Continuing Legal Education (CLE)

The purpose of mandatory continuing legal education (CLE) is to ensure that members of the Law Society of Nunavut meet and maintain high standards of competency by undertaking legal education throughout their careers. The Law Society of Nunavut responds to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada's Call to Action #27 by ensuring that lawyers receive appropriate training in intercultural competency, conflict resolution, human rights and antiracism.

Questions related to CLE? Please send an email to CLE@lawsociety.nu.ca. The standard of service to acknowledge receipt of your email is within three business days.

Recognized Hours? The office will update a CLE event recognized hour(s) within 30 days from date of the event.

Mandatory Continuing Legal Education Policy

2024 CLE Events. View here.

2023 CLE Events Compilation. View here.

 

Active Members

All practising members of the Law Society of Nunavut must complete 12 hours of eligible CLE in each calendar year.

The 12 hours of eligible CLE must include:

  • one hour devoted to professional responsibility and ethics; and
  • one hour devoted to cultural competency.

Professional Responsibility & Ethics

Content focusing on the professional and ethical practice of law, including:

Cultural Competency

Cultural competency content is one that:

  • engages lawyers with the broader questions of culture and differences in order to increase awareness and understanding of diversity and inclusion; and
  • provides lawyers with a set of skills, behaviours, attitudes, and knowledge that enable them to provide services that are appropriate for a diverse range of clients. 

Members with less than 12 months of membership

Lawyers who are practising members of the Law Society of Nunavut for less than 12 months during a calendar year are required to complete one hour of eligible CLE for each full or partial calendar month during which the member was engaged in the practice of law in Nunavut (i.e., active status).

They are not required to complete the two mandatory CLE hours on Professional Responsibility & Ethics and Cultural Competency for the calendar year in which they were practicing members for less than 12 months.

Members unable to complete their CLE hours 

If a member is unable to complete the CLE requirements, they must enter their reasons in their online CLE Report where indicated. Those reasons will be subject to approval by the Executive.

Reporting limited to 12 hours annually 

Members report their hours of eligible CLE activities each year as part of the annual membership renewal process through their online CLE Report. 

Please note that you always have access to your online CLE Report to allow you to compile your hours as you go. To access your CLE Report, log into your member account and click on Renew Membership. Create a new renewal form and fill up the CLE section. Don’t forget to save your information after each session. You will be able to retrieve your completed renewal form afterwards. 

Exemptions

A practising member is not required to complete CLE activities during a calendar year, if during that year they:

  • completed the bar admission program and were admitted to the Law Society of Nunavut;
  • were inactive for the entire 12 months of the calendar year; and/or
  • were on leave or unable to practise because of illness or for any other reason acceptable to the Executive, for the entire 12 months of the calendar year.

Lawyers who are practising members of the Society for less than 12 months during a calendar year are required to complete 1 hour of eligible CLE for each full or partial calendar month during which the member was engaged in the practice of law in Nunavut (i.e., active status).

Members who are exempt from complying with CLE requirements will identify their exemption in their online CLE Report. 

Members who complete the bar admission program and are admitted to the Society are not required to report any CLE activities in respect to the year of admission.

  • The CLE requirement takes effect for the first full calendar year starting on January 1st, immediately following your call to the Bar. 

For example: if you completed a bar admission program and were admitted to the LSN in 2021, you are not required to report any CLE activities for licence renewal in 2022 (in respect to the year 2021), but will be required to report 12 hours for licence renewal in 2023 (in respect to the year 2022).

Lawyers who have been or are members of a law society in another jurisdiction must complete one hour of eligible CLE for each full or partial month in the practice of law from the time of their call to the LSN until the end of that calendar year.

For example: if you were or are currently a member of the Law Society of Ontario and become a member of the LSN at any date in July 2021, you must complete 6 hours of CLE activities for licence renewal in 2022.

  • Those hours don’t necessarily have to reflect the requirements regarding professional responsibility & ethics as well as cultural competency.

Inactive members do not have to complete CLE activities.

However, members who change their status from inactive to active shall complete one hour of eligible CLE for each full or partial month from the effective date of their change to the end of that calendar year.

For example: If your membership status effectively changes from inactive to active at any date in September 2021, you must complete 4 hours of CLE activities for licence renewal in 2022.

  • Those hours don’t necessarily have to reflect the requirements regarding professional responsibility & ethics as well as cultural competency.

The same principle will apply in situations where members cease their practice of law. They shall complete one hour of eligible CLE for each full or partial month from the beginning of the year to the effective date of their change. 

For example: If your membership status effectively changes from active to inactive at any date in March 2021, you must complete 3 hours of CLE activities and report them when you cease your practice. 

  • Those hours don’t necessarily have to reflect the requirements regarding professional responsibility & ethics as well as cultural competency.

Members who were on leave or unable to practise because of illness or for any other reason acceptable to the Executive are exempt for the period during the illness or leave. 

Examples of reasons acceptable to the Executive: 

  • Maternity or parental leave 
  • Acting as a fulltime caregiver
  • Exceptional circumstances (natural disaster, being in a warzone, etc.)

Examples of non-acceptable reasons:

  • Being too busy (such as a long trial)
  • Practicing law in another jurisdiction
  • Progressively returning to work, following a medical leave
  • Working part time
  • Taking a sabbatical while being an active member, vacation period, etc. 

For example: if you were on parental leave or off work due to illness for six complete months in 2021, you must complete only 6 hours of eligible CLE for licence renewal in 2022.

  • Those hours don’t necessarily have to reflect the requirements regarding professional responsibility & ethics as well as cultural competency.

Members who are subject to comparable CLE requirements in another jurisdiction are not required to undertake additional CLE activity, as long as they have one hour devoted to professional responsibility & ethics and one hour devoted to cultural competency. 

Members must report the comparable CLE activities completed in another jurisdiction in their online CLE Report (as part of their membership renewal application).

For example: If you are a member of the Law Society of Ontario and have fulfilled the LSO’s 12 hours of CLE requirements, which include 3 hours dedicated to professional responsibility and ethics, you are simply required to undertake one hour devoted to cultural competency to fulfill the LSN’s CLE requirements. You must also report the activities you have completed for the LSO on your online CLE Report (as part of your licence renewal application).