Likely assessment result
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 obtain common law education through an LL.M. program or by taking individual courses. Our eight core subjects are listed below. Before you enrol in a Canadian law school program of courses, make sure that the NCA approves them. To help, we invite you to read about the Canadian law school programs that offer NCA approved subjects.
Once you have completed at least four common law subjects, we can review your file. Then we can let you know which courses you still need to show competence in for an NCA Certificate of Qualification. At that point, you can choose to take NCA exams rather than attend law school courses, if you wish.
If you get your common law training through a Canadian law school, we will not require you to take a language test (each law school has its own language test).
You may also complete a program of courses in a law school in another common law jurisdiction; for example, a Graduate Diploma in Law in England, or an LL.M. for Foreign Trained Lawyers in the United States. If you choose this option, you will need to complete the five mandatory Canadian subjects by writing NCA examinations or completing NCA approved subjects in a Canadian law school.
Click here to learn more about the process