Building legal careers: Construction law schools in Canada

Laying the foundation for your legal career in construction starts by looking at the Canadian construction law schools and choosing the best fit for you. With courses tailored to help you prepare for the construction industry, you’ll be equipped to tackle legal disputes and construction contracts. In this article, we’ll discuss the colleges and universities for your consideration, among other important details.

What are the construction law schools in Canada?

Are you aspiring to become a construction lawyer someday? Or do you want to improve your knowledge on Canadian laws on construction? Look no further than the construction law schools on our list.

These schools offer the Juris Doctor (JD), the Bachelor of Laws (LLB), and the Licentiate in Law (LLL), which are your stepping stones to becoming a construction lawyer. If you’re already a lawyer, these law schools also offer various graduate programs to further enhance your legal knowledge about the construction industry.

Construction law in Canada

The laws and statutes regarding the construction industry will be taught in the proper course once you’ve enrolled in a construction law school. Construction law involves statutes at the federal level, down to the provincial and territorial levels. It also includes common law principles, or the Civil Code of Québec, as the case may be.

One important aspect of construction law, which you’ll eventually learn, is the importance of construction contracts. Watch this video to learn more about them:

If you’re looking for construction law schools to study at, you can check out our comprehensive list of Canadian law schools. Get an overview of their requirements, areas of specialization, and other important information.

Degrees to become a construction lawyer

The law degree you’ll have to take, whether it be JD or LLB, depends on where you’ll be practicing law after becoming licensed. From there, graduating and the licensing process according to these degrees will follow.

JD / LLB for developing construction lawyers

All common law provinces in the country offer the JD program, while law schools in Québec (the only civil law province) offer the LLB program. These programs are a three-year course; another year is added after graduating for the licensing processes to be allowed to practice law in your selected province or territory.

There are some schools which offer dual degrees, where you can learn both common law and civil law at the same time, or over three or four years. Here are some examples of these joint degrees:

• Osgoode Hall Law School and Université de Montréal: offers the joint JD/LLB program, where you can take two years under the JD program at Osgoode, and another two years for the LLB program at the Université de Montréal
• Queen's University and Université de Sherbrooke: graduates of Sherbrooke’s LLB can enroll in Queen's for another year to earn the JD degree
• University of Ottawa: offers the Programme de droit canadien which allows you to earn both JD and the LLL within three years
• McGill University: offers the joint BCL/JD degree that can be completed for three to four years

Construction courses offered by construction law schools

There are only some law schools that offer specialized construction law courses. However, the basic and foundational courses related to construction law are offered by all construction law schools.

Some examples of these basic courses are:

• law on contracts: as shown by the video above, contracts govern the relationship of the different parties in a construction project, which follows that its drafting, enforcement, and interpretation need application of one’s legal knowledge
• alternative dispute resolution: resolving construction disputes usually undergo mediation and/or arbitration before they reach the court for adjudication, so having knowledge of these legal processes is important in becoming a construction lawyer
• law of torts: knowing the basic concepts of tort law is related to construction law, since injuries and damages may arise out of the breach of a construction contract, accidents in the workplace or construction site, or through negligence of any of the parties involved

Just because your law school does not offer a specific course on construction law, it doesn’t mean that you can’t become a construction lawyer someday. This is evident to some law schools requiring these mandatory courses before you can take the course on construction law, if they offer one, such as with University of Saskatchewan’s Construction Law course.

Specific construction courses in law schools

It’s still better to take construction courses while you’re still in law school. It’s usually offered as an optional course during your upper years, such as the following:

• University of Saskatchewan – College of Law: offers a three-units Construction Law (Law 311.3) either in Term 1 or Term 2, whose prerequisites are Contract Law (Law 202) and Tort Law (Law 211)
• University of Toronto – Faculty of Law: offers the From Blueprints to Buildings: Legal Issues in the Construction Industry (Law 306) course as one of the alternate year courses available in the upper years
• Dalhousie University – Schulich School of Law: offers Construction Law (Laws 2218), a two-credit hours regular course offering which requires no prerequisite and is available during the upper years

It’s important that you grab the opportunity to take these construction courses. They may not be offered every term and every year.

For example, University of Toronto’s construction course mentioned above will not be offered for the year 2024-2025. As an alternative, you can take other courses that are related to construction law, such as their alternate year courses on:

• contractual interpretation
• commercial arbitration
• public-private partnerships (P3s or PPPs)

Graduate degrees on construction law

But how about when you just decided to pursue the specific practice area of construction law after you’ve become a lawyer? Are there ways to make up for the lost education you could have had when you were still in law school?

The answer is yes — by going back to law school at any of the construction law schools. Here, you can now be strategic and choose a construction law school that fits your goals. For this, what you’ll be looking for are law schools that offer graduate studies or certificate courses related to construction law.

A great example of this is Osgoode’s Professional LLM in Construction Law, a part-time graduate program. It does not require an enrollee to be a JD/LLB graduate, which means that it’s open for lawyers, law graduates, and senior professionals in the industry. Know more about this graduate course in this information session video:

Check out our page on legal education for more resources on Canadian construction law schools and other law school-related insights.

Alternatives to construction law schools

Construction law is not just for lawyers, and there are other colleges and universities that teach construction law both for lawyers and non-lawyers.

University of Alberta is one of these schools that offer construction law through its Certificate in Construction Management & Administration. This part-time program is offered to practicing con­struc­tion pro­fes­sion­als, lawyers and non-lawyers alike. It’s usually completed within one to three years (up to a maximum of six years), whose courses are usually taught online, making it easier for working professionals to attend classes.

Here are other examples of these educational institutions that offer such certification courses:

• Centennial College: Construction Project Management, a 1-year graduate certificate program, which offers Construction Contracts & Construction Law as one of its courses
• Algonquin College: Construction Project Management graduate certificate which offers Law and Contracts for the Construction Industry
• George Brown College: Construction Law, a 30-hour certificate program, which is taught online

These certificate courses are certified by the Canadian Construction Association (CCA) and other regulatory bodies in the industry. It’s part of the continuing education of construction professionals, which may also include lawyers.

Law school courses on construction for non-lawyers

Construction law schools offer courses on infrastructure and construction law to interested non-lawyers. An example is Osgoode’s Certificate in Construction Law that is open to lawyers or non-lawyers. This is a five-module course, spread over five days, which can be taken either in-person or online.

Similarly, Osgoode offers a Certificate in Public-Private Partnership (P3) Law and Practice in Canada, a course that is also connected to construction law.

What is the admission process for Canadian construction law schools?

Now that you’ve decided which construction law school you’re going to, the next thing you must do is to know its admission process and requirements. Applying for a construction law school in Canada generally requires the following:

• undergraduate degree
• Law School Admission Test (LSAT)
• documentary requirements

We’ll briefly discuss each requirement below, but you can also check our article on important law school requirements for more detailed information.

Undergraduate degree

All law schools in Canada — whether it be for a JD, LLB, or LLL — require that you finished your undergraduate degree. As for its number of years, a four-year undergraduate course is mostly preferred, although a graduate of a three-year course is not barred from enrolling. Since there are no specific undergraduate degrees required, you can take a degree related to infrastructure and construction.

Below are the law schools that have a joint or combined JD degree with an undergraduate degree that is somehow related to construction:

• Queen’s University – Faculty of Law: Bachelor of Commerce and Juris Doctor (BCom/JD)
• University of Saskatchewan – College of Law: Bachelor of Commerce and Juris Doctor (BComm/JD)
• Western University – Western Law: Bachelor of Engineering Science and Juris Doctor (BESc/JD)

Law School Admission Test (LSAT)

Not all law schools in Canada strictly require the LSAT for law school admissions. For those which require them, you must check which latest LSAT score/s they are going to accept. However, it’s still encouraged that you submit your LSAT score, especially if it’s a good one, even if the law school you’re applying for doesn’t require them. Read our guide on preparing for your LSAT for the best possible outcome.

Documentary requirements

Your law school will list down all the documentary requirements that you must submit to them. Some of them are:

• personal statement
• academic transcripts or proof of undergraduate degree
• résumé or curriculum vitae

How much does construction law school cost?

Studying in construction law schools is admittedly costly; from tuition costs and living expenses, not to mention the numerous books you’ll have to buy. But there are many ways to cope with this, such as looking for the cheapest law school in Canada, or through scholarships and sponsorships.

Tuition for law schools in Canada may cost from $18,000 to $34,000 per year. There are some law schools that may charge lower or higher than this range. This range also fluctuates every term or year, and may also exclude other fees such as compulsory fees, student fees, etc.

Costs of certificate courses on construction law

Because certificate courses are shorter and completed with minimal requirements, these are offered by law schools are your cheaper alternatives. For instance, Osgoode’s Certificate in Construction Law only requires a one-time fee of $4,495 (plus taxes).

Construction law schools: building new lawyers in Canada

Completing any of the programs offered by these construction law schools can help you frame your successful career in the infrastructure and construction industry. It ends not just when you’ve become a lawyer, but even afterwards through their continuing education courses and certificate programs. After mastering the ins and outs of the construction industry through these construction law schools, there's no doubt that your legal career in construction will soar.

Which of these construction law schools would you consider joining? Tell us in the comments section