:

Domain	Competencies
Ethics and Professional Responsibilities	1.1 Fulfill ethical obligations and abide by professional standards 1.2 Conduct oneself professionally 1.3 Respect the rights of all people to the equal protection and benefit of the law, and acknowledge the diversity of Canadian communities
Communication	2.1 Deliver clear and audience centric communications 2.2 Create quality legal documents 2.3 Communicate in a timely manner
Truth and Reconciliation	3.1 Understand the experiences of the Indigenous Peoples of Canada 3.2 Understand how reconciliation with the Indigenous Peoples of Canada can be incorporated into legal practice
Professional Relationship Management	4.1 Determine suitability of establishing lawyer-client relationship 4.2 Establish client relationships 4.3 Manage client relationships 4.4 Establish and maintain professional relationships 4.5 Demonstrate emotional intelligence
Critical Thinking and Analysis	5.1 Collect and evaluate all pertinent information 5.2 Conduct legal research 5.3 Perform legal analysis and develop strategy
Advice and Advocacy	6.1 Ascertain client goals and set expectations 6.2 Adopt client-centred approach 6.3 Provide legal advice 6.4 Represent client interests 6.5 Advocate effectively for client interests
Practice Management and Well-being	7.1 Support own well-being and that of others 7.2 Manage work activities and files 7.3 Use technology responsibly 7.4 Understand billing, accounting and finance

Each competency includes two to seven performance indicators describing how candidates demonstrate the required skills in practice. Explore the full CELP competencies by clicking the image below:

Benefits of CELP and competency-based learning

Competencies provides clear, consistent expectations for practice readiness, protecting the public interest by ensuring that every newly licensed lawyer meets rigorous, consistent professional standards.

Once implemented, CELP will be the foundation for:

the bar admission training course;
the articling program; and
alternative experiential learning options.

Aligning entry-level competency expectations across participating jurisdictions will support consistent professional development, improve the student experience, and facilitate cross-jurisdictional mobility for lawyers and students.

How CELP was developed

An advisory committee with representatives from the law societies of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba guided the CELP project and set its overall direction. The advisory committee established the CELP Task Force, bringing together practitioners, educators, Benchers, articling supervisors, and other interested parties from across the provinces.

The CELP Task Force engaged in extensive consultation, including focus groups and a 2023 validation survey, before drafting and refining the CELP framework.

On April 26, 2024, the Benchers of the Law Society of British Columbia and the governing bodies of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba approved the CELP framework. The Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society (NSBS) joined the initiative on September 18, 2026.

Implementation status

The participating CELP jurisdictions are working to finalize the implementation plans. Feedback from interested parties, operational requirements identified by the Canadian Centre for Professional Legal Education, and each jurisdiction’s regulatory context will inform the recommendations.

Thank you to everyone who has provided feedback on CELP implementation. We will publish a consolidated feedback report when it is available.

If you have questions, please email professionaldevelopment@lsbc.org.