Bar Admissions
The Bar Admission Program is the program used by the Society, together with articles, to determine whether an Articled Clerk is competent to be called to the Bar.
The Bar Admission Program currently consists of two components: 1) Practice Readiness Education Program (PREP); and 2) Cultural Competence Workshop.
The Society has partnered with the Canadian Centre for Professional Legal Education (CPLED) to deliver the Practice Readiness Education Program (PREP).
PREP will help articled clerks gain practical legal knowledge and competencies in lawyer skills, practice management, professional ethics, and the personal attributes needed to successfully practice law in Canada using a consistent, integrated approach that combines interactive, transactional learning and simulation within distinct phases.
It is comprised of four phases: foundation modules, foundation workshops, virtual law firm, and the final capstone assessment.
Registering for PREP — Articled clerks, or firms on their behalf, must register directly with CPLED for PREP. The Society is not involved in the registration process. Visit the CPLED website to learn more about registering for the PREP program regular or accelerated program.
The Society provides a subsidy of $2350 + HST to reimburse a portion of costs. The subsidy is paid to either the student, or to their workplace. Subsidy payments are made upon confirmation from CPLED that tuition has been paid in full. The Society will process subsidy payments near the start of the course for those who pay the full tuition upfront, and at Phase 4 of the course for those who pay the tuition over 4 installments.
Students who complete PREP before beginning their articles are eligible to be reimbursed by the Society once they are approved as articling students, start their articling term, and have paid tuition in full.
PREP runs from May – August every year. Registration details are available through the CPLED Website. This includes the Bar Admission course for Nova Scotia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. For additional information you can contact admin@cpled.ca.
As part of the Bar Admission Program, articled clerks are required to attend a one-day Cultural Competence Workshop. Articled clerks will receive an email with further details once it is finalized.
How your articling starting date affects your completion of the Bar Admission Program and call to the Bar
Calls to the Bar take place quarterly. The call dates normally fall in January, April, June and November but may be moved for multiple reasons. PREP has one intake of the regular program commencing in June and one intake of the accelerated program commencing late May. The timelines accommodate articled clerks commencing June 1.
June Start: Articled Clerks who start their articles on June 1 will be called in June of the following year if they do not encounter any changes to the schedule and successfully complete the Bar Admission Program.
Non-June Start: Articled Clerks who start their articles on any date other than June 1 may have their call to the Bar delayed due to the timelines set for the delivery of the Bar Admission Program or the call dates set by the Court.
Bar Admission ceremonies occur throughout the year for applicants who are eligible as members of or the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society. The major Bar Admission Ceremony, predominantly for articled clerks, takes place every June in Halifax.
Applicants are required to appear before the Court in person, and a member of the judiciary oversees the proceedings.
Applicants have the option of making their official declarations and Oaths in three languages: English, French, or Mi’kmaq. In addition, they may request to read it in any other language.
After the ceremony, applicants sign the Roll of Lawyers, and only then are they allowed to practise law in Nova Scotia.
Several weeks prior to the ceremony, eligible applicants for admission are contacted by Society staff and must provide documentation and any applicable fees.
During the ceremony, attendees may use cameras and video cameras discreetly; however, this is at the discretion of the Presiding Justice.
Upcoming Call to the Bar Dates
Friday, November 21, 2025
Friday, January 16, 2026
Friday, April 10, 2026
June Bar Admission Ceremony
We publish a program booklet with the June admission list, applicant biographies, text for the Oath on Admission and the optional Oath of Allegiance, and welcome greetings from the Bench and Bar. The NSBS does not issue tickets or compile a guest list for this event and guest seating is on a first arrival basis.
What to wear
The Justices of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia have approved Practice Memorandums which provide guidance for counsel on a variety of items, including courtroom attire.
Applicants for Admission are required to appear wearing traditional legal attire, namely: a waistcoat, a robe, a winged collar shirt, tabs and black or dark gray trousers or skirt and black shoes. NOTE: the Society does not provide or rent legal attire. For additional details, see our Dressing in Traditional Legal Attire instructional video.
Articling and Bar Admission Program Virtual Information Session
NSBS hosted a virtual information session for prospective Articled Clerks on March 18, 2025. A recording of the information session can be accessed here.
After your Call to the Bar
You can download the NSBS Guide for New Lawyers, our primer for new members.
If you have questions, please contact the Society’s Education & Credentials Advisor at licensing@nsbs.org.
Policies and procedures
View our policies and procedures related to articling.