The Federation of Law Societies National Mobility Agreement (NMA) is an initiative that has been introduced to simplify the process of lawyers practicing law in different areas of Canada. The NMA was created to ensure that lawyers can easily move their practice across provincial and territorial borders without being subject to extensive requalification processes.

The NMA aims to promote mobility, while also maintaining high standards of professional competence, integrity, and conduct. It is designed to eliminate the need for lawyers to rewrite bar exams or meet other requirements that are specific to each province or territory. With the NMA, lawyers who are members of one law society can practice law in another without needing to undergo any further testing or retraining.

Under the NMA, lawyers can use their home province`s law society to apply for admission to the other province`s bar. The law society in the home province provides a certificate of standing that verifies the individual`s good standing in their profession. The receiving jurisdiction then makes a determination as to whether or not the individual meets its requirements for admission.

One of the key benefits of the NMA is that it removes barriers to mobility, which can be especially beneficial for lawyers who work in specialized areas, such as intellectual property law, where there may be a limited number of opportunities in one geographic region. This agreement can also be beneficial for lawyers who wish to relocate to a different part of the country for family or personal reasons.

So far, the NMA has been adopted by 12 law societies across Canada. These include the Law Society of British Columbia, the Law Society of Alberta, the Law Society of Saskatchewan, the Law Society of Manitoba, the Law Society of Ontario, the Barreau du Québec, the Law Society of New Brunswick, the Law Society of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society, the Law Society of Prince Edward Island, the Law Society of Yukon, and the Law Society of the Northwest Territories.

Overall, the NMA is a positive step forward for the legal profession in Canada. It simplifies the process of practicing law across the country, while maintaining professional standards. With the NMA in place, lawyers can focus on their practice and the needs of their clients, without being burdened by unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles.