Hi everyone..

M Shweta, from India, currently in my final year studing of LLB course. I recently acquired PR status of Canada. I intend to pursue my higher education from Canada. For this I wud be aaplying to various universities for masters in Law. But presntly, am stuck in a dilemma.

My relatives residing in Canada are advicing that I should pursue an LLB course again from Canada as there are not much job ooportunities fr International students not having a Canadian LLB degree. But undergoin LLB again fr a period of 3 years after my Indian degree doesn't seem to be digestable to me!   If you guys cud please advice on this.

 Secondly, my interest areas are IPR, Criminal Law and Alternate Dispute Resolution. If you could guide me regarding the best universities to pursue masters in any of these courses!

The admission process is due to start in a week's time, so I wud appreciate a prompt reply!

thanking you! 

Hi Shweta,
You can find answer to your question in posts like 'In-house legal jobs in Canada" and some other posts in LLM GUide Discussion Board under "Americas".
You need not retake LLB in Canada and its enough you get certificate from NCA, Canada by giving equivalent exams recommended by NCA. Just apply to NCA and the rest will follow. Apply for LLM in any of the univ specialized in your interested areas (on this I have no idea) and most of the univ in canada have less tuition fee requirements for PR holders. You can also give your NCA exams while studying your LLM and you can get yourself enrolled in any provincial bar once you get certificate from NCA and complying with articling requirements of the that province. Best of Luck. - LEgalINdia

Hi Shweta,
By the by, one question from my side. How do you manage to get your Canadian PR? I mean, whether your relatives sponsored you or you applied through immigration agents, how many points you got in your assessment, etc. How many months time it took since the time your first made your application. As I am in the process of applying for PR, I am interested to know from you. Thanks in Advance.
LEgalIndia

Hi Legalindia...

Thanks fr taking out ur time and replying to my queries. But what I heard from the majority of the people I discussed, that job options for internationally educated LLB students is very scarce even if they do there LLM frm Canada.

As regards my PR status, I underwent the whole immigration process. Basically my whole family is immigrating to Canada. They got it under skilled worker category....am going as a dependent. The whole process took around 1 and half years! But that may not be the case with you as applyinh through skilled workers category invites more complexities and time in the process.....
Good Luck for your future,,,,,,and thanks for your advice!!

Hi Shweta,
Yes, initially it will be difficult for foreign LLb holders to get jobs in legal field in Canada. However, there are 2 requirements which every foreign trained lawyer/foreign LLB holders should possess to make his/her way easy to get the jobs there. 1) You should get certificate of qualification from NCA by clearing the recommended exams & enrolled as solicitor in any provincial bar; 2) you should have canadian work experience; This 2nd requirment you can get only once you get the 1st one. I mean, In Canada without getting yourself enrolled to provincial bar as solicitor, one cannot work in any law firms or as a in-house corporate legal professional. THe situation in Canada is different from that of INdia. In India if you want to work as in-house corporate legal, you need be a practicing lawyer enrolled with bar council. but this is not the position there.
So, my advise would be first you admit your self for any LLM there in any top universities like University of Toronto, MicGill Univ, Univ of BC, Ossgoode etc. Simulteneously you can also attempt NCA exams so that by the time you complete your LLM, you can also complete your NCA requirements. After that you can get yourself enrolled with any provincila bar by complying their 10 months articling requirement. Then you can initially you can join any law firm / or any part time job in legal atleast for 6 months to 1 years which will be taken as canadian experience and thereafter you can easily get into any legal job market.
Another option would be to first forget about LLM. Just apply for NCA for its recommendation as to challenge exams and try to complete NCA exams first, (you can apply for this from India itself once you complete your LLB, no need of being present in Canada. NCA also conduct its exams in New Delhi, Please check). Obtain ceritificate from NCA and get yourself enrolled with the bar by complying with articling requirements.(for this you need to be in Canada and getting this articling is very difficult unless you have somebody to help you there in Canada). As you do you articling in Canada it can also help to like Canadian work experience with which you can easily land into a job in legal field. Any how once you reach Canada, there are so many organisations which help new immigrants, foreign LLB holders to get into job market there. University of Toronto is also conducting one special program for foreign trained lawyers/foreign LLB holders to make their transition easy into the Canadian LEgal job market.
So, onc have Canadian PR, there are thousand and one ways of securing your furture in Canada, so no need to be panic about your legal career there. Bust of Luck.

I tried to cover up so many things in one post. I hope I did it with clarity. In case of any further clarifications, please write to me.
-LEgalIndia.

I am sorry for small tying mistake in the last sentence of 1st para. "In India if you want to work as in-house corporate legal, you need be a practicing lawyer enrolled with bar council." It should be ".......,....you need not be a practicing lawyer........". Please read it accordingly.

Hi Legalindia...

Thanks fr taking out ur time and replying to my queries. But what I heard from the majority of the people I discussed, that job options for internationally educated LLB students is very scarce even if they do there LLM frm Canada.

As regards my PR status, I underwent the whole immigration process. Basically my whole family is immigrating to Canada. They got it under skilled worker category....am going as a dependent. The whole process took around 1 and half years! But that may not be the case with you as applyinh through skilled workers category invites more complexities and time in the process.....
Good Luck for your future,,,,,,and thanks for your advice!!

Hi Legalindia...

Thanks fr taking out ur time and replying to my queries. But what I heard from the majority of the people I discussed, that job options for internationally educated LLB students is very scarce even if they do there LLM frm Canada.

As regards my PR status, I underwent the whole immigration process. Basically my whole family is immigrating to Canada. They got it under skilled worker category....am going as a dependent. The whole process took around 1 and half years! But that may not be the case with you as applyinh through skilled workers category invites more complexities and time in the process.....
Good Luck for your future,,,,,,and thanks for your advice!!

Hi Legalindia,

My name is Divya and i am trying for PR in canada. I am working in the field of patents for past 13 years and have completed PG diploma in patents law after my MCA. I am planning to do LLM so that it would be easy to find patent related jobs in Canada when i migrate. Request you to advise whether pursuing LLM in Intellectual property or LLB in Intellectual property is better for finding jobs in Canada.

Hi Legalindia,

My name is Divya and i am trying for PR in canada. I am working in the field of patents for past 13 years and have completed PG diploma in patents law after my MCA. I am planning to do LLM so that it would be easy to find patent related jobs in Canada when i migrate. Request you to advise whether pursuing LLM in Intellectual property or LLB in Intellectual property is better for finding jobs in Canada.