The Council of Legal Education (Caribbean) offers to common law professionally trained persons a six-month course of training leading to the award of the Legal Education Certificate which is recognized in the participating territories as the professional qualification for admission to practice. The course begins in September and ends in March in each year.

Approved Qualifications For Entry To The Law School

An applicant for admission to the six-month programme must:

1. have obtained a degree of a University or institution which is recognized by the Council as being equivalent to the degree of Bachelor of Laws of the University of the West Indies; and
2. hold either:
    
   1. a qualification which had it been obtained prior to 1st October, 1972, would have been recognized by all of the participating territories as a qualification to be admitted to practise as a barrister or solicitor in those territories; or
   2. a qualification obtained in a common law jurisdiction for admission to practise law in that jurisdiction and which qualification is approved by the Council; and
3. furnish a certificate of good standing from the competent authority in the jurisdiction where he/she has been admitted to practise.

Courses offered are:

• Constitutional Law
• Law and Legal Systems
• Criminal Practice and Procedure
• Law Office Management, Accounting and Technology
• Civil Procedure and Practice

The Principal may add to, or exempt a student from, any of the foregoing subjects having regard to his professional qualification and experience. On successful completion of the course of study, the student is awarded the Council’s Legal Education Certificate (L.E.C.). This entitles him or her to be admitted to practise law.

Students in the Six- Month programme are also required to attend at court under a programme of court attendance (to be drawn up by the Principal) and
perform exercises and the observation of practices and procedures in a legal aid clinic or law office.

 

GUIDANCE NOTES FOR PERSONS APPLYING TO THE SIX- MONTH PROGRAMME