LEGAL EDUCATION IN GHANA HAS CHANGED.
The Legal Education Act, 2026 (Act 1170) abolishes the Ghana School of Law entrance examination and introduces a new pathway to becoming a lawyer.
The new transitional route is:
• LLB Degree
• Pre-Bar Programme (1 Year)
• Law Practice Training (LPT) (1 Year)
• National Bar Examinations
• Call to the Bar
The Pre-Bar Programme is a transitional arrangement for current final-year LLB students and existing LLB graduates. It covers:
• Corporate & Commercial Practice
• Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)
• Family Law
• Interpretation of Deeds and Statutes
Students must pass institution-based examinations before progressing to LPT.
The old Professional Law Course has been replaced by a one-year Law Practice Training (LPT) programme focusing on practical legal skills, including:
• Civil Procedure
• Criminal Procedure
• Evidence
• Legal Accounting
• Law Practice Management
• Advocacy & Ethics
• Drafting & Conveyancing
After LPT, candidates must pass the National Bar Examinations before being called to the Bar.
Importantly, the abolition of the entrance examination does not mean automatic admission. Universities and training institutions may still apply admission criteria, capacity limits, and screening requirements.
For current final-year students and backlog LLB holders, qualification as a lawyer will generally require two additional years after the LLB: one year of Pre-Bar and one year of LPT.
This reform decentralises professional legal education, shifts academic subjects to universities, and places greater emphasis on practical training and nationally standardised bar examinations.