A comprehensive list of JD, LLM, and other law-related programs and tuition in Canada
LOCATION:
Thunder Bay, Ontario (licensure requirements)
LAW DEGREE AND ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS:
Juris Doctor (JD)
Year 1:
Years 2 and 3:
These rates are for 2023-2024. Information is on the Lakehead University website.
NOTABLE FACULTY MEMBERS:
OTHER INFORMATION:
The law school centres its program on three mandates, chosen due to the school’s Northern location – Aboriginal and Indigenous law, natural resources and environmental law, and sole or small firm practice.
Every student has mandatory Aboriginal and Indigenous law courses in their first and second years in addition to core law courses. Aboriginal or Indigenous law is woven into all courses where appropriate.
The law school also offers a JD specialization in Aboriginal and Indigenous law. The law school’s integrated practice curriculum is the first in the country to include legal professional training in the curriculum with a one-term (four-month) non-paid placement in third year. This, combined with compulsory courses, qualifies graduates to take the bar examinations without needing to article with a firm.
Through Lakehead University Community Legal Services, students gain hands-on experience by offering free legal services to low-income residents of Northwestern Ontario.
The Newcomer Legal Clinic, which opened in September 2021, is a partnership between the law school and the Thunder Bay Multicultural Association with sponsorship from the Law Foundation of Ontario. The legal clinic supports applications for permanent residency, helps clients move from being without status to becoming permanent residents, and helps refugees reunite with their separated family members.
LOCATION:
Ottawa, Ontario (licensure requirements)
LAW DEGREES AND ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS:
More information is on the Recruitment and Admissions page.
OTHER INFORMATION:
Located in the heart of downtown Ottawa, within walking distance of Parliament Hill and the Supreme Court of Canada, the Common Law Section provides an opportunity for aspiring lawyers to study common law, civil law, and Indigenous legal traditions in English or in French.
Common Law also prioritizes experiential learning. It is doubling its efforts to distinguish itself in terms of legal teaching and clinical experience by appointing Professor Anne Levesque as its first academic director of experiential learning.
The law school’s mooting programs offer law students hands-on experience in legal advocacy and allows them to develop skills in research, oral presentation, and argumentation.
Through simulated court cases and feedback from experienced practitioners, students can gain a deeper understanding of legal principles and can gain confidence in their ability to navigate complex legal issues.
Common Law is developing a new plan for embedding entrepreneurship to shape tomorrow’s leaders and entrepreneurs. It aims to equip future professionals with the skills, mindset, and knowledge required to thrive in a rapidly changing legal landscape.
As part of the law school’s commitment to advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion at the university and in the legal profession, it actively seeks to admit and to support students from various applicant categories, including Indigenous applicants, Black students, and those from communities who have historically experienced exclusion, systemic inequality, or identifiable social or economic barriers to education.
LOCATION:4
Ottawa, Ontario (licensure requirements)
LAW DEGREES AND ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS:
More information is on the application for admission page.
NOTABLE FACULTY MEMBERS:
OTHER INFORMATION:
The Civil Law Section is committed to the community and is open to the world and other disciplines. It promotes innovative research and a transformative learning experience in the heart of the Canadian capital.
Civil Law has five flagship programs, the option of paid co-op internships, leadership training, a brand-new Certificate in Aboriginal Law that is unique in Canada, uOGlobal certification, and innovative courses such as Law and Video Games.
These rates are for 2023-2024 and are subject to change. Graduate-level tuition rates are at an approximate amount and may fluctuate based on student activity fees and other factors.
NOTABLE FACULTY MEMBERS:
View the full list of faculty members.
OTHER INFORMATION:
Queen’s JD program aims to provide students with a holistic legal education in Canada and to cultivate professional and academic leaders who are prepared for a rapidly changing world.
Students can explore international law at Bader College at Herstmonceux Castle in England, can gain a global perspective through international exchange programs, can discover Indigenous legal traditions through on the land learning, and can support front-line community justice through five pro bono legal clinics, family and children’s law placements, clinical externships, government and public interest internships, and much more.
Queen’s Law is home to centres of research such as the Conflict Analytics Lab, which focuses on legal innovation enabled by AI and machine learning.
The law school is dedicated to the principles of equity, diversity, inclusivity, and indigeneity (EDII) and the importance of reconciliation and restorative justice, including through the Education & Equity Services Office, the director of Indigenous initiatives and EDI, equity-based applicant streams, and needs-based and merit-based financial support programs.
The law school’s Career Development Office prepares students both academically and professionally for their future. The law school has a 95-percent placement rate for students upon graduation.
Students still considering law school can take the undergraduate Certificate in Law program, which provides a foundational overview of Canadian legal systems and which is offered online to support distance learning.
LOCATION:
Windsor, Ontario (licensure requirements)
LAW DEGREES AND ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS:
Information is on the University of Windsor website’s admissions page.
NOTABLE FACULTY MEMBERS:
View the full list of faculty members.
OTHER INFORMATION:
Windsor Law defines itself as a justice-seeking, community-engaged, and people-centred law school.
For over 50 years, Windsor Law has advanced access to justice through various academic and experiential learning initiatives, including clinical and placement opportunities.
Windsor Law reviews all admission applications through a holistic lens and selects students that it expects to excel in the study of law and to have the potential to contribute creatively and meaningfully to the law school and to the community.
Windsor Law places a strong emphasis on student well-being and fosters a sense of community and collegiality among its members. It ensures that its professors are easily approachable and that the staff are dedicated to providing support to students.
The law school encourages students to actively engage in all aspects of campus life, including student groups such as the Student Law Society, the Black Law Student Association, Women and the Law, and approximately 50 other student clubs and associations.
The $35 million renovation to the Ron Ianni Law Building aims to enhance the student experience, to connect with the indigenous community, to advance accessibility, and to support the environment for years to come.
JD: Tuition and supplemental fees amount to $21,840 for Ontario residents and $23,904 for out-of-province residents.
These estimated rates are for domestic students for 2023-2024.
NOTABLE FACULTY MEMBERS:
OTHER INFORMATION:
Western Law’s JD program aims to be known for its unparalleled student experience; its wide range of international, clinical, and mooting opportunities; and its academically rigorous curriculum.
The law school takes pride in its tradition of producing leaders in many fields while maintaining a unique sense of community that lasts long after graduation. With its small class size and its small-group program, students will build strong relationships with the faculty and their classmates in an inclusive, collegial environment.
At Western Law, students will gain professional experience through volunteer and employment opportunities at on-campus legal clinics, internal and external advocacy opportunities, and research assistant positions.
The law school’s new Summer After 1L Program (SA1L) allows students to participate in 10 weeks of meaningful, paid legal experience after the first year. Western Law’s exchange partnerships with 16 law schools around the world enable students to explore expanded curriculum options and to create a global network.
Students have access to a full-time wellness counsellor and have the foundational support that they need to thrive in law school and to navigate the demands of a rewarding professional legal career.
LOCATION:
Toronto, Ontario (licensure requirements)
LAW DEGREES AND ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS:
Domestic Ontario students:
Domestic out-of-province students:
International students:
These rates are for 2023-2024. Information is on the website’s Fees & Financial Assistance page.
NOTABLE FACULTY MEMBERS:
View the full list of faculty members and practitioner co-instructors.
OTHER INFORMATION:
The law school seeks to reimagine legal education by engaging critically with technology as it intersects with the law and by exploring new ways to expand the reach of representation and justice.
It is one of the few law schools in Canada to offer an integrated practice curriculum. The law school aims to offer rigorous academic and skills-based training, a diverse faculty, and a collaborative co-teaching model that brings the real-world experience of practitioners – lawyers, judges, and legal tech innovators – into the classroom.
The courses of the three-year JD program cover the business of lawyering, building emotional and cultural competencies, coding, and contemporary technological practices.
The program also includes hands-on mentorship, two term-long practicums, and a 15-week professional placement. Students will gain the practical skills to conduct legal research, to draft pleadings, to review shareholder agreements, to assist in contract negotiations, to argue motions, and to create solutions.
Combined JD programs:
Certificate programs:
Collaborative:
JD tuition
Graduate program fees
Domestic tuition fees
International tuition fees
These rates are for 2023-2024 and are excluding ancillary and incidental fees.
NOTABLE FACULTY MEMBERS:
OTHER INFORMATION:
The law school aims to educate the dynamic, innovative leaders and lawyers that the world needs now. It brings together students, faculty, alumni, and supporters from different backgrounds, experiences, and disciplines to advance legal thinking on the most critical problems of the time in areas like health, climate risk, business, privacy, and Indigenous rights.
Its programs and legal aid clinics seek to champion the issues affecting some of the most vulnerable members of the community. In 2022-2023, 99.5 percent of its JD students secured articling positions, including with major law firms in Canada; New York, N.Y.; and London, U.K.
The law school takes pride in placing more master’s and doctoral graduates in tenure-stream faculty positions in Canada than any other law school in the country. Its graduate ranks include notable leaders in Canada and abroad, including those leading the profession, the judiciary, public service, business, and beyond.
Professional LLM, through Osgoode Professional Development
These rates are for 2023-2024.
NOTABLE FACULTY MEMBERS:
OTHER INFORMATION:
Osgoode’s holistic admissions policy goes beyond simple law school admissions test scores to consider an applicant’s varied strengths and achievements.
JD students may receive financial assistance through the bursary program, through the income contingent loan program, or through awards, scholarships, and prizes.
Osgoode has experiential offerings such as clinical programs, internship programs, and the Anishinaabe Law Camp. As for LLM and PhD students, they may be eligible for Osgoode Graduate Student Awards.
The law school’s professional LLM program accepts professionals both with or without law degrees, provides 15 specializations, holds classes from two locations, and offers distance learning options through simultaneous live webcasting.
For 2022-2023, the law school is expanding its selection of courses at the intersection of law and technology, including with “Emerging Technologies: Law, Policy and Governance” and with “Computers, Information and the Law.” These courses aim to explore current and future trends in legal service delivery.
These rates are for 2023-2024.
NOTABLE FACULTY MEMBERS:
OTHER INFORMATION:
The law school is led by alumna and dean Barbara Billingsley and located on Treaty 6 territory. It aims to offer a comprehensive education in both foundational and emerging areas of law in a collegial environment.
It provides both in-class instruction and experiential learning opportunities, including an oceans law and policy course that takes students to Vancouver Island and an intensive course in Wahkohtowin Principles and Practice.
Each year, the law school awards more than $1.2 million to incoming and upper-year JD students in the form of scholarships, bursaries, and prizes.
The vibrant city of Edmonton and a close-knit community of fellow students and alumni will welcome the prospective lawyers who choose to attend this law school.
LOCATION:
Vancouver, British Columbia (licensure requirements)
LAW DEGREES AND ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS:
The tuition for domestic JD students is $13,680.32 for the first year and $12,825.30 each for the second and third years. For international JD students, the tuition is $41,620.48 for the first year and $39,019.20 each for the second and third years. These rates are for 2023-2024. Information is on the website’s Tuition and Program Fees page.
NOTABLE FACULTY MEMBERS:
OTHER INFORMATION:
The Allard School of Law offers a wide range of experiential learning opportunities, including legal clinics that provide students with hands-on learning experience with real clients, moots, and exchange opportunities.
The law school’s program has a strong focus on Indigenous legal studies. The law school takes pride in having one of the highest enrolment numbers of Indigenous law students in Canada.
Allard Law offers approximately $1.5 million in bursaries to students each year, as well as numerous scholarships and awards.
These rates are for 2023-2024 and are subject to change.
NOTABLE FACULTY MEMBERS:
OTHER INFORMATION:
The law school has special admissions processes for Black and Indigenous applicants, in which applicants have space to talk about their lived experiences on their application. The articling placement rate for the class of 2022 was 98 percent. The law school offers numerous unique internships and experiential learning opportunities, including the Innovation Internship Program and the London Corporate Law Summer Institute.
LOCATION:
Winnipeg, Manitoba (licensure requirements)
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS:
Information is on the University of Manitoba website’s Admissions page.
LAW DEGREES:
The estimated 2023-2024 tuition is $8,200 for Canadians and permanent residents and $22,830 for international students. Information is on the tuition and fee estimates page.
NOTABLE FACULTY MEMBERS:
OTHER INFORMATION:
Beginning in 2023-2024, JD students will have the option to focus their legal studies on one of four concentrations: Access to Justice in French, Criminal Law and Justice, Law and Society, and Private Enterprise and the Law.
Second-year JD students will now have to take two new required courses: Legal Profession and Professional Responsibility plus Indigenous Methodologies and Perspectives. These are in addition to required upper-year courses Administrative Law and Evidence Law.
JD students can choose from nine for-credit externships that count for credit and provide hands-on experiential training.
Students starting the JD program this fall will be eligible to apply for the collaborative JD/MBA degrees, both of which they should complete within four years.
LLM students can focus their studies on one of six streams, including Human Rights, Business, Indigenous Studies, Law and Society, Criminal Law, and Public Policy.
Master’s students can gain practical experience in the same for-credit externship courses that are available to JD students.
Additional experiential learning opportunities for law students include volunteering with Pro Bono Students Canada and with a very active collection of community-minded Manitoba Law Students’ Association student groups.
These rates are for 2023-2024.
NOTABLE FACULTY MEMBERS:
OTHER INFORMATION:
The law school has committed to annually reserving two seats in the 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, as well as the J. Barrie Thomson Scholarship for students interested in the field of agriculture.
The law school provides special programs such as 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 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.
LOCATION:
Kamloops, British Columbia (licensure requirements)
LAW DEGREES AND ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS:
First-year tuition for 2023-2024 is $10,652.76 per semester with $652.44 in student fees, for a total annual tuition of $21,305.52 and fees of $1,304.88. More information is on the TRU Law website’s admissions FAQs page.
NOTABLE FACULTY MEMBERS:
OTHER INFORMATION:
The law school’s JD students take classes exploring various fields of law. These include advanced legal courses and diverse electives appealing to various interests, such as sports law, First Nations business and taxation, First Nations governance and economic development, corporate governance and tax, and comparative and international Indigenous rights.
For those interested in the media and gaming space, the law school offers electives in digital media law, video gaming law, and law and film. Additionally, students can participate in experiential learning opportunities, including the mooting program, the Community Legal Clinic, and the school’s chapter of Pro Bono Students Canada.
The law school aims to provide a supportive environment and to offer programming promoting academic success and professional wellness, including law school tutors, a faculty and upper-year student mentorship program, and a workshop series in collaboration with the university’s counselling services.
Students also have various financial aid opportunities through awards, bursaries, and prizes. All these supports and experiences contribute to the law school’s articling placement rate of 98 percent.
LOCATION:
Victoria, British Columbia (licensure requirements)
LAW DEGREES AND ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS:
NOTABLE FACULTY MEMBERS:
View the full list of faculty members.
OTHER INFORMATION:
The law school’s mission is to provide legal education and to conduct research that contributes to legal and social justice. It aims to equip students with the legal knowledge and skills that will foster the critical self-awareness underlying humane and responsible professionalism and that will ensure their success in a wide diversity of careers in the public, private, and non-profit sectors.
UVic Law takes pride in its strengths in Indigenous, environmental, and international law; its commitment to community engagement and social justice; and the opportunities that it offers for experiential learning through mooting, clinical placements, and the co-op program.
Its JD/JID program is the first of its kind in the world. Students in the program will learn how to understand Indigenous legal orders, to reason with them, to build institutions based on those orders, and to design institutions and procedures that work in concert with other levels of Canadian law. This program seeks to break new ground for legal education in Canada.
The law school has two research centres: the Indigenous Law Research Unit and the Access to Justice Centre for Excellence. It also has three clinical programs: the Law Centre Clinical Law Program, the Environmental Law Centre, and the Business Law Clinic.
It has inclusive, Indigenous, and Black admission pathways to create a more equitable application process and to build a student body that reflects the diversity of Canadian society.
The law school urges aspiring lawyers to take a look at its courses.
For Quebec students taking a master’s degree, the tuition for one full-time semester consisting of 12 credits is $1,593.72, while the cost of one academic year is $16,180. For Canadian students not residing in Quebec, the tuition for one full-time semester is $3,966.96, while the cost of one academic year is $20,930. These rates are for 2022-2023. Information is on the Université Laval website’s fees and budgeting page.
NOTABLE FACULTY MEMBERS:
OTHER INFORMATION:
The law school considers itself a francophone leader in North America. It accepts about 400 students per year, coming from all continents.
With an emphasis on social justice and sustainable development, the law school focuses on not just the theoretical side of law but also gives its students a hands-on learning experience including through legal clinic courses, moot courts, and externships.
The school also offers four dual degrees, during which students spend a semester in one of four French partner universities: Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne to focus on environmental law, sustainable development, and food safety; Université de Bordeaux to focus on the law of transatlantic relationships; Université Paris-Saclay to focus on intellectual property law and digital technologies; and Université Toulouse Capitole to focus on penal law and criminal sciences.
These rates are for 2023-2024.
NOTABLE FACULTY MEMBERS:
OTHER INFORMATION:
Graduates of the law school’s bilingual BCL/JD program will obtain both a Bachelor of Civil Law degree and a Juris Doctor, opening the door to legal careers in all Canadian provinces, the U.S., and beyond.
A full list of the law school’s courses and details of the law school’s class and alumni profiles for 2020 are available for prospective law students.
The law school holds activities such as its Integration Week, which prepares first-year students through introductory lectures and small group workshops; as well as its elective Focus Week workshops, in which upper-year students learn practical skills such as negotiation, mediation, electronic discovery, and evidence gathering.
In addition to various law courses that incorporate Indigenous legal traditions into the curricula, the law school established a compulsory first-year Indigenous legal traditions course in fall 2020.
The McGill Centre for Human Rights and Legal Pluralism offers learning opportunities like international human rights internships and international judicial clerkships. The law school is the alma mater of three sitting Supreme Court of Canada judges. Its graduates perform well in the run for Supreme Court of Canada clerkships. They have secured, on average, one in five of these positions over the past decade.
LOCATION:
Montreal, Quebec (licensure requirements)
LAW DEGREES AND ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS:
NOTABLE FACULTY MEMBERS:
Short programs
Specialized graduate diplomas (DESS)
Master’s program (LLM)
Master’s program (four courses):
Doctoral program:
These 2023-2024 rates do not include the insurance fees, which are approximately $900 per year or $300 per semester. Information is on the cost of studies page.
NOTABLE FACULTY MEMBERS:
OTHER INFORMATION:
The school’s LLB program was revamped in 2019, with an emphasis on producing lawyers committed to social justice.
The school is selective in its admissions process, with an average annual admission rate of 26 percent.
Despite the law school’s relatively small size, its students have participated in many prestigious international simulations and moot court competitions and have garnered many awards and distinctions at these events.
The law school offers a range of legal clinics: the CÉPAJ - Carrefour Étudiant Pour l'Accès à la Justice, the International Human Rights Clinic, UQAM Pro Bono, Innocence Quebec Project, CliniX - Clinique de justice sociale pour les questions de genres et sexualités, and the Mobile Legal Clinic.
LOCATION:
Sherbrooke, Quebec (licensure requirements)
LAW DEGREES AND ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS:
First Cycle - Bachelor of Laws
Second Cycle - Course Type
Multifaculty programs
Second Cycle - Research Type
NOTABLE FACULTY MEMBERS:
LOCATION:
Halifax, Nova Scotia (licensure requirements)
LAW DEGREES AND ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS:
Tuition and fees for full-time JD students in 2023-2024 are $22,094.29. Students who are not Canadian citizens or permanent residents should also pay an additional international tuition fee. Fees for LLM and PhD students are on Dalhousie University’s Money Matters page.
NOTABLE FACULTY MEMBERS:
OTHER INFORMATION:
In 2022-2023, the law school introduced its first mandatory course on African Nova Scotian Legal History and Issues and Critical Race Theory (ANS/CRT) for all first-year law students.
Last April, the law school announced its participation in the Qanittaq Clean Arctic Shipping Initiative, a unique partnership that will address and respond to concerns about Arctic shipping and related environmental impacts affecting Northern communities.
The law school is home to Dalhousie Legal Aid Service, the initio Technology & Innovation Law Clinic, and the Restorative Research, Innovation, and Education Lab. It also offers a robust student pro-bono program and various internships in Canada and around the world.
Information on admission is on the Université de Moncton Faculty of Law page.
For Canadian students, the tuition fee is $8,548 to $8,639 per year. For international students, the tuition fee is $15,109 to $15,200 per year. These rates are for 2023-2024. More information is on the website’s coûts d'une année universitaire page.
NOTABLE FACULTY MEMBERS:
OTHER INFORMATION:
The law school offers training in common law solely in French. Upon graduation, students will have the necessary skills to exercise their legal profession in both French and English.
The law school is relatively small, with around 150 students from Canada, Africa, and Europe. The students all know each other because they are often required to collaborate in small groups.
The students will have the opportunity to be involved in the law school’s research activities, both during their time in school and during their professional lives.
LOCATION:
Fredericton, New Brunswick (licensure requirements)
LAW DEGREES AND ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS:
Tuition for full-time law students in 2023-2024 is $15,260 with compulsory fees of $1,088. Students who are not Canadian citizens or permanent residents should also pay an additional international tuition fee. More information is on the University of New Brunswick website’s financial services page.
OTHER INFORMATION:
The law school’s academic program allows students to gain hands-on experience while studying law. The UNB Legal Clinic gives students the opportunity to work on real client files relating to housing/tenant matters, social benefits, human rights, employment law, and small claims – all under the supervision of a staff lawyer.
The law school’s experiential program takes advantage of the natural benefits of Fredericton. Being in a small provincial capital allows the law school to forge strong bonds with many legal institutions and government agencies. One example is the judicial internship program with the New Brunswick Court of Appeal. These internships operate similarly to judicial clerkships and offer students the chance to view hearings of selected cases, to discuss the arguments with judges, and to assist judges with research.
The law school’s other experiential learning opportunities include the Tax Law Clinic, the Attorney-General Internship, the Public Prosecutions Internship, the Public Interest Organization Internship, the Administrative Tribunal Internship, the UNB Law Journal, the Competitive Mooting Program, and the Pro Bono Students Canada.
The law school’s students clerk at appellate courts across the country, including the Supreme Court of Canada. Large and small law firms, governments, businesses, and public interest organizations are quick to recruit the law school’s graduates.
The GPA or the Grade Point Average that you need to have to enter a Canadian law school would be at least 3.7 and above. For some law schools in Canada which use the percentage scheme, that would be 80% and above.
Since all applicants for that particular academic year are placed in an application pool before being chosen, it’s better to have a higher GPA to increase your chances of getting into the law school that you’re pursuing.
Although the 3.7 or 80% GPA is the general average, the specific GPA varies in every law school in Canada. Some schools would have a lower average GPA requirement of 3.12 or around 73%; some go to even as high as 3.9 or 85%. You would have to check with the school or university that you’re interested in.
There are also other Canadian law schools which do not require a minimum GPA average. In this case, the admission of students would be based on other factors.
Another aspect about GPAs: most law schools only measure the GPA average in the final two years of your undergraduate degree.
If you have a lower GPA but are still interested in attending a Canadian law school, getting a higher LSAT will help. Most schools or faculties of law assess applicants based on their combined LSAT score and GPA.
While your GPA score is not the only admission requirement in Canadian law schools, having a higher GPA will boost your chances of getting into one.
The LSAT, or the Law School Admission Test, is a standardized test that you need to pass. This is part of the process in applying to a law school in Canada.
Most Canadian law schools do not require an LSAT score, especially those in Québec. However, these schools or universities do suggest an LSAT score average to guide you on how they accept successful applicants.
LSAT scores may be mandatory or optional depending on the school you’re pursuing, so check with the law school to find out what’s required. It’s also wise to check the deadline for submitting an LSAT score. Canadian law schools that require LSAT scores might not accept these after a certain date.
What happens if you’ve taken LSATs in the past? Some schools will consider the latest LSAT score; others will look at the highest LSAT score.
If you’ve taken LSATs a few times before, you will need to state this during your application. Otherwise, this may result in the denial of your application due to material misrepresentation.
If you’ve been accepted, and then the school discovers that you left out this information, your acceptance may be cancelled or revoked by your school.
Law school in Canada, specifically the Juris Doctor (JD) degree, takes up to three years. The exact years of study will depend on the university or law faculty that you’re applying to.
A JD degree is still considered a bachelor’s degree, not a graduate program. However, an undergraduate degree is a prerequisite for a JD degree.
You will need a four-year undergraduate degree or a bachelor’s degree before you can apply to a Canadian law school.
This degree must be from an accredited institution or from a recognized Canadian university. In some cases, a law school may accept applicants who graduated from a three-year degree.
Other Canadian law schools may have a three-year degree as a minimum requirement, with a four-degree as an advantage. There is no specific degree required.
After completing your three-year or four-year undergraduate degree, it will take another three years to complete your JD degree.
Once you’ve completed your three-year JD degree, you will have to do articling and pass the bar examinations.
Articling means working under the supervision of a qualified lawyer. The duration for articling will vary for every province; for example, in Ontario, it would take up to 10 months, while it’s 9 months in British Columbia.
After that, you would have to write the bar examination according to your provincial law society.
In most Canadian law schools, the required LSAT score average for its admission is at 160 and above.
Some schools set a lower LSAT average of 158 and some may require a higher LSAT average of 166. This would depend on the faculty of law or school of law that you’re pursuing.
So how do Canadian law schools measure your LSAT scores? They might:
Some Canadian law schools might not accept LSAT scores beyond a certain period – five years, for example.
Other law schools or universities may also indicate when you should take your LSAT for admission. For example, they may prefer that you take your LSAT by November of the year prior to your admission, or by January of the year you’re applying.
It’s always best to check with the admissions office of your preferred law school.
While LSAT is not a mandatory requirement in entering a Canadian law school, a high LSAT score will give you an advantage.
In preparing for the LSAT, know that the test has the following components:
“Getting to a Canadian law school is like passing through the eye of a needle” is not an understatement.
Currently, there is a low average acceptance rate for law schools in Canada which is around 11%. Some schools may have a higher rate of around 14%, and some even as low as 6%.
This low admission rate is due to several factors, such as:
It’s better to prepare early on if you’re thinking about studying law. This will include having a high GPA while you’re studying for your undergraduate degree, or having a high LSAT score if your GPA is not really that good.
If you’re from a minority group, or from an Aboriginal or Indigenous community, there might be additional admission requirements that your law school may ask from you. This is in line with the diversification and the wide cultural representation that most law schools aim for.
Some law faculties established certain academic and funding support programs for applicants who come from societal and cultural minorities. Similarly, programs and scholarships are also offered by some Canadian law schools for international students, which of course requires additional requirements.
Check with the legal institution you’re interested in to see if they offer such programs and if you’re eligible.
The average tuition fees for JD degrees for the first year is now at around C$18,000. Other Canadian law schools may be as low as C$5,000 per year or as high as C$34,000 per year.
For the succeeding years, your tuition fee may either be the same as your first year or slightly cheaper.
You may also have to check with your target legal institution since the tuition fee is probably not inclusive of other fees, such as:
These expenses do not account for your books, living expenses, and other expenses while you’re studying law.
If you’re financially struggling, but still hope to become a lawyer someday, check with the Canadian law school that you’re interested in. They may offer scholarships, financial aid, or student loans to eligible students.
If you’re also thinking of working while studying, check with your school or university to see if they’re offering their JD program on a part-time basis.
Tuition fees of JD programs are much higher for foreign students. It averages C$35,000 per year, with C$15,000 per year as the cheapest and C$60,000 per year as the most expensive.
If you’re an international or foreign student, and want to work part-time while studying, check your student permit to see if you’re allowed to work on-campus or off-campus.
You must also check your school or university regarding their conditions for international students who are working part-time.
While most law faculties or law schools do not have an age limit for you to study law in Canada, some schools or universities may impose a minimum or average age for their applicants.
For example, some would require that you be 25 years old or 26 years old at the time of your application. This makes sense – a prerequisite for studying law is an undergraduate degree. You would probably be at least 25 years old when you complete your undergraduate degree.
Other than this, there is no age limit for students who are interested in studying law in Canada.
Whether law school is hard or not is a relative question. However, there are certain factors which you may look at to assess if law school will be hard for you.
Getting ready for your law school’s admission process might be your first hardship in your law school journey. However, this will be eased by being fully informed, closely coordinating with your preferred Canadian law school or university, and learning from the previous or current students at your preferred school.
After hurdling the admission process, you would now have to devote your time, energy, and resources in studying law.
Some students may find it hard because of their low or failing grades, especially when one is not used to having below-average grades during their undergraduate studies.
Some may find it easier compared to their undergraduate degree, especially when one is really interested in learning about the field of law.
Passing the bar exams will be the final step before you can practice law in Canada.
Studying for the bar is already hard. Thus, extensive preparation, coupled with mental and physical fitness, will be your best weapon.
With these considerations in mind, only you can judge whether life in law school is hard or not. At the end of the day, there’s no substitute for a student’s perseverance and hard work, and all these will pay off sooner or later.
