Self-assessment

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Distance (on-line) education

If you earned your law degree through distance (online) education, please see section 7. (Mode of Study) of the NCA’s Policies. This policy outlines what we require for distance education.

If you took your law degree through distance education or a program that does not meet the interactive learning requirement, .you must successfully complete two (2) years of In-person instruction in a law Program acceptable to the NCA, in addition to any other requirements identified by the Executive Director. The two-year requirement will be reduced to one (1) year In-person if you hold a law degree from a program that provides two (2) years of Interactive Online Instruction. Interactive online instruction must be part of a program that consists of at least one year of in person instruction and must provide opportunities for students to develop legal problem solving and legal communications skills and include six of the eight criteria listed in NCA’s Policy at section 7.2, Interactive Learning Requirement. As part of your study, you must complete the following NCA mandatory Canadian subjects represented in bold with an asterisk. The subjects not represented in bold with an asterisk may be assigned:

• Canadian Administrative Law*
• Canadian Constitutional Law*
• Canadian Criminal Law*
• Foundations of Canadian Law*
• Canadian Professional Responsibility*
• NCA legal research and writing module with the Canadian Centre for Professional Legal Education (CPLED)
• Contracts
• Torts
• Property
• Business Organizations
• Family Law
• Remedies
• Evidence
• Civil Procedure
• Commercial Law
• Real Estate

NOTE: If you received instruction at a local learning centre, whether in-person or interactive, it will not be considered as meeting the interactive learning requirement and will not reduce the two-year in-person requirement in section 7.3.

Your options to meet the assignments

You could consider any one of the following three options to complete your two years of in-person instruction:

• Either one year of a course-based LL.M., plus a Legal Practice Course (LPC) or a Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) in England, Wales or Northern Ireland.
• Two one-year course-based LL.M. programs. If you choose this option, you could complete a course-based LL.M. at any approved law school in any common law jurisdiction.
• One two-year course-based LL.M. program.

To meet a one-year In-Person requirement, you could choose any of the following options:

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Distance (on-line) education and non-common law education

It seems you have studied in a non-common law country and that you have a distance degree. Please contact the NCA and we'll guide you through the steps you will need to complete with us.

Click here to learn more about the NCA Process.

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Mixed common law

If you earned your education and experience in a mixed jurisdiction that includes common law, we will consider the common law content of your programs and experience. We ask most graduates from a mixed jurisdiction to show they are competent in all eight core subjects.

• Canadian Administrative Law (mandatory)
• Canadian Constitutional Law (mandatory)
• Canadian Criminal Law (mandatory)
• Foundations of Canadian Law (mandatory)
• Canadian Professional Responsibility (mandatory)
• Contracts
• Torts
• Property

Legal research requirement

Click here to learn more about the process,

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Non-common law

We consider applicants from legal systems that do not have a substantial common law component, such as civil law, on a case-by-case basis. If you have no common law exposure (academic or professional), you are not likely to receive any recognition for your legal education and experience.

You can gain the required common law exposure by:

• taking an LL.M. program or by enrolling in individual courses
• being licensed as a lawyer, barrister or solicitor in a common law jurisdiction through successful completion of substantive course work or exams
• being certified as a paralegal or notary in a common law jurisdiction

In each case, the Executive Director has sole discretion to determine if some of the courses completed can satisfy requirements to proceed in the NCA assessment process

If you are enrolling in individual courses, once you successfully complete at least four common law subjects, the NCA will reconsider your file, as per NCA policy 15 (Assessment Reconsideration). We will then let you know which courses you still need to take to earn the NCA Certificate of Qualification.

Once you have the required exposure to common law, you can choose to satisfy the remaining subject requirements by writing NCA exams rather than taking law school courses, if you wish. Here is the NCA’s list of required subjects:

• Canadian Administrative Law (mandatory)
• Canadian Constitutional Law (mandatory)
• Canadian Criminal Law (mandatory)
• Foundations of Canadian Law (mandatory)
• Canadian Professional Responsibility (mandatory)
• Contracts
• Torts
• Property

Pre-approval for Law School Courses

Before you register for your courses, please have them approved by the NCA. For help, please see our Assistance for NCA students page. If you attend a Canadian law school, we will not require you to take a language test (each law school has their own language testing requirements). If you have any questions about the options available to you, please email us.

Legal research requirement

You can take other common law subjects – such as Family Law, Commercial Law or Remedies – to get exposure to common law concepts. However, you will need to show competency in the above eight subjects before we issue you with a Certificate of Qualification. You must complete the five mandatory Canadian subjects through an approved Canadian common law program or by NCA exam (only after you have successfully completed at least four law school courses).

Click here to learn more about the process

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Canadian Civil Law

If you hold a Canadian civil law degree – LL.B., LL.L., Diplôme d’études supérieures spécialisées en Common Law nord-américaine (DESS) program of the Université de Montréal or the Diplôme de deuxième cycle de common law et droit transnational (DDCCLDT) program of the Université de Sherbrooke – the NCA will give you full credit for the courses you completed in federal law. We will usually ask you to show competence in the following subjects:

• Contracts
• Torts
• Property
• Canadian Professional Responsibility (if not successfully completed during your Canadian civil law education)

If you completed a Canadian civil law degree and are licensed by the Barreau du Québec, the NCA will automatically issue you a Certificate of Qualification when we review your completed application.

Click here to learn more about the process

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Common law jurisdiction

Generally, the NCA assigns these five core common law subject areas to ALL applicants. Click on each subject to learn why it is mandatory:

• Canadian Administrative Law (mandatory)
• Canadian Constitutional Law (mandatory)
• Canadian Criminal Law (mandatory)
• Foundations of Canadian Law (mandatory)
• Canadian Professional Responsibility (mandatory)

Legal research requirement

NCA may also assign additional subjects as required based on your education and experience.

Click here to learn more about the process