First batch of B.C. law students takes course over bar exam as Ontario mulls switch
B.C. is the sixth province to scrap the bar exam in favour of a four-phase program meant to assess legal knowledge, advocacy, ethics, practice management and other skills.
First law students in British Columbia will be taking a new course instead of the bar exam this fall, while Ontario debates a switch to a similar system. Six Canadian provinces have already replaced the bar exam with a four-phase program to evaluate legal skills, knowledge, advocacy, ethics, and practice management. Law societies in provinces such as Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and Nunavut have made the change, citing evolving student needs and the growing role of technology in the legal field.
The B.C. law society announced the switch last October, stating that bar training must be updated to reflect modern demands. The proposal to replace the Ontario bar exam with a skills-based course sparked debate in the legal profession, with some arguing that the multiple-choice, open-book exam focuses on reading speed over legal expertise.
Consultations on the proposal wrapped up in January, and the Ontario Law Society has not yet made a decision. In B.C., the new system replaces a full-time, 10-week course, and some recent graduates noted that while both methods have pros and cons, a standardized assessment would be more cohesive for students transitioning across provinces.
Written by urgent.news from Winnipeg Free Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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