America to Quebec

[ColdBlue]

Is it possible for an American, with a BA degree, to go to law school in Quebec or are all the law degrees in Canada undergraduate degrees? Could someone with a JD practice law in Quebec?

[ouchitburns]

with a BA, I am sure you could go to law school in Quebec. Common law degrees in Canada require an undergraduate degree (or at least part). Civil law degree, I believe, you can do without an undergrad degree.

With a JD, you probably only know common law, so you would have to learn civil law to practice in quebec. I do not know the exact requirements for certifications, but I assume that you could get certified.

that is what I understand at a very basic level. Please take this with a grain of salt and contact the appropriate bodies in quebec to find out if I am correct.

[gillesthegreat]

with a BA, I am sure you could go to law school in Quebec.

Correct

Common law degrees in Canada require an undergraduate degree (or at least part).

Not all schools. McGill, for one, doesn't

Civil law degree, I believe, you can do without an undergrad degree.

Correct

Could someone with a JD practice law in Quebec?

Yes and no. 'Le Barreau' (the provincial bar) requires that you get at least some education in Quebec. That would be at least one year. Then, you would need to attend the bar school, which is another year. The guild is strong, and they don't want outsiders. And French is a must.

Please take this with a grain of salt and contact the appropriate bodies in quebec to find out if I am correct.

Wise. Ditto.

[Astro]

with a BA, I am sure you could go to law school in Quebec.

Correct

Correct

Common law degrees in Canada require an undergraduate degree (or at least part).

Not all schools. McGill, for one, doesn't

Well, they did say "at least part", which is true.  You need at least two years of undergraduate work at any law school in Canada, IIRC.  With the following exception (although I think this is only true for Quebec):

Civil law degree, I believe, you can do without an undergrad degree.

Correct

Correct

Could someone with a JD practice law in Quebec?

Yes and no. 'Le Barreau' (the provincial bar) requires that you get at least some education in Quebec. That would be at least one year. Then, you would need to attend the bar school, which is another year. The guild is strong, and they don't want outsiders. And French is a must.

Please take this with a grain of salt and contact the appropriate bodies in quebec to find out if I am correct.

Wise. Ditto.

I ditto the ditto.  May be wise to actually attend McGill, which would put you in a good position to practice either in the US or in Canada. 

[ColdBlue]

What degree in Quebec is the equivalent to an American JD degree? What should I do with an American BA to be able to practice law in Quebec (I can already speak French pretty well)? What are the law schools in Quebec?

[Astro]

I'll leave this one to gilles.

[gillesthegreat]

What degree in Quebec is the equivalent to an American JD degree?

LL.B.

What should I do with an American BA to be able to practice law in Quebec

Get an LL.B., and then attend bar school for a year. They don't care that your BA is US or Canadian. And for some schools, a high school degree is enough. Your application will probably look very interesting to them

I can already speak French pretty well

Which French? I trust you are keenly aware that the Gallic dialect and the Quebec dialect have different pronunciations and to a moderate extent vocabulary.

What are the law schools in Quebec?

McGill
Université de Montréal
Université Laval
Université de Sherbrooke
Université du Québec a Montréal (UQAM)

I believe that U of Ottawa grads are also eligible.

I understand you didn't ask for recommendations, but here goes anyway. McGill is the best, and the program is bilingual. Ottawa is also bilingual; that might interest you. Montréal is unilingual French, but a bit better than Ottawa (I believe, not too objectively). So McGill is what I would go for. If not, then Ottawa or Montréal, dependeing on your preferences. And if you want to go all out, Laval, which is not only unilingual French, but also in a unilingual city (despite what they think of their English-speaking abilities).

With McGill, the reputation will enable you to work anywhere in QC, ROC, and even in the Northeast (I personally know people in NYC and Boston)

One last thing: I believe McGill has a French self-assessment test that you can take online. I would look into that.

[ColdBlue]

Is the LLB the equivalent to the typical American bachelors degree or is it a graduate level degree (like the JD)? When I graduate with a BA/BS from an accredited college in the US, all I have to do is apply to a law school in Quebec? Is there any test I have to take (like the LSAT)? How long does it take to complete the LLB?

- Thanks for all the help.

Which French? I trust you are keenly aware that the Gallic dialect and the Quebec dialect have different pronunciations and to a moderate extent vocabulary.

I taught myself Parisian French; I don't think the Quebecois accent would be too difficult to get around in though, but I understand that they are differences between Parisian and Canadian French.

[gillesthegreat]

The LL.B. is not a graduate degree. The LSAT may be required by McGill (check the website), but I know that it is not required for UdeM, and I strongly suspect that the others don't either. The LL.B. is usually 3 years. You may elect to do a 4-year program that will allow you to practice in civil and common law jurisdictions. I know McGill has that, and others may as well.

I taught myself Parisian French; I don't think the Quebecois accent would be too difficult to get around in though, but I understand that they are differences between Parisian and Canadian French

Thank you for that ... that was funny. If you want to hear what you're up against, I recommend www.wwitv.com, and find TVA (in Canada). You can also find some videos on Youtube, and if you want to check radio, you can try CKOI-FM.

[MorningStar]

Some little updates - LSAT is not required for McGill or any of the other Quebec law schools.  McGill's LLB/BCL program (you have to take both) is 3.5 to 4 years in length.  I can be done in 3 but it requires summer coarses and it is my understanding that it is discouraged unless you have a job waiting for you upon graduation as it severly limits your ability for summer employment / networking (especially the all important 2L summer).