How to be a law student in Canada

While studying law is just as hard as one may think, planning how to be a law student may be even more challenging for some. With the right information and diligent planning, being admitted to your chosen law school is achievable.

Whether you’re a high school student or a mature applicant wanting to pursue their dream of becoming a lawyer, this guide on how to be a law student is for you.

How do I become a law student in Canada?

Here are the steps to become a law student in Canada:

1. Finish your high school and bachelor’s degree
2. Take the LSAT
3. Have a good GPA
4. Enroll to a law school or faculty of law

These steps are explained further below. As an initial advice on what to expect on becoming a law student, watch this video:

Check out our list of Canadian law schools for important info on how to be a law student, where to study law, and many more.

1. Finish your high school and bachelor’s degree

To become a lawyer in Canada, you’ll need to complete one of these degrees/programs:

• Juris Doctor degree (JD)
• Bachelor of Laws (LLB)
• Licentiate in Law (LLL)

JD is for common-law provinces while the LLB or LLL is for Québec, Canada’s civil law province. (We have an article especially on law schools in Québec, if that interests you.)

The JD, LLB, and LLL programs require the following:

• a high school diploma
• an undergraduate or bachelor’s degree

This means that you cannot go to law school directly after graduating from high school. You must have an undergraduate or bachelor’s degree to be a law student.

Finish high school

Your high school credentials will be the basis for your admission to a college or university for your undergraduate degree. Law schools in Canada are stricter with your undergraduate degree than with your high school diploma.

Graduate with an undergraduate or bachelor’s degree

Your post-secondary degree is another requirement before you become a law student in Canada. Here are some pointers in choosing your pre-law degree and where to study:

4-year undergraduate studies are preferred

Each faculty of law would prescribe a minimum number of years for your undergraduate degree. At the minimum, it must be a 3-year undergraduate degree, but with additional conditions (e.g., must be full-time).

Most faculties of law do prefer a 4-year undergraduate study, which can give you an advantage when your records are being evaluated.

If you have a 3-year degree, you can still be a law student, as your pre-law studies are not just the factor to be considered during admission.

Any program or degree is allowed

Most faculties of law also do not require a specific pre-law degree for admission. This is an opportunity for you to pursue an area that you would like to specialize in after you’ve become a lawyer. For example, you can have a degree in engineering or architecture if you'd like to become a construction lawyer. Get to know the different construction law schools in Canada and other important details about them.

Same school for your post-secondary and law education

Although it’s not required, some students take their post-secondary degree and their JD at the same university. It may be a simpler process for you during admission to 1L law, since your records are from the same school. There would be no adjustment period since you already know the campus and its environment during your undergraduate studies.

Also, there are opportunities for you to strengthen your pre-law degree by taking law-related courses offered by the faculty of law during your undergraduate studies.

Must be from a recognized academic institution

Check with your chosen law school if your institution is among their accredited and recognized institutions. This applies if you’re taking your pre-law studies in an academic institution different from where you’re going to study law.

2. Take the LSAT

The Law School Admission Test (LSAT) is an important Canadian law school requirement. Almost all law schools in Canada require that you submit your LSAT score, along with other requirements and documents. 

The LSAT is administered by the Law School Admission Council (LSAC). It’s a standardized test held eight times per year, which is used to assess law school applicants in different areas. It can be taken either online or in-person.

You’ll have to write the LSAT according to what your preferred law school says. Each school may differ on how they will treat your previous LSAT scores:

• some schools may require you to take it in a specific month (e.g., University of Alberta requires that you take the LSAT no later than January of the year when you’re applying for admission)
• other law schools may consider all your previous LSAT scores in a specific period (e.g., University of Toronto’s 2025 admissions for 1L would consider all LSAT scores taken from June 2019 to January 2025)
• there are law schools that may not require you to take the LSAT (McGill University, for example, does not require an LSAT score, but you can still submit it)
• if you took the LSAT multiple times, some law schools would take only your highest LSAT score (e.g., University of Calgary only uses the highest attained LSAT score on your LSAC report)

Preferred LSAT scores of law schools

For law schools that require LSAT scores, they would also provide:

• a median score: the average score of the applicants they’ve accepted over a given period; or
• a minimum score: a score that the law school requires for your application to be considered

Even if you have a low LSAT score, you can still get into law school if:

• you have a high GPA, to balance out your low LSAT score; and/or
• you apply through more lenient admission categories offered by the law school

This means that you are being accepted or rejected based on how well you do overall.

How to prepare for the LSAT

As a crucial step in becoming a law student, preparing for the LSAT is important. But how does one study for it? Aside from the courses offered by other institutions and organizations, you have two options:

• take LSAC’s official online preparation program, which is offered for free
• take your preferred law school’s test preparation, which may also be free

There are law schools in Canada that offer these free prep test courses, such as:

• University of Toronto: Faculty of Law’s Law School Access Program (LSAP)
• York University: Osgoode Hall Law School’s Access to Law and Learning (ALL)

These are offered every summer, intended for incoming 1L students who will be taking the LSAT. They also support takers who are from low-income families by waiving the LSAT test registration fee.

Here are some additional tips from law students on how to prepare for the LSAT:

If you’re set on taking up law in Toronto, check out our guide to law schools in Toronto.

3. Have a good GPA

Aside from the LSAT, another important factor is your GPA (Grade Point Average) or your CGPA (Cumulative Grade Point Average) from your undergraduate degree. This is why it’s also advised to have good grades during your pre-law degree - they are a factor when you’re applying to law school.

You must submit your GPA as part of the records or transcript of your undergraduate degree.

How the GPA is measured by law schools

Like the LSAT, each Canadian law school also has different approaches in measuring your GPA. A law school could take one of these strategies:

• all grades taken during your undergraduate studies are considered
• only a specific period within your undergraduate studies is considered
• some of your lowest grades during undergraduate studies will be disregarded

To know about how your choice of law school will assess your GPA, refer to their admissions process found on their official website.

Alternatives to low GPA, CGPA, or LSAT scores

What happens if your GPA or CGPA is not that good? One suggestion is to have a favorable LSAT score to compensate for your low GPA. Again, law schools accept applicants not just based on one factor, such as your LSAT or GPA alone, but on the entirety of your application.

Another suggestion is to have outstanding letters of recommendation that would highlight your capabilities. Not all law schools require letters of recommendation, so check first.

If your preferred law school does accept letters of recommendation, it’s the perfect opportunity to display your strengths beyond the GPA or LSAT numbers.

The point is to still try applying to a law school even if you think that you score low on any of the above-mentioned metrics.

4. Enroll to a law school or faculty of law

The last step on how to be a law student in Canada is to apply for admission to your preferred law school. After graduating from your undergraduate degree and writing the LSAT, it’s time to test the waters and submit those applications. If you’re looking for the best law schools to enroll in, check out our guide to good law schools in Canada.

Admission process of Canadian law schools

Although regular admissions for 1L students at Canadian law schools happen during August or September every year, submission of the requirements start the year before. In other words, if you want to enter law school next year, you may have to submit your requirements as early as this year.

Admission requirements to be a law student

Here’s a complete list of admission requirements that you would have to submit to your law of school of choice:

• application forms from the law school’s admissions office, website, or through their student’s account
• LSAT score, by giving the law school your LSAC account number or LSAC records
• undergraduate degree records or transcripts, which shall also show your CGPA or GPA. These should include records of any postgraduate degrees you’ve taken
• reference letters or letters of recommendation, when allowed
• personal statement, résumé, and/or curriculum vitae, if required

Choosing an admission category

The requirements mentioned above apply to regular or general admissions for 1L students. However, there are changes to these requirements if you’re applying under a different admission category, if offered by the law school you’re applying for.

Here are some examples of the most common admission categories:

• mature
• Indigenous
• minority groups (e.g., Black students)
• upper-year or transferees
• international students

Next steps: becoming a lawyer in Canada

Completing the first steps on how to be a law student is just the beginning; the challenging part comes when you go through law school and become a lawyer. Here’s what comes next:

1. graduate from law school
2. finish your articling period
3. write and pass the bar exams
4. find a job as a lawyer

Visit our legal education page for more articles and insights on studying to be a lawyer.

Other points to consider on how to be a law student

Becoming a law student in Canada involves doing well in your undergraduate degree to get a good GPA or CGPA and getting the best LSAT score. Planning for these may start even during your high school years. It only means that wanting to become a lawyer — which is a challenging career — takes an equally tough admission process. But with perseverance and perfect timing, becoming a lawyer is not impossible.

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