The best law schools in Ontario, Canada

Home to most of the legal institutions and universities in the country, Ontario offers a great opportunity for aspiring lawyers. Explore your options by reading some of the best features of these law schools in Ontario, Canada.

What are the law schools are in Ontario, Canada?

Out of the 23 law schools across the country, there are 8 law schools in Ontario, Canada. Each law school offers one or both of Canada’s systems of law: Common Law and Civil Law. These faculties also offer a specific program or a combination of these programs:

• Juris Doctor (JD)
• Master of Laws (LLM)
• Doctor of Philosophy in Law (PhD)
• specializations in other legal areas

Here are the different law schools in Ontario, Canada:

• Lakehead University – Bora Laskin Faculty of Law
• Toronto Metropolitan University – Lincoln Alexander School of Law
• Queen’s University – Faculty of Law
• University of Ottawa – Faculty of law
• University of Toronto – Faculty of Law
• University of Windsor – Windsor Law
• Western University – Western Law
• York University – Osgoode Hall Law School

We’ll discuss some of the important details as an overview of these law schools in Ontario, Canada. If you’re interested to know more about the law schools in the other provinces, check out our complete list of Canadian law schools.

Lakehead University – Bora Laskin Faculty of Law

Located in the city of Thunder Bay, Lakehead University’s Bora Laskin Faculty of Law offers a 3-year full-time JD degree. This can be completed through its in-person stream or 1L Online Intensive.

Bora Laskin Faculty of Law is grounded on the three mandates of its curriculum:

• Aboriginal and Indigenous Law
• Natural Resources and Environmental Law
• Sole/Small Town Practice with the Integrated Practice Curriculum (IPC)

Here are the admission requirements:

• Minimum of 3 years full-time undergraduate studies
• Write the LSAT, with no specific LSAT score requirement
• Personal statement
• Two letters of reference
• Official transcripts

Students of diverse backgrounds may also apply through the following application categories:

• Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Accessibility Category
• Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit and Métis) Category
• Mature Category

Toronto Metropolitan University – Lincoln Alexander School of Law

The Lincoln Alexander School of Law of Toronto Metropolitan University offers a 3-year JD program built on its 4 key pillars:

• Innovation and entrepreneurship
• Increasing access to justice
• Equity, diversity and inclusion
• Sound academic grounding with innovative pedagogy

The University also aims to accept diverse students from different racial backgrounds. This is evident through its different admission categories:

• General
• Access
• Indigenous

Here are the admission requirements:

• Minimum of 3 years full-time undergraduate studies; consideration is given to those with less than 3 years of university studies
• GPA will be calculated using one’s 20 best one-semester (or equivalent) undergraduate degree courses
• Write the LSAT, with no specific LSAT score requirement
• Personal statement
• Two letters of reference
• Résumé or CV
• Autobiographical sketch
• Online interview
• Official Transcripts

Queen’s University – Faculty of Law

Another law school in Ontario, Canada is the Faculty of Law of Queen’s University in the city of Kingston.

Unique to Queen’s University is their offering of International Law programs at Bader College, where students can apply for public international law or international business law.

Aside from its JD program, Queen’s University also offers combined degree programs:

• Master of Public Administration/JD (MPA/JD)
• JD/Master of Business Administration (JD/MBA)
• Master of Arts in Economics/JD (MA [Economics]/JD)

Requirements for admission of first year students are:

• Minimum of 3 years full-time undergraduate studies
• Write the LSAT, with no specific LSAT score requirement
• Personal statement
• Two letters of reference
• Official transcripts
• Language proficiency and Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)

University of Ottawa – Common Law and Droit Civil (Civil Law)

The University of Ottawa Faculty of Law offers 2 degree sections:

• Civil Law Degree - Licentiate of Laws (LLL): practiced and followed in Québec
• Common Law Degree - Juris Doctor (JD): practiced and followed in all other provinces and territories

These two legal systems can be studied concurrently (through its Programme de droit canadien, offered in French) or consecutively (through its National Program, which is offered bilingually).

The faculty also offers combined degrees, such as:

• Juris Doctor (JD)/Master of Arts (MA) in International Affairs
• Juris Doctor (JD)/Master of Business Administration (MBA)
• Dual Canadian/American JD Program

To be admitted into the Civil Law Degree or the Common Law Degree, the requirements are:

• Minimum of 3 years full-time undergraduate studies 
• Write the LSAT, except for French-language programs
• Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of A- or above
• Personal statement 
• Two letters of reference 
• Official transcripts
• CV for Mature applicants and Indigenous applicants

University of Toronto – Faculty of Law

One of the oldest law schools in Ontario, Canada, the University of Toronto Faculty of Law offers other programs aside from its JD program, such as:

• Master of Laws (LLM)
• Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD)
• Master of Studies in Law (MSL)
• Global Professional Master of Laws (GPLLM)

It also offers combined programs, including JD/MA, JD/MBA, JD/PhD, among others. The faculty also offers Certificate programs.

Aside from the General Applicant Category, interested applicants may also choose from any of its other applicant categories:

• Mature Applicant Category
• Indigenous Applicant Category
• Black Student Application Process (BSAP) Stream

Common among these categories are these requirements for admission:

• Minimum of 3 years full-time undergraduate studies
• Personal Statement, Optional Essay, or BSAP Essay
• Mandatory LSAT
• References
• Résumés for mature applicants
• Official transcripts

Here’s a sneak preview of the University of Toronto Faculty of Law:

University of Windsor – Windsor Law

University of Windsor’s Faculty of Law boasts of its Canadian & American Dual JD Program. It allows law students to obtain 2 law degrees after 3 years.

Aside from the general JD Program and its Dual JD Program, Windsor Law also offers these programs:

• Juris Doctor and Master of Business Administration (JD/MBA)
• Juris Doctor and Master of Social Work (JD/MSW)
• Master of Laws (LLM)

Students may choose either of the following categories for admission:

• General
• Indigenous

Here are some of the requirements to be admitted to Windsor Law:

• Personal statement
• Official transcripts
• Current LSAT score and other scores for the past 5 years
• Two letters of reference

Western University – Western Law

Located in the city of London, Western Law is one of the law schools in Ontario, Canada that offers other programs aside from its JD Program:

• Graduate Diploma in Mining Law, Finance, and Sustainability (GDip)
• Master of Laws (LLM)
• Master of Studies in Law (MSL)
• Doctor of Philosophy in Law (PhD)

Western Law also offers combined-degree programs, which are divided into:

• Undergraduate:
  • Honours in Business Administration and Juris Doctor (HBA/JD)
  • Bachelor of Engineering Science and Juris Doctor (BESc/JD)
• Graduate:
  • Juris Doctor and Master of Business Administration (JD/MBA)
  • Juris Doctor and Master of Science (Geology or Geophysics) (JD/MSc)
  • Juris Doctor and Master of Arts (History) (JD/MA)

Interested applicants must comply with these requirements:

• Official transcripts for all post-secondary education
• Two reference letters (one academic)
• Personal statement
• Autobiographical sketch, detailed sketch and verifiers
• LSAT score(s) and LSAT Writing, preferably taken a year before admission

York University – Osgoode Hall Law School

One of the oldest law schools in Ontario, Canada, Osgoode Hall Law School offers Joint Programs aside from its regular JD Program. These Joint Programs include:

• Juris Doctor/Master of Business Administration
• Juris Doctor/Master in Environmental Studies
• Juris Doctor/Master of Arts in Philosophy

Osgoode Hall Law School also offers an Extended Time Program for students who cannot commit to a full-time study program.

Applicants should meet these requirements for admission:

• Minimum of 3 years full-time undergraduate studies; consideration is given to those with less than 3 years of university studies
• Write the LSAT, preferably in the year of planned admission 
• English-language proficiency
• Official transcripts

Got any questions about the different law schools in Ontario, Canada? Let us know in the comment section below.