A proposal to eliminate Ontario’s traditional bar exam and replace it with a mandatory, skills-based training course has triggered strong debate across the province’s legal community.
The Law Society of Ontario (LSO) is considering an overhaul of its nearly 20-year-old licensing exam model. Instead of the current two-day, multiple-choice, open-book tests, new candidates would complete an online competency course featuring ongoing evaluations and a final assessment.
Supporters Say Current Exam Doesn’t Measure Real-World Skills
Committee chair Atrisha Lewis said the existing bar exam does not effectively measure whether a candidate has the practical abilities required of an entry-level lawyer.
“I’m not sure a multiple-choice exam is the best way to test whether someone has substantive knowledge of an area of law,” she said. The proposed course would evaluate communication, client management, professionalism, and applied legal reasoning—skills lawyers use daily.
The committee also noted that internationally trained lawyers face disproportionate challenges with the current exam, including higher fail rates and more disciplinary issues after licensing. Other provinces—Alberta, Saskatchewan, and soon British Columbia—have already moved to similar skills-based licensing models.
Opponents Warn of Lower Standards and Public-Safety Risks
Some lawyers, however, argue that removing an objective exam could weaken professional standards.
Toronto business lawyer Allan Ritchie said abandoning “binary right-and-wrong testing” risks public safety, noting that new lawyers often serve society’s most vulnerable clients.
“The consequences of incompetence can be severe—loss of liberty, loss of child custody, loss of a business,” he said.
Others argue that practical training already occurs during articling, and that replacing the exam entirely is a disproportionate response to concerns about accessibility.
Critics: The Exam Itself Is Flawed and Irrelevant
Some lawyers who recently wrote the test say the current exam is “a poor measure of legal ability.”
Toronto litigator Gabriel Latner said the exam tests reading speed, not legal understanding, and could be passed by anyone with a well-prepared index—even without formal legal training.
Criminal defence lawyer Alison Craig called the exam “not remotely meaningful,” saying she relied largely on her index and barely reviewed large sections of the material beforehand.
Both argue the licensing process should focus on research, memo writing, ethics, and applied problem-solving.
Next Steps: Public Consultation Underway
Stakeholders, including lawyers, law students, and the public, can submit their views until January 31, 2026. The LSO’s board will then decide whether to adopt the new model.