A new skills course designed by the Canadian Centre for Professional Legal Education (CPLED) will be launched for articling clerks in Alberta, Manitoba, Nova Scotia and Saskatchewan. The course, known as The Practice Readiness Education Program or PREP is designed to equip students with the necessary practical skills to pursue a career in law in the future.
The PREP course is designed to run over nine months, with two intakes per year, and is broken down into four sections:
- Foundation modules (5 months) – online modules providing a foundation in all CPLED competencies including Lawyer Skills, Practice Management and Professional Ethics and Character.
- Face-to-face foundation workshops (5 days) – face-to-face workshops that include role-playing in the areas of interviewing, negotiating, and advocacy
- Virtual firm one-month rotations (3 months) – rotations working in a virtual law firm, testing previous training, tasks will include interviewing simulated clients within a learning management system, allowing assessors to track progress
- Face-to-face Capstone (4 days) – the final assessment in the program requires students to participate in a face-to-face simulated matter, which will test all the skills developed throughout the program, combined with a final reflection piece
The program is designed to be taken after students have completed their formal legal education and in conjunction with their articling.
Further details about the PREP.