Setting up the articling term

How to calculate a nine-month articling term

Both the Law Society Rules (Rules) and the Interpretation Act s. 25.3 – 25.5 apply here.

Unless it has been reduced, the requirement is for an articled term “for a period of not less than nine months”: Rule 2-59(1) . The clerk requirement is the same: Rule 2-76(a.1)
Months are calculated from a day in one month to a day numerically corresponding to that day in the following month, ignoring inequality of days in the months. For example: January 1 to October 1 = “nine months”.
Where, as here, the requirement is “not less than” a number of months, you exclude the last day. For example: an articling term from January 1 to September 30 = “not less than nine months”.
If an articling term start day or end day falls on a holiday, that day will fall on the next day that is not a holiday. For example, the articling term in 3. would fall short of “not less than nine months” if September 30 is a statutory holiday. Changing September 30 to October 1 would meet the requirement.
Days not worked because of vacation, leave of absence, or attending PREP must be added to the articling term you have calculated: Rule 2.59(3)

Vacation time

Rule 2-59 - A student may take up to ten (10) working days of vacation during their articling term, at the principal’s discretion. Vacation time taken is not included when calculating the nine months of the articling term.

Leaves of absence

Rule 2-69 - A student may take leaves of absence totalling up to 22 working days during the articling term as long as: (a) the principal consents; and (b) the student notifies the Registration & Licensee Services Department at registration@lsbc.org. Leave taken is not included when calculating time worked during the articling term.

For leaves of absence totalling more than 22 days, including medical leave and maternity/parental leave, students must submit a written application to the Law Society at registration@lsbc.org. If the leave will make the student ineligible for call and admission within their 24-month admission period, the application will be referred to the Credentials Committee for a decision.

Part-time articles

Articled students may complete some or all their articling term on a part-time basis: Rule 2-62. The part-time articling term must be for a continuous period. The student must complete the part-time articling term and the training course within their admission period – i.e. the 24 months immediately preceding the date of their application for call and admission: Rule 2-76.

To determine the length of the part-time term, calculate the total duration based on the standard equivalent of eight (8) hours per day over the standard nine months (unless reduced): Rule 2-59.

How to apply for part-time articles

If applying at the articling enrolment stage, ensure that the Articling Agreement includes the proposed start date, end date, and modified working hours. This information can be included in the space provided on the form for the articling term dates (e.g., “Jan 4, 2027 to Dec 10, 2027, 9am to 3pm daily or 30 hours per week”) or attached on a separate sheet with details of the proposed arrangement.

If applying after enrolment, submit a revised Articling Agreement with the proposed part-time arrangements as set out above.

Remote articles

Rule 2-59 requires an articled student to work in the office of their principal for not less than nine months. “In the office” in this rule means being physically present in the same office. As a result, remote articling arrangements are not permitted, except in exceptional situations and only with specific permission from the Law Society.

Please note that we do not consider working remotely on an occasional and/or ad hoc basis, such as for 1-2 days per month, to be a “remote articling arrangement”.

If you and your principal would like to propose a remote articling arrangement, prepare a written request signed by both of you with full details what you propose and why. Submit it to CredentialsLicensing@lsbc.org with your articling application or at any time during your articling term.

Secondments

A secondment is when an articled student spends time away from their principal to work in the office of another lawyer qualified to be principal. Often, secondments are a way to gain supervised experience in practice areas unfamiliar to the primary principal.

With their principal’s consent, a student may complete one or more secondments during their articling term, provided the total duration of all secondments does not exceed eight (8) weeks.

Secondments totalling more than eight weeks require the Law Society’s permission: Rule 2-66(1). The student should email Credentials & Licensing Department with the proposed dates and the details of the secondary principal: CredentialsLicensing@lsbc.org

Other employment

Rule 2-68 prohibits articled students from accepting other employment—i.e., employment with anyone other than their principal’s firm or a person to whom their articles are seconded – during their articling term without prior Law Society approval.

To seek approval for other work or activities, students must submit a written request to Credentials & Licensing Department at CredentialsLicensing@lsbc.org confirming:

the nature of the other work;
that the work will be performed outside normal office hours and will not interfere with your articling commitments; and
your principal’s consent to the request.