In the UK, the terms used to describe professional legal practitioners are barrister and solicitor. They each have designated areas of practice, and are professionals in their own right. In Canada; however, there is no differentiation between the two, and the term lawyers is used to describe individuals who practice as barristers and solicitors.

In order to become a lawyer in Canada one needs to complete a Bachelor of Laws degree (LL.B.). In Canada the LL.B. is generally studied as a post-graduate degree and takes 3 years to complete. The same degree is studied here in the UK as the first step in becoming a legal professional; however in the UK, it is by and large completed as an undergraduate degree. Looking back at the Canadian route, aspiring lawyers in then must complete their provincial Bar Admissions Course.

In Ontario the Bar Admissions Course consists of self study modules in Solicitor subjects including Real Estate, Wills and Estates, Business Law and Professional Responsibility; and Barristers subjects including Family Law, Criminal Law, Civil law, Constituional Law and again Professional Responsibility. Lawyers in Ontario then must write and pass two major exams in these subject areas.

Also, those striving to become barristers and solicitors in Ontario must complete a 10 month articleship which is akin to the UK training contract. During their articles, students will work for a principal who will have to approve of their work. They will also have a midterm assessment whereby the principal will have to report the progress of the student to the Law Society of Upper Canada. Upon completion of all of these components, students will have concluded the gruelling process of becoming a lawyer. (For further details on the Ontario Bar course see www.lsuc.ca). 

At this point they will be called to the Bar where they will be conferred with the degree of Barrister-at-Law, and they will be sworn in and enrolled as a Solicitor of the Court of Appeal and the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario. Finally they can call themselves lawyers.