A comprehensive list of law school programs in Canada
For more up to date information see Canadian law schools 2022/23: Resources if you're considering whether, and where, to become a lawyer.
There are seemingly endless considerations when it comes to going to law school — how much can I spend? Can I afford to spend 4 years out of the workforce? Do I want to stay close to home or go far away? How much does “brand” really matter when it comes to what school you put on your resume?
To help aspiring lawyers inform their law school admissions decisions, Canadian Lawyer has compiled a list of all 24 law schools in Canada, including their tuition figures, key faculty members, joint degree programs and licensure requirements in the respective provinces.
University of Alberta – Faculty of Law
Location: Edmonton, Alberta
Other Information:
This law school is committed to teaching familiarity with an understanding of Indigenous Law. This is done with faculty scholars who have expertise in this area (Hadley Friedland, Darcy Lindberg, Joshua Nichols); through the Wahkhotowin Law and Governance Lodge which is a partnership with the Faculty of Native Studies; and through experiential learning initiatives like their Wahkohtowin Project course, an on-the-land course that explores Cree law, governance, philosophy and spirituality through traditional activities.
They launched a Coding in Law course in January 2020 which teaches students how to automate routine legal services.
Their JAG Externship is the first course in Canada to allow law students to work in the Office of the Judge Advocate General of the Canadian Armed Forces
University of British Columbia – Peter A. Allard School of Law
Location: Vancouver, British Columbia
Other information:
The law school offers a wide range of experiential learning opportunities, such as legal clinics that provide students with hands-on learning experiences with real clients, moots and exchange opportunities. The law school’s program has a strong focus on Indigenous legal studies. In terms of financial assistance, the law school offers approximately $1,000,000 in bursaries.
University of Calgary – Faculty of Law
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Tuition Rates:
Other Information:
University of Calgary launched their Black Students Admission Process this fall.
The law school offers its International Energy Lawyers Program in partnership with the University of Houston. Other unique courses and programs in the law school include the following: Crisis Communications for Lawyers, Marketing and Client Development, Indigenous Legal Traditions, the Institute for the Future of Law Practice Program, Decision Making – Alberta Utilities Commission and Indigenous Business Law.
The law school also offers learning experiences seeking to engage students through technology and innovation.
Information about the demographic makeup of the class of 2023 may be found here.
Dalhousie University – Schulich School of Law
Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia
Tuition Rates:
Other Information:
More information about the law school can be found here.
Location: Thunder Bay, Ontario
Other information:
The Bora Laskin Faculty of Law (BLFL) centres its program on three mandates:
1. Aboriginal and Indigenous law
2. Natural resources and environmental law
3. Sole or small firm practice, with an Integrated Practice Curriculum (IPC)
The law school implemented mandatory courses in Aboriginal and Indigenous laws even before the Calls to Action by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.
The law school is committed to making a difference, providing access to justice and leading the way for northern communities, and in partnership with First Nations communities and Indigenous organizations, provide access to legal education for Indigenous students. All students are required to take three mandatory Aboriginal and Indigenous Law courses covering topics relating to perspectives of Indigenous Peoples in Canada and how these perspectives can shape and inform the legal system, Aboriginal rights under the Common Law, Constitution and relevant legislation, and Indigenous culture and traditions. These courses provide students a mix of theory and experience-based learning opportunities.
Through the BLFL's student legal clinic, Lakehead University Community Legal Services, students gain hands-on experience by offering free legal services to low-income residents of Northwestern Ontario.
The BLFL only accepts 65 students a year, ensuring that students receive an intimate and personalized legal education that can allow them to thrive and become practice-ready by the time they graduate.
In accordance with its commitment to access and equity for a diverse student body, 99 per cent of students in the JD program have at least one under-represented characteristic, while over 90 per cent have multiple under-represented characteristics.
Location: Quebec City, Quebec
Tuition Rates:
Quebec resident students
Canadian students excluding Quebec
International Students
As a francophone leader on the North American scene, UL’s Law Faculty trains competent and responsible jurists, able to respond creatively to the challenges posed by the evolution of law and society. Having at heart the promotion of social justice and sustainable development, this law school enrolls every year around 400 students from all continents. Through general and specific programs, the law school offers both theoretical and hands-on learnings such as Legal Clinical courses (international criminal justice and business start-up), moot courts (Gale, Laskin, Mignault, Rousseau, Cassin, Pictet, etc.) and externships of all kinds. At the graduate level, students may enroll in a research-oriented LL.M., carrying out their own project on most topics.
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Tuition Rates:
Location: Montreal, Quebec
Quebec residency
Non-Quebec Canadian:
International:
Other information:
Same as before
Université de Moncton – Faculté de Droit
Location: Moncton, New Brunswick
Tuition Rates:
$6,423 (and other miscellaneous fees)
Other Information:
Same as before
Université de Montréal – Faculté de Droit
Location: Montreal, Quebec
Quebec students
Non-Quebec Canadian students
International students
University of New Brunswick – Faculty of Law
Location: Fredericton, New Brunswick
Tuition Rates:
University of Ottawa – Common Law
Location: Ottawa, Ontario
Tuition Rates:
Other information:
The common law program in French admits around 80 new students per year. Taking the LSAT is not a requirement for acceptance.
The law school offers numerous opportunities for active learning, including legal clinics, law mentorship programs, legal writing programs, moot courts, internships, a law practice program and a pro bono national student network program.
University of Ottawa – Droit civil
Location: Ottawa, Ontario
Tuition Rates:
Other information:
Not provided
Université du Québec à Montréal – Faculté de science politique et de droit
Location: Montreal, Quebec
Short programs
Specialized graduate diplomas (DESS)
Doctoral
Tuition Rates:
Quebec residency
Non-Quebec Canadian students
Other information:
Same as before
Queen’s University – Faculty of Law
Location: Kingston, Ontario
Tuition Rates:
Other information:
Same as before
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Tuition Rates:
Other information:
The law school has adopted a holistic approach to admissions in that it considers the best two years in terms of the applicant’s GPA. An online interview is an additional feature.
Ryerson Law students will gain contemporary skills and experience beyond traditional legal contexts, enabling them to navigate diverse paths to legal practice and expand access to justice. Graduates will embrace an entrepreneurial mindset both to better serve their clients and to innovate the legal profession itself.
The first year of the program includes a co-teaching model that includes working lawyers to meld theory and practice in each subject area. Special focus on current and future technologies that are relevant to legal service. In year two, the curriculum includes two-week modules which couples morning lectures with hands-on mentorship in small student "firms" in the afternoon. The final year of the program includes a professional placement with coursework focusing on key interest areas.
Information on scholarships offered by the law school may be found here.
University of Saskatchewan – College of Law
Location: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Certificate and Combined Degree Programs:
Other information:
The law school has committed to annually reserving two seats in JD program for Indigenous students from Newfoundland and Labrador.
The law school offers a number of unique financial aid opportunities, including a scholarship for applicants self-declaring as LGBT persons, funded by alumni and married couple Brad Berg and Brian Rolfes. The law school also has the Nicole L. Thornbury Memorial Bursary, for students graduating from a Newfoundland high school, and the J. Barrie Thomson Scholarship, for students interested in the field of agriculture.
Special programs provided by the law school include the Kwayeskastasowin Setting Things Right course, the Nunavut Law Program and the Dean’s Forum on Dispute Resolution and Access to Justice. The Dean’s Forum gives students the chance to interact with important stakeholders in the justice system to discuss access to justice issues.
The law school’s Ariel F. Sallows Chair in Human Rights is the first endowed chair of human rights in any law school across Canada.
The law school hosts the McKercher Lecture Series which is open to the public. This year's edition of the series is being held online and has focused on the topic of "Re-Envisioning Policing in Canada".
Université de Sherbrooke – Faculté de droit
Location: Sherbrooke, Quebec
First Cycle - Bachelor of Laws
Second Cycle - Course Type
Multifaculty programs
Second Cycle - Research Type
Third Cycle - Doctorate
Quebec residency
Non-Quebec Canadian students
Thompson Rivers University – Faculty of Law
Location: Kamloops, British Columbia
Other info:
Same as before
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Tuition Rates:
Other Information:
The Faculty is recognized as a world leader in scholarship and thought leadership, operating on a globally competitive scale with a brand that represents innovative research in law and economics and legal theory. The Faculty’s students are hired by the top employers in Canada, New York, and London. Each year, approximately 95% of our JD students secure articling jobs. This hire rate is by far the best in the country and reflects the high opinion the legal professional holds for our students and the University of Toronto’s Law program.
U of T Law values the diversity of its JD class (PDF). The school has made considerable efforts to recruit students from all over Canada, from a wide range backgrounds and perspectives, and offers a robust financial aid program, strictly based on financial need and not based on merit. The law school’s Post-Graduation Debt Relief Program is likewise unique, as the first and one of the few financial aid programs that supports law graduates in low-paying careers for up to ten years after graduation.
University of Victoria – Faculty of Law
Location: Victoria, British Columbia
Tuition Rates:
Other information:
The law school’s Joint Indigenous Degree program is the first of its kind in the world. In the academic year 2018–2019, 55.5 per cent of students in the JD/JID program were Indigenous and 88.8 per cent were female.
The school prides itself in offering some of the lowest tuition fees in Canada. It also offers multiple scholarships and bursaries. Between its JD and JID programs, on average, the law school met around 90–95 per cent of its students’ financial needs.
The UVic Law Centre is the longest-running student law clinic in the country. Other legal clinics include the law school’s Environmental Law Clinic, Business Law Clinic and Indigenous Law Research Unit.
University of Western Ontario – Western Law
Location: London, Ontario
Combined-degree undergraduate programs:
Combined-degree graduate programs:
Combined-degree programs with exchange partners:
Other information:
The law school offers a number of noteworthy programs, class options and experiential learning opportunities, including the following:
The law school is also dedicated to mindfulness within the legal profession.
Information about the law school’s entrance scholarships may be found here, while recent information about the law school’s class profiles may be found here.
University of Windsor – Windsor Law
Location: Windsor, Ontario
Tuition Rates:
Other information:
With a focus on access to justice and transnational law, Windsor Law prides itself in being “one of the most diverse law schools in Canada” with about 50 per cent of students speaking a second a language, and about 50 per cent of students being racialized students.
The law school offers unique clinical and experiential learning opportunities through various legal clinics and research centres, including the Indigenous Legal Orders Institute. The law school’s Class Action Clinic, which is the first of its kind in North America, recently expanded to meet growing demand.
More information about the law school’s programs, admissions process and student organizations may be found here.
York University – Osgoode Hall Law School
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Tuition Rates:
Other information:
JD students may receive financial assistance through the bursary program or through the income contingent loan program as well as awards, scholarships and prizes. Some of the many experiential learning opportunities include a vast array of clinical programs, a mooting program and internship opportunities. Demographic information on the student body may be found here.
As for LLM and PhD students, eligible students may avail of the Osgoode Graduate Student Awards. Demographic information on students in the graduate program may be found here.
