UK Lawyer Moving to Canada
 

Hi - this is my first post - thought I would give it a try and see if anyone can help.

I'm a solicitor here in England having qualified in August 2014 although I am not currently practising.

For some time now I have been interested in retraining and moving to either the US or Canada.

I think from what I have read so far, Canada would be the easiest of the two.

I am only in the middle of researching what I need to do regarding the NCAs and I will be submitting my application shortly.

I am wondering if anyone has any helpful information on this, particularly from Canadian lawyers who have knowledge of this or ideally any other English lawyers who have gone through the process and are currently practising in Canada.

Many thanks,

Re: UK Lawyer Moving to Canada
 

There was a long thread on this topic recently. Try searching on NCA or shyster or backwards through the posts of AlmostCanadian.

Re: UK Lawyer Moving to Canada
 

I am an English solicitor in Canada. I'm in house and was sent on secondment. Can't call myself a lawyer here so I'm a contracts specialist. I'm planning a side-step into financial crime compliance rather than doing the NCA while we have a child on the way.

Re: UK Lawyer Moving to Canada
 

There are lots of posts about this and, if you do a search, you will find them.

It is a relatively painless process (the exams are very easy compared to what you had to do for your LL.B./L.P.C.) but it is quite expensive and time consuming.

I went through the NCA application process 9 years ago and it has changed quite a bit since then.

Feel free to PM me if you require further assistance.

Thank you for your replies so far. I will have a look through previous posts.

Almost Canadian - are you currently practising in Canada?

Re: UK Lawyer Moving to Canada
 

Yes

In Calgary, Alberta

Re: UK Lawyer Moving to Canada
 

does anyone know of a recent thread about Canadians coming back to Canada from studying law in the UK?

Almost Canadian: I see you posted on this in 2005. how long did the process take you and does it compare to a Canadian doing the same thing? Have you met anyone personally that has done this and ended up practicing in Canada?

Thanks

Re: UK Lawyer Moving to Canada
 

I know of at least one Judge in Canada that was a Canadian that obtained his LL.B. from Cardiff and then returned to Canada. I have lost count of the number of Canadians I have met that obtained their LL.B. in England/Wales and that are now practising in Calgary. As far as I am aware, they don't get any bonus points from the NCA for being Canadian and are assessed the same as anyone else with a non-Canadian law degree.

IIRC I received one set of the recommend texts 6 weeks before the first 2 exams I wrote. I had a bit more lead in time prior to writing the second 3 exams I had to write. I didn't find any of them particularly difficult even though, as a Brit, the Federal/Provincial jurisdiction issue was somewhat alien to me.

The Alberta Bar exam is, compared to the LPC, very easy.

When I went through the NCA process they only permitted people to write exams in August and January of each year. I arrived the January of one year, wrote some exams the following August, wrote the remainder the following January, started my Articles in, IIRC, the May of the same year, finished the Bar course in the March (I believe, it was a 6 month course) of the following year, and was called to the Bar in July of that same year. So, from arriving in the country to qualifying, it took me 2 years 6 months. I didn't apply to the NCA until I was in country and having to obtain all manner of documents from organisations in England took some time.

HTH

Re: UK Lawyer Moving to Canada
 

Thanks for the timeline, Almost Canadian. That is very helpful. I have been accepted to both Canadian and UK law schools, and am trying to do a cost/benefit analysis of both. The schools in the UK seem to rank better internationally than the schools I got into in Canada and I am looking for a unique experience like going oversees, but if I come back to Canada one day, I want to know that it is realistic to eventually practice. It seems that even just in Calgary there is people that have taken this avenue and have made something of it. I am also from Calgary.

I am thinking of staying in the UK for a couple years to work. Do you know of how difficult it is for Canadians/internationals to get trainee contracts in the UK?

As well, how difficult was it for you to find an article position? Seems that is the most difficult aspect.

Sorry for all the questions, but after all of my research I am still looking for a more personal account of the process, hurdles, and realistic opportunities.

Thanks, again.

Re: UK Lawyer Moving to Canada
 

Almost Canadian: I just found a thread that detailed your articling. Just missed it the first time. Happy it worked out so well. And quick.

Re: UK Lawyer Moving to Canada
 

Take a look at the Canada Law Abroad website - it's rather helpful.

As far as I recall one must write 4 or 5 challenge exams set by the NCA, followed by the relevent bar exam(s) and then find an articling position. All-in-all a rather time consuming (and expensive!) process and one which I'm not overly keen to embark on myself.

I arrived in Canada a few weeks ago and looking for jobs. Paralegs are paid far better here than they are at home (for example roughly £25k-£40k) so that's always an option.

Like another poster above, I have experience working in financial/regulatory compliance so that's an avenue that I'm exploring - although here in Vancouver those types of jobs seem few and far between!

As an aside, have a look into California and New York - both states recognise the England/Wales law degree and only require you to sit their bar exam. However, getting a visa in the states is VERY difficult which resulted in me coming to Canada instead.

Re: UK Lawyer Moving to Canada
 

Remember, in some provinces paralegal is a protected designation like solicitor is in the uk. Bonkers.

If you were a Canadian/Australian solicitor in London, they put the words (Australian qualified) next to your name in the website and you write the transfer exam when you can be bovvered. When I phone our top corporate firms in London, I might as well have called the set of Neighbours, chances of hearing an Australian accent.

In England and Wales there is a list of things you cannot do without being a sol - administering probate, conveyancing, standing up in court (in any case for money or reward and the list now badly eroded by reforms). In b.c. There is the same list, no reforms and add to the end 'give legal advice'. Registered foreign lawyers here must give an understanding asking not to advise on BC law.

'Playing at being a lawyer' in Canada is much much more difficult in Canada than the uk.