Canada

" General Introduction
Admission to a Law Society
Foreign Lawyers
Members in good standing
Discipline and Conduct of Members
Continuing Legal Education (CLE)
Trust Funds
List of Canadian Law Societies

General introduction
The legal profession in Canada is governed by the laws, rules and regulations of the law society of which a lawyer is a member. There are 14 law societies in Canada, one for each of the 10 provinces and one for each of the 3 territories. The province of Québec has 2 law societies, thereby respecting the civil law tradition from France that governs the province. The Chambre des notaires du Québec governs the notarial profession within Québec, while the Barreau du Québec governs the lawyers. The other Canadian provinces and territories are governed by the common law tradition from England. Each law society is established by statute of the legislative assembly of its province or territory. The governing body of the legal profession in each of the common law jurisdiction is called a "law society" in every jurisdiction except in Nova Scotia where it is called a Barristers' Society.

Each law society is administered by a board of directors, generally known as Benchers or Members of Council. Benchers and Members of Council meet on a regular basis, usually monthly, bi-monthly or other. The benchers govern the affairs of the law society. The main responsibilities of the law societies include admissions to practice as lawyers within their society, the setting of professional standards for the legal profession, professional liability insurance, and the discipline of their members.

Each law society has a professional and support staff, headed by a Chief Executive Officer, Executive Director or Secretary. The staff varies from society to society, ranging from one staff person at the Law Society of Yukon to approximately 300 staff persons at the Law Society of Upper Canada (Ontario).
Admission to a Law Society
Generally speaking, an applicant as a student-at-law (also called "student member", "articled student" depending on the province or territory) in a Canadian law society must provide documentation which establishes that he or she is the holder of a law degree from a recognised Canadian university, typically a 3 year LL.B. degree, or a 3 year civil law degree if the student applies at the Barreau du Québec or the Chambre des notaires du Québec.

In order to be admitted as a student in a Canadian law school, the applicant will most likely be required to hold an undergraduate degree, typically a recognised 4 year Bachelor degree. Therefore, the person who applies for membership in a Canadian law society has usually studied for a minimum of 7 years and has obtained 2 university degrees. The civil law faculties of the province of Québec do not require that the applicant hold a Bachelor degree for admission as a student.

As a student-at-law of a law society, he or she will complete an articling period, and will complete the governing body's professional legal training course of the province, including examinations. Both the articling period and the examination process vary from province to province.

Upon successful completion of the articling period and of the examination process of the law society, the student-at-law can apply for membership in the law society. Usually, the student-at-law will be required to demonstrate that he or she is of good character and repute and will be required to make a formal appearance to be "called to the bar" of that society.

The Law Society of Alberta, The Law Society of Saskatchewan and The Law Society of Prince Edward Island require that their members be either Canadian citizens or permanent residents, as per the definition of the Federal Immigration Act. The Law Society of Newfoundland and Labrador requires that their members be residents of Canada.

Admission to law societies is regulated by the acts and rules of the law society. The following section 28 of the Legal Profession Act of British Columbia illustrates the requirements upon which the benchers can admit persons as solicitors of the Supreme Court of British Columbia:

The Law Society of British Columbia
Legal Profession Act, S.B.C. 1987, c. 25, section 28.(1)

Call and admission
28. (1) The benchers may call to the Bar of the Province and admit as a solicitor of the Supreme Court, any person who satisfies them that the person

(a) [Repealed 1993-31-11, effective November 1, 1993]
(b) is a person of good character and repute,
(c) is fit to become a barrister and a solicitor of the Supreme Court,
(d) has been enrolled on the books of the society as an articled student,
(e) has complied with the requirements of the benchers for articled students and the admission of members, and
(f) has paid

* (i) a prorated practice fee under section 29 (1) (a),
* (ii) all or part, as determined by the benchers, of
o (A) the annual insurance fee under section 24 (2) (n), and
o (B) the sum referred to in section 29 (1) (b), and
* (iii) a call and admission fee in an amount that the benchers may fix.

Foreign Lawyers
Foreign lawyers who wish to become members to Canadian Law Societies must apply to the National Committee on Accreditation for an evaluation of their legal credentials and experience. The NCA was established through the joint efforts of the Council of Canadian Law Deans and the Federation to evaluate credentials of persons applying from outside Canada for admission to one of the Canadian Law Societies and to evaluate degrees from the province of Québec for the purposes of entry into the bars of the common law provinces.

The National Committee on Accreditation does not evaluate credentials for lawyers who want to apply to the Barreau du Québec or the Chambre des notaires du Québec."
http://www.flsc.ca/en/lawSocieties/lawSocieties.asp#foreign