Licensing

Becoming licensed in BC for the first time

The Law Society serves the public interest by regulating the integrity and competence of the legal profession in BC. 

To apply to the Law Society for first call and admission you must first meet the academic qualification – a Canadian common law degree or a Certificate of Qualification issued by the National Committee on Accreditation, with rare exceptions: Rule 2-54(2).

Next, the Law Society will assess whether you meet the good character, fitness and repute requirement in s.19 of the Legal Profession Act. 

Once the good character, fitness and repute requirement is satisfied, you must show that you are competent to practice. For first call and admission, there are two main components:

1. nine months of supervised practical experience, which may be an articling term, a judicial clerkship, or a combination of the two; and
2. the Practice Readiness Education Program, or PREP, which is the Law Society’s approved bar admission training course. 

You must complete your pre-admission components and submit your call and admission application package within your 24-month admission period. The admission period is the time between the earlier of your articling start date or training program start date, and the date you apply for call and admission, and must not exceed 24 months: Rule 2-76 (0.1) and (0.2).