4 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4 C A N A D I A N L a w y e r 4 S T U D E N T S
Y
ou have to be *#$?% kidding me!
at's likely the reaction most law students in Ontario had when in February they
got their invoices for the Law Society of Upper Canada's licensing process. ere was
sticker shock from having to pay almost $4,800 to get called to the bar in Ontario. Let's back
up a few years and get a little bit of history lesson here.
In 2006, the LSUC jettisoned the Bar Admission Course (which cost $4,400 at the time)
and instituted the new process that cost about $2,600. Here are few reasons given for the
change: the BAC was too expensive, it was too long, students had to move to one of three
centres in order to take it. So the eight or so exams following substantive law classes taught
by lawyers who actually practised in the eld was replaced with a ve-week skills and re-
sponsibilities program with assignments and assessments, and two licensing exams. Both
included the 10-month articling requirement.
So apparently the new system has not really worked. While most of the discussion about
licencsing has centred around the problems of nding those elusive articling positions, the
new Law Practice Program seems also to be built on the idea that students are coming out
of law school wholly unprepared to actually practise law.
While you will nd some people who thought the BAC was a bit of a time waster, you're
more likely to talk to lawyers who went through it and nd they actually learned a lot about
the realities of law practice by being taught, say real estate, by a lawyer (who volunteered
his or her time) with hands-on experience. e BAC may not have been perfect but it was
better than what came a erwards.
Now the LPP is taking it to another level. While it may be being sold as a solution to the
articling crisis, it's not going to x the problem with the licensing process. e LSUC actu-
ally had a pretty good thing going with the BAC and it could easily have built on that ex-
perience and bolted on a four-month work experience portion to provide now what seems
almost like another full year of law school under the LPP. Or the law society should make all
the law schools include a training portion in their curriculum as is the case with Lakehead's
new program.
e LPP is only a pilot program but looking at it pre-launch, it doesn't seem like it's much
of a step forward. And the high cost to all students, and the fairly likely scenario of creating
two tiers of new lawyers could make it a costly misstep.
— Gail J. Cohen
gail.cohen@thomsonreuters.com
A costly misstep?
The
editor
'
s desk
Director /Group Publisher:
Karen Lorimer
Editor in Chief: Gail J. Cohen
gail.cohen@thomsonreuters.com
Assistant Editor: Zachary Pedersen
zachary.pedersen@thomsonreuters.com
Staff Writer: Yamri Taddese
yamri.taddese@thomsonreuters.com
Copy Editor: Mallory Hendry
Art Director: Steve Maver
Account Co-ordinator:
Catherine Giles
Canadian Lawyer 4Students is published twice
a year by Thomson Reuters Canada Ltd. All rights
reserved. Contents may not be reprinted without
written permission. The opinions expressed in
articles are not necessarily those of the publisher.
Canadian Lawyer
4Students magazine
Thomson Reuters Canada Ltd.
One Corporate Plaza, 2075 Kennedy Rd.,
Toronto ON. M1T 3V4
Tel: (416) 298-5141
Fax: (416) 649-7870
E-mail: clb.cleditor@thomsonreuters.com
Web:
www.canadianlawyermag.com/4students
Registration #2261235
Publications Mail Agreement
#40766500
ISSN 1921-9911 Copyright © 2013
H.S.T. Registration #R121349799
Canadian Lawyer 4Students disclaims any warranty
as to the accuracy, completeness or currency
of the contents of this publication and disclaims
all liability in respect of the results of any action
taken or not taken in reliance upon information
in this publication.
Advertising Sales
Representatives
Legal Suppliers:
Kimberlee Pascoe
Tel: (416) 649-8875
E-mail: kimberlee.pascoe@thomsonreuters.com
Law Firms:
Karen Lorimer
Tel: (416) 649-9411
E-mail: karen.lorimer@thomsonreuters.com
Sales Co-ordinator:
Joseph Galea
Tel: (416) 649-9919
E-mail: joseph.galea@thomsonreuters.com
Grace So
Tel: (416) 609-9411
E-mail: grace.so@thomsonreuters.com
Steffanie Munroe
Tel: (416) 298-5077
E-mail: steffanie.munroe@thomsonreuters.com
4 STUDENTS
CONNECT WITH
Online every week at
canadianlawyermag.com/4students
Exclusive news and views from and for
students at Canadian law schools
CONNECT WITH
Online every week at
canadianlawyer
mag.com/4students
Exclusive news and views
from and for students at
Canadian law schools.
4 STUDENTS
Pad your wallet
WRITE FOR 4STUDENTS
It'll give you some variety on
your resumé and also $50 per
piece to help pad your wallet.
Contact editor Gail J. Cohen
with your ideas at
gcohen@clbmedia.ca
Tweet with
Canadian Lawyer
www.twitter.com/
canlawmag
Join our Facebook page
www.facebook.com/
4students
Like us on Facebook
facebook.com/4students
Tweet with
Canadian Lawyer
twitter.com/canlawmag
LEGAL FEEDS BLOG
Get your daily hit of
Canadian legal news
canadianlawyermag.com/legalfeeds
FEEDS
LEGAL
WRITE FOR 4STUDENTS
It'll give you some variety on
your resumé and also $50 per
piece to help pad your wallet.
Contact assistant editor
Zachary Pedersen with your ideas at
zachary.pedersen@thomsonreuters.com
PAD YOUR WALLET
LAW SCHOOL FUTURES
University of Alberta law dean
Philip Bryden focuses on the
future of legal education.
AB INITIO
Online columnist and 3L
Rebecca Lockwood explores
the ups and downs of life as a
law student.
4 STUDENTS
