The Barrister Competency Course

Your instructor will break down the following areas of law into bite-size, easy-to-review lectures to help you understand complex legal concepts so you can efficiently issue spot and answer questions quickly and correctly. The duration of the Barrister Competency Course is less than 7 hours. 

Your instructor will lecture on the following topics

Civil Litigation

Your instructor will start off lecturing on preliminary topics followed by explaining the Civil Litigation process from start to finish. This section is approximately 2 hours and 22 minutes. 

Preliminary Topics

  • The Civil Litigation Client: specific obligations owed by the lawyer to the civil litigation client
  • Privacy & PIPEDA: understand what privacy issues exist in the civil litigation process as they relate to PIPEDA
  • Litigation Guardians: understand when a litigation guardian is necessary and how one is appointed for a plaintiff and defendant 
  • ADR: understand the different ADR options available in civil litigation
  • The Simplified Procedure: understand when the simplified procedure applies on a mandatory and optional basis 

Preparation for Trial 

  • Jurisdiction: understand where to commence a matter in court and to appeal the matter without wasting time creating charts
  • Action v Application: understand the difference between the two and when to commence one vs. the other
  • Preliminary Matters in Civil Litigation: before you commence a lawsuit, you need to review three key things
  • Joinder: when are parties or separate matters combined into a single lawsuit on an optional basis vs. a necessary basis? 
  • Service: understand the manner and timing requirements for serving different documents
  • Pleadings & Subsidiary Claims: understand the different types of pleadings involved in civil litigation and how to respond to them 
  • Disposing of a Matter Before Trial: You have several tools in your lawyer toolbox - use them to have the matter disposed of before getting to trial
  • Motions: they're expensive and time-consuming - know what to do when they arise 
  • Discovery: arguably the most important concept in civil litigation - it is crucial to understand the discovery process and what your obligations are as a lawyer 
  • Case Management & Conferences: why are some cases assigned to case management? What are the conferences involved in the civil litigation process 
  • Preparing for Trial: So you're going to trial...here's how to prepare 

 Trial

  • Trial Procedure: who opens? what do you need to understand about evidence? expert witnesses and their reports? Understand the key elements of trial

Post-Trial

  • Judgments: learn the difference between a final vs. interlocutory order 
  • Appeals: To which court do you appeal the matter? 
  • Enforcement of Orders: What happens if a party does not pay what they're required to pay? Find out how the court enforces the order
  • Costs: what are partial indemnity costs and substantial indemnity costs and when do they apply? Learn the answer and more. 

 

Criminal Law

Your instructor will start off lecturing on preliminary topics followed by explaining Criminal Procedure from start to finish. This section is approximately 2 hours and 55 minutes. 

Preliminary Topics

  • Indigenous Peoples: understand the importance of the Gladue court and how Aboriginal law, customs and more impact different parts of criminal law procedure. 
  • Youth Criminal Justice: understand when a matter becomes a "youth matter" and the obligations a lawyer owes to a "youth client"
  • Drug Legislation: understand the different types of drug legislation and examples of offences under each i.e. possession and trafficking 

Preparation for Trial

  • Search & Seizure: understand s.8 of the Charter and it's impact on search warrants, investigative techniques by police officers and more 
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