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Legal Profession

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Schulich School of Law, Dalhousie University

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2008

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Full-Text Articles in Law

Mandatory Legal Education Is A Step In The Right Direction, Richard Devlin, Jocelyn Downie Jan 2008

Mandatory Legal Education Is A Step In The Right Direction, Richard Devlin, Jocelyn Downie

Articles, Book Chapters, & Popular Press

For decades, and from sea to sea to sea, many Canadian lawyers have resisted and ridiculed mandatory continuing legal education (MCLE). But the winds of change are blowing from the West.

As of January 2009 all lawyers in British Columbia will be obliged to complete 12 hours of “continuing professional development” per year. While some other provinces have imposed mandatory reporting obligations for CLE, British Columbia is the first to grasp the nettle and make actual participation in CLE mandatory. There are a number of compelling reasons for concluding that this is a very good thing.