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Law Society Practice Management Course

Who needs to take PMC?

Pursuant to Rule 3-27, a lawyer who begins practicing in a small firm must complete the Practice Management Course (PMC) unless they meet both of the following conditions in a Canadian jurisdiction for at least two years in the preceding five years:

(i) They have engaged in the practice of law in a small firm; and

(ii) They have been a signatory on a trust account.

If a lawyer has already completed the PMC within the last 12 months, they will not be required to retake the course.

What is a Small Firm?

The term “small firm” is defined as: 

  • a firm in which not more than four lawyers practise law together, and
  • a lawyer in an arrangement to share expenses with other lawyers who otherwise practises as an independent practitioner, except when the lawyer relies on a firm that is not a small firm to maintain trust accounting and other financial records on the lawyer’s behalf,

A small firm does not include:

  • a public body such as government or a Crown corporation, or
  • a corporation other than a law corporation, or other private body.

When is the PMC required?

The PMC may be required in situations such as:

  • A lawyer starting a sole practice (through Law Firm registration)
  • A lawyer joining a small firm (through Address and Employment changes)
  • A lawyer leaving a firm with five lawyers (through Address & Employment changes), which then makes it a small firm. In this case, the remaining lawyers may be required to complete PMC subject to Rule 3-27.

PMC may also be required to satisfy the requirement of an application when the return-to-practice rule is triggered.   Refer to the information sheet for the specific application type for more information.

Deadline to complete PMC

Lawyers have six months to complete the PMC after being notified that it is a requirement.

How to access the course

Lawyers can access this course by navigating to the “Law Society’s Brightspace” link in your Member Portal. Follow the instructions to log in to Brightspace, or use this link: LSBC Brightspace. 

If you are not able to access Brightspace, please contact the Professional Development department at: professionaldevelopment@lsbc.org.

Course materials can also be downloaded from here: Course Materials

How to certify completion of the course

To certify completion of the course and receive up to six CPD credits, record the course under ‘Continuing Professional Development’.

Step-by-step guide:

  • Log in to the LSBC Member Portal with your usual credentials;
  • Under Education, click on “Continuing Professional Development”. You will be directed to the “Courses & Group Studies” tab;
  • In the ‘Course/Group Student Name’ box, type: “Practice Management Course 2024” (other fields are not necessary);
  • Click “Search”, and scroll down to view the results;
  • Click on the orange “Claim Credit” button to the right of the course name;
  • Under “Credit Information” on the left of the page:
    • Enter the total number of hours you spent on the course (maximum 6)
    • Enter the date you completed the course
    • Choose the year which you want the credit to apply to
    • IMPORTANT: Click the “Yes” radio button to certify that you completed each module and you received 100% on each quiz.
  • Click the orange “Get Credit” button to finalize.

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