Legal research and writing are fundamental skills required for practising lawyers in Canada. To help students better prepare for their Bar admission program, we have developed a Legal Research and Writing (LRW) course that provides students with insights and best practices as well as an opportunity to apply their learnings throughout the course.
The LRW course was designed in partnership with the National Committee on Accreditation (NCA) and is considered a valuable tool in preparing students to write their NCA exams.
Course Description
The LRW course is a nine-week online course that consists of two modules, with a multiple-choice quiz after each module and four assignments that include a research and writing component. Students must complete the first module, Legal Research, Fact Gathering and Case Management, before the second module, Written Communications: Legal Writing, is released. The course is intended for students with prior legal training and/or experience in legal research and writing. Please note that this course is not a base-level introduction to legal research and writing.
Module Descriptions
Legal Research, Fact Gathering and Case Management
Clients do not come to their lawyer with clearly laid out legal issues. They come to their lawyer with a problem or a goal and expect their lawyer to apply knowledge and judgment to help. To do that, lawyers engage in fact-gathering, legal research, and case management.
These all form part of the process of providing solutions to clients. In this module, you will cover the following topics: fact gathering, legal research, case management and trial preparation in order to effectively solve problems for clients.
Written Communications Skills: Legal Writing
Communication skills are critically important to lawyers in all areas of practice. A poorly written or drafted document is not only a reflection on the competency of the lawyer who created it but may be the foundation for a potential lawsuit. Litigators, too, are judged by the quality of their writing. In this module, you will review the basics of legal writing, and how to write an opinion letter, an advocacy letter, and a retainer agreement.
Course Details
Upon completion of the LRW course, successful students will be able to:
- Conduct research using primary and secondary sources using tools such as LexisNexis
- Use appropriate citation
- Identify legal issues in a given fact scenario
- Identify relevant facts to support the issue to be researched
- Evaluate and interpret the applicability of legislation and case law to a given fact scenario
- Integrate research results with the facts and issues of the given fact scenario to develop a logical analysis
- Know how to use writing basics to express concepts with precision, logic and economy
- Use plain language
- Identify the proper audience for the form of legal writing being written
- Use appropriate structure and organization for the given document
- Compose a professional document that achieves its intended goal
- Apply the basics of legal writing by learning how to write an opinion letter, an advocacy letter, retainer agreement, legal brief and/or legal memorandum.
Admission Requirement
Proof of an Assessment Report from the Federation of Law Societies of Canada. CPLED can not guarantee admission to an LRW offering for students without an NCA Assessment Report; however, once registration has opened, students can contact CPLED at admin@cpled.ca to request to be put on the waitlist and will be admitted into the course if capacity permits.
Upcoming Course Offerings
| Course Offerings | Course Start Date | Registration Opens | Registration Deadline | Last Day of Course | Final Course Results Released |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring 2023 | March 29 | January 18 | March 15 | May 30 | June 27 |
| Summer 2023 | June 28 | May 10 | June 14 | August 30 | September 26 |
| Fall 2023 | September 20 | August 7 | September 13 | November 22 | December 19 |
| Winter 2024 | January 10, 2024 | November 15, 2023 | December 20, 2023 | March 13, 2024 | April 9, 2024 |
| Spring 2024 | April 3, 2024 | February 14, 2024 | March 20, 2024 | June 5, 2024 | July 3, 2024 |
**Schedule is subject to change
Course Tuition Fee
CAD $425 + applicable taxes.
*Note the tuition fee is subject to change annually.
CPLED accepts online bill payments and wire transfers for the LRW course tuition fee. For more information on how to submit your tuition fee payment, visit the How Do I Register web page.
Course Schedules
Below are key date documents for upcoming course offerings outlining the LRW course schedule.
- Spring 2023 key dates
- Summer 2023 key dates
- Fall 2023 key dates
- Winter 2024 key dates
- Spring 2024 key dates
Course Completion
Students who complete the LRW course and meet the admission requirements for the Practice Readiness Education Program (PREP) and subsequently register for PREP will be exempt from the following PREP Foundation Modules:
- Legal Research, Fact Gathering and Case Management
- Written Communication Skills: Legal Writing
Student Frequently Asked Questions
Proof of an NCA Assessment Report is an admission requirement for the Legal Research & Writing (LRW) Course. CPLED can not guarantee admission to an LRW offering for students without an NCA Assessment Report; however, once registration has opened, students can reach out to request to be put on the waitlist and will be admitted into the course if capacity permits.
The LRW course is offered four times per year.
Late registration will not be permitted. As the LRW course is offered four times per year, if you miss the registration deadline for one course offering, you will be able to register for the next offering.
The LRW course is nine weeks in length and will take approximately 60 hours to complete.
The LRW course is completed entirely online through the D2L online learning management system. The supported browsers are Chrome and Firefox. You must use one of these two browsers for full functionality in the learning environment. Ensure your browser has been updated within the last month. A reliable high-speed internet connection is required.
You must complete and pass the two online module quizzes and complete and submit all assignments. You must demonstrate Reaching Entry-Level (RC) Competence on Assignment #3 and #4 to pass the course.
The LRW course tuition fees are CAD $425 plus applicable taxes. Please note, the tuition fee is subject to change annually.
Student loan funding is provided for full-time post-secondary level programs of study at designated educational institutions that are at least 12 weeks or more in length, leading to a certificate, diploma or degree and leads directly to employment.
Under federal student financial assistance regulations, additional practical or professional training offered by professional bodies, organizations or associations required for the practice of any trade or profession are not eligible for designation or the provision of student aid.
However, you may be able eligible for a low-interest microloan through Windmill Microlending. Visit their website for more information on their organization and assistance programs.
The LRW course was developed in partnership with the National Committee of Accreditation, or NCA. Students enrolling in the LRW course must have received an Assessment Report from the Federation of Law Societies of Canada. Any questions regarding whether or not you must complete the LRW course are to be directed to the NCA.
The LRW course is delivered using the D2L platform, and D2L conforms with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). However, if you experience any accessibility issues while completing the LRW course, please inform us at admin@cpled.ca as soon as you experience issues so that we may investigate.
For more information on D2L’s accessibility features, review their Accessibility and Navigation in Brightspace Learning Environment – Learner Guide.
Final course results are released approximately two weeks after the final assignment is due.
Proof of an NCA Assessment Report is an admission requirement for the Legal Research & Writing (LRW) Course. CPLED can not guarantee admission to an LRW offering for students without an NCA Assessment Report; however, once registration has opened, students can reach out to request to be put on the waitlist and will be admitted into the course if capacity permits.
The LRW course is offered four times per year.
Late registration will not be permitted. As the LRW course is offered four times per year, if you miss the registration deadline for one course offering, you will be able to register for the next offering.
The LRW course is nine weeks in length and will take approximately 60 hours to complete.
The LRW course is completed entirely online through the D2L online learning management system. The supported browsers are Chrome and Firefox. You must use one of these two browsers for full functionality in the learning environment. Ensure your browser has been updated within the last month. A reliable high-speed internet connection is required.
You must complete and pass the two online module quizzes and complete and submit all assignments. You must demonstrate Reaching Entry-Level (RC) Competence on Assignment #3 and #4 to pass the course.
The LRW course tuition fees are CAD $425 plus applicable taxes. Please note, the tuition fee is subject to change annually.
Student loan funding is provided for full-time post-secondary level programs of study at designated educational institutions that are at least 12 weeks or more in length, leading to a certificate, diploma or degree and leads directly to employment.
Under federal student financial assistance regulations, additional practical or professional training offered by professional bodies, organizations or associations required for the practice of any trade or profession are not eligible for designation or the provision of student aid.
However, you may be able eligible for a low-interest microloan through Windmill Microlending. Visit their website for more information on their organization and assistance programs.
The LRW course was developed in partnership with the National Committee of Accreditation, or NCA. Students enrolling in the LRW course must have received an Assessment Report from the Federation of Law Societies of Canada. Any questions regarding whether or not you must complete the LRW course are to be directed to the NCA.
The LRW course is delivered using the D2L platform, and D2L conforms with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). However, if you experience any accessibility issues while completing the LRW course, please inform us at admin@cpled.ca as soon as you experience issues so that we may investigate.
For more information on D2L’s accessibility features, review their Accessibility and Navigation in Brightspace Learning Environment – Learner Guide.
Final course results are released approximately two weeks after the final assignment is due.
