The Call to the Bar 2026 is the long-awaited ceremony where successful candidates are formally admitted as lawyers by the Law Society of Ontario (LSO). This milestone marks the official start of your legal career as a licensed barrister and solicitor in Ontario.

Official Call to the Bar 2026 Ceremony Dates & Locations

The Law Society of Ontario has scheduled multiple Call to the Bar 2026 ceremonies across the province:

• Toronto – Monday, March 2, 2026 at Roy Thomson Hall (9:30 a.m.)
• Ottawa – Monday, June 15, 2026 at Rogers Centre Ottawa (10:00 a.m.)
• London – Friday, June 19, 2026 at RBC Place London (2:30 p.m.)
• Toronto – Monday, June 22, 2026 at Roy Thomson Hall (9:30 a.m. & 2:30 p.m.)
• Toronto – Tuesday, June 23, 2026 at Roy Thomson Hall (9:30 a.m. & 2:30 p.m.)
• Toronto – Monday, October 19, 2026 at Roy Thomson Hall (9:30 a.m.)

Dates and venues are subject to change. Eligible candidates receive detailed instructions through LSO Connects approximately 3–6 weeks before their ceremony.

What Happens at the Call to the Bar 2026 Ceremony?

During the Call to the Bar 2026, you will:

• Be called individually by name
• Take the Lawyer’s Oath
• Receive your Certificate of Call to the Bar
• Be welcomed into the legal profession by benchers, judges, and fellow lawyers

It’s a formal, memorable event — often attended by family, friends, and mentors. Many candidates choose the ceremonial call over the administrative option for this special rite of passage.

What to Wear to Call to the Bar 2026 (Ontario Court Attire Guide)

Proper attire is required. Traditional court dress is strongly recommended:

• Black barrister’s gown (or all-in-one robe package)
• White collared shirt or blouse
• Black or dark suit (or professional equivalent)
• Conservative tie (for those wearing one)
• Polished black shoes

Many candidates opt for convenient all-in-one Call to the Bar robe packages that include gown, bands, and tabs for a polished, regulation-compliant look.

How to Prepare for Your Call to the Bar 2026

• Confirm your preferred call date and location via LSO Connects
• Submit any required forms by the early filing deadline
• Arrange guest tickets (limited per candidate)
• Book professional photography and celebration plans in advance
• Order your barrister’s robe and court attire early to ensure proper fit

Whether you’re being called in March, June, or October 2026, the Call to the Bar represents years of hard work, articling, and licensing exams finally paying off.

Congratulations in advance to the Class of 2026! This is your moment.

Have you ever wondered why judges wear wigs? It seems like a strange fashion statement, but it is actually tied to the history of legal attire. In centuries gone by, judicial legal attire was always in step with popular fashions and styles so that people could better identify members of the legal community on sight alone. The development from long sleeves dresses and ruffles into spiky black caps were all about responding to what society wanted at any given time.

In recent years some have even suggested putting politics back into courtroom appearances alongside formal wear, while others claim this would make for an overly-showy environment which jurists should avoid altogether. Wigs were a new fad in Western fashion during the seventeenth century. Made from either human or horsehair, they sat very high at the crown and cascaded over your shoulders with curls. Judges started to wear these fashionable wigs when wearing their robes because of how popular they became among wealthy gentlemen who could afford them as well as judges themselves.

Wigs were all the rage in late seventeenth century Europe, but by mid-eighteenth century they had fallen out of fashion with everyone except for legal professionals. This trend continued into early nineteenth century as well and soon wigs became an essential part of a lawyer’s uniform. For centuries, judges and lawyers in Britain have worn elaborate wigs to symbolize their authority. Today the Queen’s Counsel still wear full-bottomed wigs for ceremonial occasions while bench wig is customary for daily courtroom proceedings. Barristers are known as “bar” because they sit at a bar or railing that separates them from witnesses on one side and members of the public on another; these 16th century professionals continue this tradition with tie-wig which sits back from forehead exposing hairline but not scalp like earlier styles.

Every candidate for call to the bar must appear before Convocation in full court apparel, which consists of:

Legal attire for men

• White barrister court shirt
• White barrister tab
• Black barrister robe
• Black barrister waistcoat
• Black, charcoal grey or morning stripe dress pants
• Black dress shoes
• Black or charcoal grey socks

Legal attire for women

• White barrister court shirt
• White barrister tab
• Black barrister robe
• Black barrister waistcoat
• Black, charcoal grey or morning stripe dress pants
• Black, charcoal grey or morning stripe skirt
• Black dress shoes
• Black or charcoal grey socks

Candidates are encouraged to make arrangements to either purchase or rent court apparel at least one and a half months before the call to ensure they will have full court apparel for the day of the ceremony.

The clothes worn to the call to the bar in Ontario are the same that are worn for a court appearance in many common law jurisdictions around the world. Variations on this legal wear go back to the 17^th century and derive from the style of clothing worn by nobles at the time. When fashion changed, some professions, including the law, retained them as a symbol of their professional identity. Legal dress expresses the dignity of the court and as such, needs to be worn appropriately. It is generally bad form to wear your robe outside of the courthouse.

Court dress is worn at the call to the bar because new Barristers-at-Law are being presented to the courts at the ceremony. In the early days of the Law Society this was done by walking from Convocation Room to the other side of Osgoode Hall. Today, a Special Sitting of the Court of Appeal for Ontario and the Superior Court of Justice is convened wherever the ceremony takes place. As a result of this procedure, the gowning rules of both the Superior Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal for Ontario apply to new Barristers-at Law present at the call to the bar ceremony.

All eligible candidates must be in attendance for a call to the bar. At the call, candidates are presented with the Degree of Barrister-at-Law by the Law Society, a Court Certificate of Qualification and are sworn to the oath.

The Oath to be taken can be accessed on the Law Society website By-Law 4, Sections 22, 23(1) and 24 (optional), respectively).

Following the conclusion of the call, the newly called members of the Ontario Bar are entitled to practise law in Ontario, subject to the rules and regulations set out and enforced by the Law Society in its regulatory role, to ensure the competence of the profession.

To be eligible for call to the bar, the Law Society requires that the following documents be executed correctly and present in the candidate’s file. (Mobility and Transfer candidates may not require all of these documents. Please contact the Licensing Process, Licensing and Accreditation Department for further information):

• Application for the Licensing Process duly signed and commissioned/notarized;
• Certified proof of legal name;
• Official law transcript or NCA certificate (issued directly from the institution to the Licensing Process, Licensing and Accreditation Department) that confers the LL.B./J.D./NCA;
• Two recent passport photos;
• Certified proof of legal name change (if applicable);
• All articling documents including:  
  • Articles of Clerkship
  • Certificate of Service Under Articles
• All candidates must complete a “Petition For Call to the Bar and Certificate of Fitness Form”. The document must be fully completed, signed and witnessed. Only originals will be accepted. This document will be made available at the signing of the Rolls.
• Law Deans/Professors must file a “Petition For Call to the Bar and Certificate of Fitness Form (Admission Under By-Law 4 made under the Law Society Act – Without Examination)”. The document must be fully completed, signed and sworn before a commissioner for the taking of oaths. Only originals will be accepted.  
• Transfer Candidates must file a “Petition For Call to the Bar and Certificate of Fitness Form (Transfer from Another Province or Territory of Canada)”. This document should be submitted to the Licensing Process, Licensing and Accreditation Department once they have been approved for call. Only originals will be accepted.
• Transfer, Mobility and Academic candidates for call to the bar must complete and submit the “Member’s Record Input Form” before being called to the bar. This document may be sent by fax. Member’s Record Input Form (PDF)  

Candidates who have completed the Licensing Process, mobility & transfer candidates (licensed in other Canadian jurisdictions), and law deans/professors (from approved Ontario law schools) who successfully complete all requirements of the Law Society, are eligible for call to the bar.

Licensing Process Candidates

To be eligible for call to the bar all candidates must:

• Successfully completed all components of the Licensing Process as required
• Paid all Law Society fees, including the call to the bar fee
• Filed the required documents
• Be of good character, as required by section 27(2) of the Law Society Act – candidates have a continuing obligation to keep the responses to the questions set out in the Good Character Section of their Application current, complete and correct prior to the date of call
• Submitted all the required call to the bar related documents

Mobility & Transfer Candidates

Transfer candidates are eligible for call to the bar who have met the requirements for admission as set out in By-Law 4, Section 9(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii) respectively and have:

• Submitted all documents and fees related to making application for admission to the Law Society of Ontario as required by the Administrative Compliance Processes Department (ACP)
• Paid the Licensing Examination fees, where applicable
• Passed the required transfer examinations, where applicable
• Submitted all call to the bar related documents
• Paid all fees including the call to the bar fee