PREP is the official Bar admission program for the law societies of Saskatchewan, Alberta, Manitoba, and Nova Scotia. Each law society sets its own requirements for admission to the profession in the jurisdiction; be sure to check the Bar admission requirements with your desired law society before registering for the program.
Built on best practices worldwide, PREP helps future lawyers gain practical skills and competencies in a consistent, integrated approach that combines interactive, transactional learning and simulation within four distinct phases. Each phase builds on the prior, requiring you to work through more complex activities and develop competencies through tasks that assess not just your knowledge but how you apply your oral and written lawyering skills, as well as ethics, client relationship management and practice management skills and competencies.
As you will see in the description of each phase below, PREP takes you from acquiring knowledge about legal activities to carrying them out within simulations, playing out real-world scenarios and learning from your successes and mistakes.
Phase 1: Foundation Modules
In this self-study phase, you will be given access to the materials and resources that provide the foundation for all PREP competencies. While completing 12 online modules, you will gain knowledge through self-directed activities, quizzes, assignments, and reflections.
Phase 2: Foundation Workshops
Over the course of six skill-building workshops, you will apply what you learned in the Foundation Modules. Workshops include: (1) Ethics, Client Relationship Management, and Professionalism, (2) Legal Research and Writing Essentials, (3) Interviewing, (4) Legal Drafting and Writing, (5) Negotiation, and (6) Oral Advocacy. Effective June 2025, workshops will be interspersed throughout the Foundation Modules to provide immediate opportunities to practice base skills in a safe learning environment, connect with peers, and help prepare you to manage legal matters in the upcoming phase.
Phase 3: Virtual Law Firm (“VLF”)
Here, you will apply what you have learned from the previous educational phases by participating in simulated files designed to mimic realistic matters that a newly called lawyer may expect to face in practice.
You will assist fictional supervising lawyers in working through simulated client files while receiving feedback on your deliverables from trained lawyer-assessors. You will also have opportunities to connect, complete assignments requiring a partner, and network with other candidates in assigned practice groups of 6. Mentorship on developing your competencies and preparing for legal practice will also be provided by experienced lawyers or “practice managers” who have a wide variety of backgrounds and experience in the practice of law.
Over the course of the VLF, you can expect to interview simulated clients, conduct negotiations, make uncontested and contested court applications, conduct research and write a legal memorandum and opinion letter, draft an affidavit and contract, and prepare interoffice memorandums dealing with ethics, client relationship management, and/or practice management issues.
At the end of the Virtual Law Firm, you will complete a final reflection assignment that will lead to goal setting and the creation of a professional development plan to cover the first three years after you enter practice.
Phase 4: Capstone Evaluation
During this final phase, you will work through simulated legal matters for the purpose of final evaluation of your skills in three categories: (1) oral skills, (2) written skills, and (3) ethics, client relationship management, and practice management. To successfully complete the evaluation and pass PREP, you must achieve entry-level competence in each of the three skill categories and overall entry-level competence. Results will be available approximately six weeks after the final Capstone sitting.
For more information on the timing of the four PREP phases, please refer to our Program Schedule webpage.
