ABA Accredited versus ABA Approved

[QueensStudent]

Incoming 1L here.

Are Canadian JD programs ABA-accredited? To be clear, ABA-accredited would be different than being ABA-approved. I am fully aware Canadian JD programs are NOT ABA-approved. 

I can't find any information about Canadian JD programs being accredited, despite the fact many US law firms required you to apply through an ABA-accredited school and I see that U of T, Queen's, McGill, Ottawa, and UBC all sent people to the US this past summer. 

[CB2021]

54 minutes ago, QueensStudent said:

Incoming 1L here.

Are Canadian JD programs ABA-accredited? To be clear, ABA-accredited would be different than being ABA-approved. I am fully aware Canadian JD programs are NOT ABA-approved. 

I can't find any information about Canadian JD programs being accredited, despite the fact many US law firms required you to apply through an ABA-accredited school and I see that U of T, Queen's, McGill, Ottawa, and UBC all sent people to the US this past summer. 

Why would Canadian JD programs be ABA-accredited? Also, I am not sure if there is a difference between ABA approval vs. ABA accreditation: https://www.americanbar.org/groups/legal_education/accreditation/

[QueensStudent]

1 hour ago, CB2021 said:

Why would Canadian JD programs be ABA-accredited? Also, I am not sure if there is a difference between ABA approval vs. ABA accreditation: https://www.americanbar.org/groups/legal_education/accreditation/

Thanks 

Edited August 23, 2024 by QueensStudent

[xavier888]

I'm a bit confused - if Canadian JD programs aren't ABA-accredited or approved, how do US law firms verify the credentials of Canadian law graduates? Is there another accreditation process that Canadian schools go through?

[notterrible]

42 minutes ago, xavier888 said:

I'm a bit confused - if Canadian JD programs aren't ABA-accredited or approved, how do US law firms verify the credentials of Canadian law graduates? Is there another accreditation process that Canadian schools go through?

No. It depends on the state bar, and they all do it in different ways. For example in MA a Canadian JD is treated as equivalent to that from any ABA school with no further credentials evaluation required (see end of this document from the state Board of Bar Examiners). In NY you have to submit your credentials to the state bar for evaluation prior to sitting for the exams. In CA there are several routes, but generally foreign trained lawyers only require proof that they’ve been barred in their foreign justifications or otherwise in another US state. In contrast, IL adopts similar rules to CA about being licensed in another jurisdiction outside of the US, but requires evaluation of the foreign education and also that the foreign licensee be barred and practicing in that jurisdiction for 5 years. FL has the same 5 year requirement as IL, but also requires that those 5 years take place within the United States. 
 

That is all to say: some jurisdictions require that the state bar association evaluate your education credentials prior to taking the state bar exam, others will simply treat your education as equivalent if you have practiced law in a foreign jurisdiction or been barred somewhere in the United States. It’s a hodge podge.

[xavier888]

Thanks for the detailed explanation! I had no idea it varied so much from state to state. It sounds like it can be a bit of a maze for Canadian law graduates to navigate.

[notterrible]

It for sure is, although for reference, it’s a lot harder to practice in Ontario with a US JD than for a Canadian JD to practice in NY or CA or MA due to the NCA process!