Important Update to PREP’s Competency Framework: CPLED Adopts the Western Canada Competency Profile (WCCP)
On October 1, 2025, the CPLED Board of Directors formally approved the adoption of the Western Canada Competency Profile (WCCP), which was a landmark decision that shapes the future of bar admission training across Western Canada.
Beginning May 2026, the PREP curriculum will be aligned with the WCCP, ensuring that candidates are trained and assessed against a modern, validated set of competencies developed in collaboration with law societies from Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Nova Scotia.
Read the Western Canada Competency Profile.
This shift reflects CPLED’s commitment to:
- Modernizing legal education to meet the evolving demands of the profession.
- Promoting consistency and fairness across jurisdictions.
- Supporting interprovincial mobility and shared standards for entry-level legal practice.
- Integrating Indigenous perspectives, trauma-informed approaches, and real-world client care into the curriculum.
The WCCP outlines seven key domains and 86 performance indicators that define what newly-called lawyers need to know and do at the point of entry to practice. PREP content will be updated to reflect these standards, including enhancements to the Foundation Modules, Virtual Law Firm assignments, and Capstone Evaluation.
This strategic transformation ensures that CPLED remains at the forefront of legal training in Canada.
PREP Competency Framework
To be called to the Bar, candidates require more than knowledge of the law; PREP candidates must display multiple competencies and qualities that holistically examine the key elements needed to practice law successfully in Canada.
New lawyers need to have the communication skills and understanding of how to practice law, empathy, compassion, integrity, respect, ethical practice, and commitment to diversity to serve the public and their clients effectively.
The PREP Competency Framework informs and is the basis for all PREP content. The content is mapped to the competencies and learning outcomes to ensure PREP candidates acquire the necessary skills at the required level to be prepared to enter the practice of law. PREP Candidates must demonstrate those skills by the conclusion of PREP or Accelerated PREP.
PREP’s competency framework consists of four key categories and the following competencies:
Foundations of an Effective Lawyer
- Employ critical thinking principles and professional judgement
- Employ reflection and SMART goals to support future learning
- Develop self-management skills required of an effective lawyer
Oral Communication Skills
- Construct oral communications that employ strong interpersonal skills
- Facilitate a client-centered interview
- Facilitate a negotiation using interest-based negotiation methods
- Integrate the principles of oral advocacy in an application/motion
- Integrate strong oral communication skills
Written Communication Skills
- Generate research to respond to a legal issue
- Construct common legal communications
- Construct a basic legally binding document
- Integrate strong written communication skills
Managing a Legal Practice
- Integrate the key aspects of ethical conduct
- Employ the key principles of practice management
- Employ the key principles of client relationship management
- Demonstrate an awareness of Indigenous law and issues experienced by Indigenous clients
- Describe the current and emerging legal technologies that may be used in a legal practice
In addition to the above competencies, 82 learning outcomes form the PREP Competency Framework. These are the focal points in the PREP Assessment Criteria and form the basis for assessment in the Virtual Law Firm and Capstone Evaluation.
