Law in Canada or The UK?

The law in the UK is corrupt, I'm not sure about Canada.

Huh? How so?

If you're taking that comment seriously then god help you.

www.lawyeredu.org/canada.html

go down to where it says foreign law schools, then continue reading

The law in the UK is corrupt, I'm not sure about Canada.

Thank you! I'll definitely check this out

i'm also know a surprising amount of Canadians who did a law degree in the UK. one wrote 5 exams and another wrote 2 exams when they went back (then you need a firm to take you on for articling). depends what the NCA says about your degree and overall qualifications.

It is possible to do your LLB in the UK and write your NCA exams (the number you have to write is determined by the NCA), then write the Bar exam and get a firm to take you on for articling. You can also study a version of the LLM at some law schools, like Osgoode for example, that satisfies the NCA exam requirement. (People sometimes take this option because it gives you access to the universities' career services which can be great)

Remember that the biggest hurdle will be getting into a firm to do your articling. Canada has relatively few law schools and the legal market is very competitive, especially if you've been educated at a foreign university (other than Oxbridge). There can be a perception that Canadian students go to law school in the UK because they couldn't get into a Canadian school. It depends on what type of law you want to practice, but if you're aiming for top commercial firms in Toronto, for instance, you will be competing with local graduates who managed those 7 years without 'burning out'.

I don't mention this to stress you out - like others have said, many do it and it is certainly a viable path. Just try to keep in mind who your competition will be when you do head back to Canada and try to use the next few years to make yourself as competitive an applicant as possible. There are plenty of Canadian law students in the UK who are naive about this, don't be one of them.

This answer was really detailed and honest, exactly what I needed, especially that last paragraph. I'll definitely keep it in mind, thank you.

However, I'd like to ask- I'm aware that you're capable of going to Law School in Canada to meet the requirements of the NCA instead of writing the tests by self revision. Would the amount of time spent in Law school (apparently 3 years in Canada?) be the same length even if I had my LLB? Or would the time reduce? Getting connections abroad for articling has been at the top of my mind since the decision was made, since I'd already be at somewhat of a disadvantage.

Happy to help!

The 'taught law school courses' path around the self-study NCA exams take one year as an LLM. Google around a bit and you'll see which universities in Canada offer it (if I remember correctly there aren't many - I know people who have done it at UofT and Osgoode). You could also actually follow up your UK LLB with a Canadian JD, which would take an additional 3 years. That would put you on a level with any Canadian graduate from the start, but would be more expensive and time-consuming. There's an argument to be made that it's all ultimately going to come down to being good at your job, so why not get to work sooner and start practicing - totally depends.

A suggestion I can make, having seen some friends return to Canada after studying in the UK, is to try to get experience in the summer where you'd like to practice. Look into the application/interview dates because they may be on a very different schedule than UK firms. Find people who have made the UK to Canada transition on LinkedIn or through your uni and note what they did or reach out and get advice.

Don't be overly worried about being disadvantaged. In my experience, it's the awareness of what you are pursuing that makes the difference. I don't mean know what type of law you want to practice, but be thinking about strategies that can help you figure that out. Think criminal may be interesting? Look into how work experience in that area works. Do you/your parents/anyone-you-know know a lawyer doing something you may find interesting? Ask for an introduction so you can email them questions/have a call etc. Found something you want to apply for but have noticed that the people who've gotten the position in the past have intimidating CVs? Build yours up by focusing on the skills you'd need to do the job well and choose activities that build those skills. Enjoying academia? Look into that...

Anyway, sorry for going on - hindsight provides some clarity, apparently. I'd be happy to answer more questions for you, though I'm less knowledgeable on transferring to Canada than others.