Background Information
In the Fall of 2020, CPLED conducted online focus groups with various stakeholder groups to determine the interest in offering a full-time Bar admission program students can complete before commencing articles. Based on the feedback received CPLED will be piloting a new delivery model of the Practice Readiness Education Program (PREP) in Alberta in 2021.
Alberta was chosen for the inaugural offering as many firms in Alberta also have offices located in British Columbia and are familiar with the Professional Legal Training Course (PLTC), the official full-time Bar admission program in British Columbia. Accelerated PREP will not replace the current model. The delivery of Accelerated PREP is being piloted to determine if this program offering will be added to CPLED program offerings in the future allowing for greater flexibility for students and firms to choose the delivery style that best suits their needs.
Program Details
Accelerated PREP is a full-time 14-week compressed version of PREP delivered completely online. While enrolled in Accelerated PREP you are required to dedicate a full day of study, five days a week. It is therefore highly recommended that students who enroll in Accelerated PREP are not assigned work during the program from their firm.
Admission Requirements
To be eligible for Accelerated PREP you must have written your final exam for your Canadian common law degree or completed your final requirement for your Certificate of Qualification from the Federation of Law Societies of Canada. If your enrollment in Accelerated PREP is approved, you will be required to sign an agreement before commencing the program. Secured articles are not required to participate in this program.
Schedule
Accelerated PREP will begin on May 31, 2021, and concludes on September 2, 2021. These dates were chosen to allow you to complete your Bar admission program during the traditionally slower summer months and be prepared with the competencies required for effective practice. During phases two and four, you are required to be in attendance and actively participate from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. MT.
- Overview schedule
- Program key dates
- Final results will be released on Friday, October 15, 2021
Due to the compressed nature of Accelerated PREP, it is not possible to accommodate students who fall behind in the program. If you happen to fall behind you will be required to transfer to the June 2021 PREP intake and you will receive credit for the phases completed. This transfer will not delay your call to the Bar*.
*Bar call will not be delayed for those who successfully complete the June 2021 intake of PREP.
How to Express Interest in Participating
To express interest in participating in the inaugural offering of Accelerated PREP you must complete the following before April 7, 2021:
- Create a CPLED Student Profile
- Complete your Student Enrollment Checklist:
- Law degree information
- Articling/Clerking information- if you are articling (start date, name and location of your firm as well as the name and contact information of your principal). If you have yet to secure articles, you must leave this section BLANK.
- Alternate email and phone number
- PREP information (questionnaire)
- Academic integrity sign off
- Emergency contact information
3. Complete the Expression of Interest form and email the completed form to admin@cpled.ca.
All students who express interest in participating in the program will be notified via email by April 14, 2021. If you are not selected to participate in Accelerated PREP please note you will need to log into your CPLED Student Profile and complete your registration for the June 2021 intake of PREP by selecting your desired schedule for phases two and four before June 25, 2021.
Student Selection Criteria
To effectively pilot the delivery model of Accelerated PREP, CPLED will be seeking to select students from across various stakeholder groups. While CPLED will attempt to accommodate interested students, accommodating all students may not be possible.
Tuition Fees
The tuition fees for Accelerated PREP are $6,100, plus applicable taxes. There are two tuition fee payment options available:
- Full tuition fee payment due May 3, 2021, or
- Installment payments with $3,050, plus applicable taxes due on May 3, 2021, and $3,050, plus applicable taxes due on June 14, 2021.
Looking for more information on Accelerated PREP?
On Tuesday, March 2, 2021, Erica Green, Acting Education Manager, and Andrea Rodic, Program Manager, hosted a webinar for interested students where they provided an overview of the program, information on how to express interest in participating in the program, and answered questions. To watch the webinar recording, click on the video below.
Frequently Asked Questions
Accelerated PREP is a full-time 14-week program that will begin on Monday, May 31, 2021, and concludes on Thursday, September 2, 2021.
Accelerated PREP is a full-time program. You are required to dedicate a full day of study, five days a week. If you happen to fall behind in the schedule, you will need to catch up by either extending your study day or by working on the program over the weekend. During phases two and four, you are required to be in attendance and actively participating from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. MT for large and small group activities, discussions, and interviews. While the program is accelerated and demanding, adequate downtime has been scheduled throughout the program.
- Arrive prepared, confident, and ready to work on day one of your articles.
- Reduce competing priorities between your Bar admission program and articling.
- Your Principal can be confident that you can be assigned complex work knowing you have learned and practiced the lawyer competencies you need to be an effective contributor to your firm.
The total program cost is $6,100, plus applicable taxes.
The employer or the student may pay for the tuition, but the employer is under no obligation to cover the costs.
To be eligible for Accelerated PREP you must have written your final exam for your Canadian common law degree or your final required NCA exam for your Certificate of Qualification from the Federation of Law Societies of Canada. If your enrollment in Accelerated PREP is approved, you will be required to sign an agreement before commencing the program. Secured articles are not required to participate in this program.
You can complete your expression of interest form now for Accelerated PREP. You have until Wednesday, April 7, 2021, to complete all requirements of expression of interest.
Yes, you can register and complete Accelerated PREP without a secured articling position.
To be eligible for Accelerated PREP you must have completed all final exams for your Canadian common law degree or your Certificate of Qualifications from the Federation of Law Societies of Canada and be awaiting final results. If you are still waiting to write any final exams you will not be permitted to enroll in Accelerated PREP.
If you do not pass your final exams and obtain your Canadian common law degree or Certificate of Qualification you MUST notify CPLED right away by emailing admin@cpled.ca. You will be withdrawn from Accelerated PREP and can re-enroll in PREP once you have received your Canadian common law degree or Certificate of Qualification.
All students who express interest in participating in the program will be notified via email by April 14, 2021. If you are not selected to participate in Accelerated PREP please note you will need to log into your CPLED Student Profile and complete your registration for the June 2021 intake of PREP by selecting your desired schedule for phases two and four before June 25, 2021.
You are required to work on your PREP studies full-time, five days a week. Attendance is mandatory for the five-day Foundation Workshops (scheduled for July 5 to 9, 2021) and the four-day Capstone (scheduled for August 30 to September 2, 2021). Accelerated PREP is demanding and if you fall behind, you will be withdrawn and placed in the June 2021 intake of PREP. It is therefore highly recommended that firms do not assign you work while you are completing the program.
CPLED strives to make its programs accessible to everyone, including persons with disabilities. Accommodation requests must be supported by evidence that you have a ground for accommodation. The documentation requirement is not intended to create additional challenges, but to ensure that accommodations are only granted when appropriate to preserve fairness for all students. When requesting an accommodation you are not requesting to be relieved of your responsibility to develop the essential competencies expected of all students. To protect both students and the integrity of the program, all students (regardless of accommodation) must still meet all PREP requirements and participate in all essential program components. An accommodation request must be received within a reasonable period of time. Whenever possible, students are encouraged to raise potential accessibility issues during the registration process. CPLED will work directly with each student to develop an individualized plan, considering a range of environmental, instructional, and assessment conditions. For more information refer to the policy regarding accommodations.
You must have a reliable high-speed internet connection along with a computer with a camera and microphone. You will be recording yourself and uploading assignments throughout the program. While materials can be accessed via tablets and smartphones, laptops are recommended when uploading recordings and assignments.
You must complete all assignments and attend the Foundation Workshops. In addition you must demonstrate entry-level competence at the Capstone.
Final assessment results will be released on Friday, October 15, 2021.
If you are unsuccessful with achieving entry-level competence at your Capstone assessment, you will have an opportunity to complete a Capstone re-assessment competency evaluation. The earliest Capstone re-assessment opportunity is in March of 2022.
