Are you familiar with the CPLED program?
The CPLED (Canadian Centre for Professional Legal Education) program is the bar admission course in Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan. In Alberta, LESA delivers the CPLED program on behalf of the Law Society of Alberta.
The CPLED program is intended to help students-at-law develop the skills they need to be successful lawyers. As such, the program cultivates competencies in a variety of areas, including:
• Lawyering skills,
• Practice management skills,
• Ethics and professionalism, and
• Legal knowledge
CPLED students complete 10 modules, 7 of which are online and 3 of which are conducted in a face-to-face setting. Each module concludes with a competency evaluation that simulates tasks typically encountered at the entry-level to the practice of law. To successfully complete the CPLED program, students must achieve a standing of “Competency Demonstrated” in all ten modules.
The online modules include:
• Legal Research and Writing,
• Drafting Pleadings,
• Drafting Contracts,
• Written Advice and Advocacy,
• Practice Management,
• Client Relationship Management, and
• Ethics and Professionalism.
The face-to-face modules include:
• Oral Advocacy and Professional Responsibility,
• Interviewing and Advising, and
• Negotiations and Practice Fundamentals.
Students are wrapping up 2014 with the Written Advice and Advocacy module and will be ringing in the new year with Oral Advocacy and Professional Responsibility or Practice Management.
Registration for the current 2014/15 year closed at the end of November, and the program’s growth over the past few years continued its upward trend.
Last year, in 2013/14, we received about 455 applications and ultimately registered 423 students in the CPLED program. This year, the number of applications jumped to about 520, with 478 students being admitted and registered.
Having so many students keeps us busy here at LESA, and we couldn’t possibly manage without all the experienced lawyers who help us facilitate the program by acting as Learning Group Facilitators (LGFs) and Learning Group Evaluators (LGEs).
Thanks to all those who help make CPLED possible. We’re wishing all our CPLED students, LGFs, and LGEs an enjoyable and restful holiday. With the current module wrapping up on December 18, the end is in sight!
