Transfers

Lawyers from other Canadian jurisdictions and from countries outside of Canada may apply to practise law in BC.

Lawyers from other Canadian jurisdictions

The Law Society of BC is among a number of provinces and territories that have signed a mobility agreement and adopted rules that ease the requirements for the temporary inter-jurisdictional practice of lawyers and the requirements for call and admission of lawyers who wish to move permanently from one province to another.

Lawyers from Canadian jurisdictions that have not entered a mobility agreement and enacted the corresponding regulations may still transfer to BC but will undergo a slightly different transfer application process. A lawyer may also transfer to BC from within Canada as an in-house counsel and may be exempt from some of the requirements of other transfers.

Lawyers from other jurisdictions in Canada may be eligible practise temporarily in BC. In some instances, they may be permitted to practise temporarily in BC without a permit; in others they may need to apply for an Inter-Jurisdictional Practice Permit.

Lawyers outside of Canada

A lawyer who has obtained a law degree in a country other than Canada or a law degree in the Civil Code may be called to the Bar in BC, but must first obtain a Canadian LLB degree or a Certificate of Qualification issued by the National Committee on Accreditation. 

A person qualified to practise law in a country other than Canada who wishes to give legal advice in BC respecting the laws of that country may apply for a Practitioner of Foreign Law Permit.