For Non-PREP Candidates
Searching for and securing articles can be challenging, especially for students who did not summer with a firm or for internationally trained lawyers who do not have access to law school career services. CPLED offers Articling Assist as a support service to help eligible participants navigate this process.
What is
Articling Assist?
Through Articling Assist, students receive:
- One-on-one advising on job search strategy and networking
- Resume and cover letter development, including interactive reviews and editing
- Interview preparation and mentoring to build confidence and professionalism
These services are designed to help participants become effective, independent job seekers. Most students who use Articling Assist successfully secure articles and move forward toward Bar admission.
Please note that if you are a current PREP candidate, you have access to these services included in your program tuition. Explore our For PREP Candidates page for more information.
Who Can Access Articling Assist?
Articling Assist is available to:
- Future PREP candidates who have not yet secured articles
- Internationally trained lawyers (ITLs) and law students who do not have access to law school career services
- Juris Doctor (JD) holders, NCA Certificate of Qualification (CQ) holders, or NCA students working toward their CQ
Participants can live anywhere in Canada. Meetings with CPLED’s Student Services Advisor are conducted virtually for convenience.
Articling Assist
Cost and Enrollment
Articling Assist is a competitively priced program at $490 plus applicable taxes. CPLED accepts online bill payments, Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT), or wire transfer. Payments should only be made after an invoice is issued in the CPLED Student Portal. Please note that cheques, credit cards, and e-transfers are not accepted.
Participants who later register for PREP or Accelerated PREP will receive a credit toward their PREP tuition in the amount of the Articling Assist fee. This means the service effectively becomes free for those continuing into PREP, as the fee acts as an advance tuition payment.
Complete the following steps to register, pay and participate:
- Create a CPLED Student Profile.
- Complete the following items on the Articling Assist Enrolment Checklist:
– Law degree information (including uploading the necessary supporting documentation)
– Previous legal work experience
– Articling Assist Student Agreement
– Emergency Contact Information - When you have completed the checklist, email admin@cpled.ca with the subject, “Articling Assist,” noting you have completed your Articling Assist Enrolment Checklist and would like to sign up for the service. A CPLED staff member will respond, confirm your registration, and provide you with your service invoice. If the service is not accepting new clients, CPLED will inform you of the next available opportunity to sign up.
- After receiving your Articling Assist invoice, submit your payment by online bill payment, Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) or wire transfer.
Once your payment has been processed, CPLED’s Student Services Advisor will contact you via email with next steps. Please note that processing your payment can take up to five business days.
Frequently Asked Questions
The CPLED Student Services Advisor will contact you regarding the first steps within a week after your service payment has been processed.
While CPLED strives to provide Articling Assist clients with the best possible guidance and resources, we cannot guarantee that you will secure an articling position through the service, or other specific outcomes. We provide help and guidance throughout the process; however, the ultimate responsibility of implementing suggestions and securing an articling position lies with you.
CPLED’s Student Services Advisor, Eric Pye, has been supporting CPLED candidates and other law students for over five years. He has over 15 years of job search support, recruiting, inter-cultural training and language teaching experience. He is also a Certified Resume and Interview Specialist (CRS, CIS) and has a professional certificate in Career and Academic Advising from the University of Calgary. If you don’t already, follow him on LinkedIn.