Calgary, Alberta – Canadian legal education is changing and another province is ready to take the leap, as Nova Scotia joins the prairie provinces as part of the Canadian Centre for Professional Legal Education (CPLED).

Over the past year and a half, CPLED has been busy developing the new Bar admission program for Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. The new Bar admission program called the Practice Readiness Education Program or PREP will change the way new lawyers are trained in the participating provinces.

In September 2019 the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society Council passed a resolution to implement PREP as their new Bar admission program. PREP will launch to more than 800 students in July 2020 and CPLED is excited to welcome the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society as a participating law society.

What does this mean?

Starting July 2020, all new lawyers in Alberta, Manitoba, Nova Scotia and Saskatchewan will complete PREP during their articling term before being called to the Bar.

Built on best practices from around the world, PREP delivers skills and competencies in an integrated approached that combines interactive, transactional learning and simulation.

“PREP is built by lawyers for lawyers, and has involved experts from all participating provinces, including Nova Scotia,” says Dr. Kara Mitchelmore, CEO of CPLED. “We are thrilled to have Nova Scotia join CPLED as a participating province as we work to harmonize Bar admission across all participating jurisdictions.”

For more information about CPLED and PREP, visit www.cpled.ca.

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For further information please contact:

Carly Thompson, Communications Advisor
Phone: 403.229.4765
Email: carly.thompson@cpled.ca

Background information:

The Canadian Centre for Professional Legal Education (CPLED) is a non-profit organization that provides the training needed before being called to the Bars of Alberta, Manitoba, Nova Scotia and Saskatchewan. Law Societies in the participating provinces require students to article and complete PREP before becoming a lawyer.

CPLED is currently piloting the new PREP program with 27 students in Alberta and a second pilot will take place in Manitoba in January 2020.