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Canada

In Canada, the LL.M. is generally only open to law graduates holding an LL.B. or a J.D. as a first degree. Students can choose to take research based LL.M. degrees or course based LL.M. degrees. Research based LL.M. degrees are appropriate for those students who wish to go on to pursue careers in academia. They are one or two year programs that require students to write an original research paper that makes a significant contribution to their field of research. Course based LL.M. degrees do not require a significant research paper. An LL.M. can be studied part time, and at some schools, through distance learning. LL.M. degrees can be general, or students can choose to pursue a specialized area of research.

Canadian law graduates pursue LL.M. degrees because they would like to pursue a career in academia or because they would like to deepen their knowledge in a specific area of the law. Canadian LL.M. degrees do not qualify graduates to practice law in Canada. Canadian law grads in most of the provinces in Canada must complete an internship with a law firm (known as ‘articles’) and a professional legal training course, as well as pass professional exams in order to be called to the bar in a province.

Foreign lawyers who wish to practice in Canada will first need to have their education and experience assessed by the Federation of Law Societies of Canada’s National Committee on Accreditation. The University of British Columbia offers an LL.M. program that specializes in Canadian common law which is designed for graduates of foreign law schools and offers graduate level courses in Canadian common law. Students who take this program may use some of the courses towards having their education accredited by the National Committee on Accreditation. Upon having received a certificate of accreditation from the National Committee on Accreditation, foreign law graduates would then have to obtain articles with a law firm, take the professional legal training course, and pass the professional exams to be called to the bar in a province.