Registration Information for Lawyer Candidates Entering the 2024-25 Licensing Cycle
(Revised January 2024)
Welcome to the Lawyer Licensing Process
This page provides information for applicants who have already submitted both parts of their application to the Licensing and Accreditation Department and any required supporting documents. It contains general information about next steps and the components of the Lawyer Licensing Process, including the Licensing Examinations and the Experiential Training Program for applicants who have applied to the Lawyer Licensing Process. Please note that Lawyer Licensing Process deadlines are stated in business days, not calendar days, unless otherwise noted. For further deadline information, bookmark the Dates to Remember page and Examination Deadlines and Dates page and review your invoices.
You must read this information along with the Lawyer Licensing Policies, Licensing Examination and Licensing Examination Rules and Protocol available online.
A. Communicating with the Law Society
B. Fees and Payment
C. Study Materials and the Candidate Photo Identification Card
D. Barrister and Solicitor Licensing Examinations
E. Experiential Training
F. Good Character
G. Accommodations
H. Call to the Bar and Licensure
I. Contacting the Law Society
A. Communicating with the Law Society
Once you apply, your online account is your primary means of communicating with the Law Society of Ontario (LSO) from the time that you submit your Lawyer Licensing Process application until you become licensed to practice law.
You are strongly advised to log in to your online account at least once or twice a week to review any information sent by the Law Society. Important and time-sensitive messages are sent through your online account, including information related to fee invoices and receipts, licensing examination registration, study material access, examination results, filing requirements for articling placements, the Law Practice Program (LPP) and licensure. You are also reminded to check your account regularly for information on any outstanding items still required by the Law Society (e.g., fees, proof of legal name documentation, final transcripts from the law school, etc.).
Candidates should note that when an online account message is sent to many candidates, it is sent in batches and some candidates may receive their message before others.
Replies to enquiries are typically provided within a few business days of receipt, except during peak periods. It is critical that the contact information in your online account – including your mailing address, telephone number, and email address – is always kept up to date. Using your online account, you can update your personal information or address, check your account balance, and pay your fees by the applicable deadline. Note that when a payment deadline has passed, you are not able to make payment online and must defer to a later sitting. You can also view the status of documents you have submitted to the Licensing Process office under “My Submitted Documents”. Please note that the processing and verification of a received document may take up to 10 business days or more during peak deadline periods.
In your Law Society online account, you will find your personal and confidential candidate identification number. You must always reference this number when corresponding with the Law Society. Please ensure that your candidate identification number, username, and password are always kept confidential.
B. Fees and Payment
If you applied by the December application deadline, your licensing examination, study material and experiential training fee invoices will be posted in your online account the following February. Each of these invoices will include a specific deadline date by which you should make payment as part of completing registration. Please submit payment online by the applicable deadline with a valid credit card or pay by enrolling in an available Monthly Payment Plan by the applicable enrolment deadline. Note that when a payment deadline has passed, you are not able to make payment online and must defer to a later sitting.
Please see the Fees and Forms page for a fees schedule which includes a detailed breakdown of applicable fees. The Fees and Forms page also includes access to information about billing, payment options and Financial Assistance.
You will be sent a separate invoice for each item billed. Each of the invoices will include a deadline. Please check your account regularly to ensure you pay for each invoice by the deadline. If your invoice includes a billing date which is the same as the due date, payment is due immediately upon receipt of the invoice. Payments received by the Law Society are normally applied to a candidate’s balance within 48 hours of payment (except for peak periods). It is strongly recommended that candidates make payment before the payment deadline to avoid delays in processing.
Monthly Payment Plan
You may select to pay your fees in accordance with the Law Society’s Monthly Payment Plans. Information regarding the monthly payment plans for each licensing cycle will be posted online under “Fees and Forms/Financial Assistance/Monthly Payment Plan”. Please note that if you select a monthly payment plan option and you intend to be called to the bar prior to the end of the term of the monthly payment plan selected, all outstanding fees must be paid in full before you can be called to the bar. A non-refundable administrative fee will be applied for the administration of this plan and must be paid upon enrolment in the payment plan. Please carefully review the payment plan selected so that you are aware of the date when final payment will be made.
Please review Dates to Remember for specific deadlines of when to enrol in the available payment plan. Any new invoices billed to the candidate may be added to the plan prior to the first payment being charged. Such additions will mean your payment plan amount will increase to include the fees added to the plan.
For further information on the Monthly Payment Plans or other Financial Assistance information, please visit the Financial Assistance page. For more information on the deadlines to enrol, please see the Dates to Remember page.
The Law Society Repayable Allowance Program
The Law Society has established the Repayable Allowance Program (RAP) to assist candidates who require financial assistance. For further information and to download a copy of the application, please review the information posted at the “Candidate Supports” section of the website.
Completed RAP applications and supporting documentation must be submitted by the applicable deadline.
For further information on the Repayable Allowance Program or other financial information, please visit the Candidate Supports page and the Fees and Forms page.
C. Study Materials and the Candidate Photo Identification Card
Licensing examination study materials will be released electronically in April for the next licensing cycle, provided all study material fees have been paid. Candidates will be mailed their identification cards in advance of their examination sitting to the address on file with the Law Society. Cards are normally mailed to the address on file with the LSO approximately 3-4 weeks prior to a sitting and it is important to update your mailing address if it has changed to ensure you receive your card.
Candidates are required to check the Dates to Remember for exact dates of distribution.
See the Study Materials page for more information.
The Law Society photo identification card must be presented at any licensing examination or when accessing the Law Society building. It is important you keep this card in a secure place and inform the Law Society immediately if you suspect it has been lost or stolen. Lost or stolen Law Society photo identification cards must be replaced by contacting Licensing and Accreditation staff at the Law Society and a replacement fee of $15 (plus applicable taxes) will be charged. It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure they present the card on the day when their licensing examinations occur. Expired cards may be replaced free of charge. Such requests must be received in writing at least 3 weeks prior to the examination date.
Online Access
Access to the online study materials commences mid-day on the first day of distribution and is available for the duration of the licensing year. See the Dates to Remember page for the date on which the materials are accessible for your licensing year.
Study materials will be available by logging into your online account and clicking on “Study Materials” on the first date of distribution. Once digital access is provided, study material fees are non-refundable. Candidates are expected to download and print the study materials to prepare for the examination(s). Note that candidates will be required to bring a printed copy of the study materials to the Testing Area to reference during their examination. No digital access to the materials is permitted during the examination.
D. Barrister and Solicitor Licensing Examinations
You must successfully complete both the Barrister and the Solicitor Licensing Examination as part of your licensing requirements. Both licensing examinations are open-book and multiple choice, prepared for by self-study of the study materials provided by the Law Society. Candidates are expected to download and print the study materials. Note that candidates will be required to bring a printed copy of the study materials to the Testing Area to reference during their examination. No digital access to the materials is permitted during the examination.
The examination dates are typically scheduled in the summer, fall and winter of each licensing cycle. See the Licensing Examinations page and the Licensing Examination Deadlines and Dates page for more information, including dates, deadlines, rules and protocols, security, lists of prohibited items, instructions and detailed descriptions of the entry-level competencies that are tested on each licensing examination.
Candidates may request accommodation in the Lawyer Licensing Process. For further information please see Accommodations.
The Law Society provides candidates with the digital study materials once the material fees are paid, and they have been released for the licensing year. As the examinations are open book, you can mark up your study materials and must bring your printed copy into the examination Testing Area. As previously mentioned, digital copies of the materials are not permitted in the Testing Area.
Each candidate will be required to present a valid Law Society photo identification card at any Licensing Examination. All examination and study material fees billed to your account must be paid in full by the prescribed deadline to write the licensing examination.
Your licensing examination result will be sent to your Law Society online account approximately 8 weeks after your examination. If you are unsuccessful, you will be permitted to register, pay for, and rewrite a licensing examination within the same licensing cycle for one of the other scheduled sittings. If you are rewriting in a different licensing cycle, you will be invoiced and must pay for a revised set of study materials in addition to the examination re-write fee.
E. Experiential Training Program
The Experiential Training Program is one of the required components of the Lawyer Licensing Process. To satisfy the Experiential Training Program requirement of the Law Society, a candidate must complete either the Articling Program or the Law Practice Program. Candidates who have been licensed to practice law in another common law jurisdiction and have at least 10 months of common law practice experience may be eligible to apply for an exemption from the experiential training requirement. Candidates who completed the J.D./Integrated Practise Curriculum do not have to complete further experiential training to satisfy the experiential training component of the Licensing Process.
Please note that you must be fully registered in the Lawyer Licensing Process and have successfully completed all LL.B/J.D. requirements or obtained the NCA Certificate of Qualification before commencing the Articling Program or the Law Practice Program. Confirmation of the successful completion of requirements must be confirmed by the issuing institution directly to the LSO.
Option 1: Articling Program
The Articling Program is one of the options you may have selected when you applied to satisfy the Experiential Training Program requirement of the Lawyer Licensing Process. To complete the Articling Program, candidates commencing a placement in the 2024-25 licensing year must work in an articling placement for a period of a minimum of 8 consecutive months under the direct supervision of an approved Articling Principal. If you had not secured an articling position at the time of submitting your application, please notify the Law Society through your online account as soon as an articling position is secured, so that your record may be updated, and you are billed accordingly.
See the Articling Program page for more information on this program and the documents that must be filed at the commencement and conclusion of any placement.
Option 2: Law Practice Program (LPP)
If you have selected the Law Practice Program (LPP) to satisfy the Experiential Training Program requirement of the Lawyer Licensing Process, please note the LPP is currently held once a year.
The LPP consists of a four-month training course beginning in late summer to December, followed by a four-month work placement from January to April of the next year. The program must be taken in sequence. Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly known as Ryerson University) provides and administers the English LPP. The University of Ottawa provides and administers the French LPP.
See the Law Practice Program page and the Dates to Remember page for more information regarding this program.
F. Good Character
The Law Society Act requires that an applicant for admission as a licensee of the Law Society of Ontario be of good character. This is an ongoing requirement for applicants throughout their licensing term.
After applying, applicants must immediately notify the Licensing and Accreditation Department in writing if their answers to any of the good character questions have changed at any time during their licensing term. A Good Character Amendment Form is available online on the Fees and Forms page, if a change to this section is needed. For your good character information and answers to be reviewed, you must first ensure you have completed the application process.
Please note that you cannot be licensed until your good character status is clear. More information is available online at the Good Character section of the website.
G. Accommodations
Candidates may request accommodation in the Licensing Process based on a ground listed in the Human Rights Code, R.S.O. 1990, c. H.19. For details, see the Law Society’s Accommodations webpage.
Candidates entering the Licensing Process who are requesting accommodation for a licensing examination must submit the accommodation request forms and supporting documentation by email directly to the Examination Administration department by he prescribed deadline.
Forms, submission requirements, and further information about accommodation request deadlines and the approval process are available on the Accommodations webpage. Please address all accommodation-related enquiries and submissions to examinationaccommodation@lso.ca.
H. Call to the Bar and Licensure
To be eligible to be called to the bar of Ontario, you must successfully complete all requirements of the Lawyer Licensing Process, be of good character, submit all required documentation, and pay any outstanding fees by the prescribed deadlines. Detailed information is distributed to eligible candidates through their online account and posted on the Call to the Bar page on an ongoing basis, as soon as the information becomes available and as soon as candidates become eligible.
Candidates on a payment plan will not be eligible for a call prior to the payment of all fees.
Please see the Dates to Remember page for the exact date by which candidates must commence articles in order to be call-eligible at certain times of the year.
I. Contacting the Law Society
The office is open between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. The address is 130 Queen Street West, Toronto, ON, M5H 2N6.
The office is located on a restricted floor, without public access. Staff may be working remotely regularly, and we encourage candidates to send any inquiries via their Law Society account. They may also call 416-947-3315 to speak to staff regarding the Lawyer Licensing Process. Please note the office receives a high volume of calls in the weeks leading up to the registration and payment deadlines.
Note that staff are not available by phone between the lunch hour of 1-2 pm daily.