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Requirements of English-Language Canadian Law Schools
Law School
Academic Requirements
New Writing Component
Admissions Criteria
Applications
Class Size
Total One Year Canadian Resident Tuition
2020 Interview questions
Law School
Academic Requirements
New Writing Component
Admissions Criteria
Applications
Class Size
Total One Year Canadian Resident Tuition
2020 Interview questions
1
University of Alberta
An undergraduate degree, or at least the first three years (90 credits) of a program leading to an undergraduate degree. The degree or credits must be from the University of Alberta or a recognized institution, and degree requirements must be completed prior to beginning law school.
Personal Statement (750-1000 words).
A PDF version is preferred. It must be submitted to sent from your ualberta.ca email account. Alternatively, this document can be submitted in a hard copy to the Faculty of Law's Student Services Office as noted below. Please write your full name and 7-digit Student ID Number on the Personal Statement.
Alberta uses a "prediction indicator" that consists of a combination of GPA and LSAT score. If a candidate's prediction indicator is lower, then Alberta uses a more holistic review looking at the personal statement and prior experiences.
1200
185
$18,597.26
2
University of Calgary
Completion of 20 half courses (equivalent to 10 full courses or 60 credits) towards a bachelor's degree at a university in Alberta or its equivalent. Courses to be considered must be completed prior to December 31 of the year in which the application is submitted. Very few applicants will be admitted without completing their full bachelor's degree.
Statement of Interest
You must answer the following three questions within a maximum of 500 words:
Special Facts
This is a space where you may share information that you could not fit elsewhere in your application, to help give context and perspective to other aspects of your application, within a maximum of 250 words.
Examples of what you may choose to share in this space includes a statement of your diversity, challenges you may have faced that affected your academics, or the resilience you have shown in your life experiences.
Calgary has a Comprehensive assessment process with no specific weight assigned to any of the factors. Work experience, extra-curricular activities, and community involvement are very important.
1603
133
$16,640.00
3
University of British Columbia
Applicant must have 1. obtained an undergraduate degree in an approved course of studies from a degree-granting university; or 2. successfully completed the first three years (minimum 90 credits) or more of an approved course of studies leading to an undergraduate degree at UBC or completed the equivalent at a degree-granting university; or 3. successfully completed the first two years of studies leading to an undergraduate degree at UBC or other degree-granting university, and be currently enrolled in the third year of the degree program.
For General category applicants, the personal statement will be a series of short questions on the online application:
A candidate's academic average and LSAT score are weighted equally. A candidate can request that special circumstances supported by documentation be considered in determining academic average. The personal statement may be used to assess admissibility and it will be used, in conjunction with the academic average and LSAT score, to determine entrance scholarship offers.
1,500+
200
$13,412.16
4
University of Victoria
Degree from the University of Victoria or an equivalent degree from a recognized college or university; or at least 45 UVic equivalents (90 credits) leading towards a bachelor's degree.
Your personal statement should be presented in two parts.
In Part A, write a personal essay of not more than 750 words, telling the Admissions Committee why you wish to join the Uvic Law community and why you believe that your life experiences, background and personal attributes are indicative of a strong match between who you are and the community of students that UVic Law seeks to build.
In Part B, using bullet point format only, list any other activities or achievements that you want the Admissions Committee to know about. You may wish to include your academic achievements, employment experiences, extra-curricular endeavours, community involvement, or other life experiences or personal attributes that you have not previously highlighted in your application.
Important Notes:
If you have participated in a graduate degree program, please include reference to your achievements in that program in either Part A or B of your personal statement.
Your personal statement, especially Part B, in conjunction with academic performance, LSAT score and any other information that is pertinent to the criteria for specific awards, will be used to determine entrance scholarship recipients.
Please ensure your first and last name appear on your personal statement.
Admissions is based fifty percent on the LSAT and fifty percent on academics. The personal statement may also be considered in a holistic review. The personal statement, especially Part B, in conjunction with GPA and LSAT score and other pertinent information, will be used to determine who gets an entrance scholarship.
1000+
110
$14,258.00
5
University of Manitoba
(i) Minimum of 20 one term or 10 two term, or combination thereof, university degree level courses (60 credit hours) OR(ii) If applicant is 26 years of age by September 1 inyear admission is sought, a minimum of 10 one termor 5 two term, or combination thereof, universitydegree level courses (30 credit hours).
Applicants receiving Early Offers will be considered for merit based scholarships with amounts ranging from $2,500 - $6,000. Applicants will have the opportunity to upload a written statement that demonstrates personal characteristics associated with the highest standards of the profession. Submitting the statement is optional. Please visit: http://law.robsonhall.com/future-students/jurisdoctor-j-d/scholarship-information/
Manitoba's admissions index is based fifty percent on the LSAT and fifty percent on academics.
800
106
$11,839.34
6
University of Ottawa
Three years (the equivalent of 90 credits or 30 half-courses) or more of undergraduate study required. Undergraduate program completion is strongly encouraged.
The personal statement that you must prepare is a critical part of the application, and should be thought of as an interview with the Admissions Committee. In reviewing personal statements, committee members assess you according to the following considerations:
The information contained in personal statements will be considered in a manner consistent with the Ontario Human Rights Code.
Please do not use the personal statement as a resumé. Instead, explain why you are interested in studying and practicing law at the University of Ottawa, with regard to the 5 criteria.
Please do not use your personal statement to describe why you are applying in the Special Circumstances or Access categories. Dedicated forms are provided for this purpose in the application.
GPA, LSAT, and personal statement are important factors. Ottawa also considers extracurriculars, prior professional achievements, overcoming challenges, and community work.
2,637
320
$19,354.97
7
University of New Brunswick
(a) a degree from a recognized Canadian university; (b) a degree from a non-Canadian university acceptable to UNB Law; or in exceptional circumstances (c) in their final year of a four-year degree (120 credits) of full-time academic study or; in exceptional circumstances, at least three years (or 90 credit hours) of full-time academic study at a recognized Canadian university
Personal statement
A personal statement is required for all applicants in all categories. You may forward personal statements to the Law Admissions Office by mail, or by email to .
If an applicant wishes the Admissions Committee to consider a disability, the personal statement must explain the nature of the disability in detail and provide supporting documentation including a statement of requested accommodation, if any.
For applicants in the Discretionary and Aboriginal categories, the statement should relate the applicant’s personal circumstances to the selection criteria in the relevant category.
Personal statements should describe such matters as personal strengths, reasons for seeking admission, interest in law, career ambitions and special circumstances as appropriate.
Please note that we do not have a required minimum or maximum for the personal statement. Most personal statements are 1 – 2 pages in length.
The admissions index weighs the GPA sixty percent and the LSAT forty percent.
715
92
$14,130
8
Dalhousie University Schulich School of Law
a) The applicant must have received, with standing satisfactory to the Admissions Committee, the degree of Bachelor of Arts, Science, or Commerce or an equivalent degree from Dalhousie University or from another degree-granting college or university recognized by Senate; or b) An applicant with no degree within rule (a) must have completed, with standing satisfactory to the Admissions Committee, at least three full years of studies after junior matriculation or two full years after senior matriculation of a course leading to the degree of Bachelor of Arts, Science, or Commerce or an equivalent degree at Dalhousie or at another degree-granting college or university recognized by Senate.
Personal statement (included on the online application) – There is no minimum word/page length.
The admissions index weighs the GPA sixty percent and the LSAT forty percent. The Admissions Committee also considers non-academic experience, letters of reference, and other factors.
1300+
170
$21,535.21
9
Queen's University
Applicants must have successfully completed a minimum of three full years of course work in a degree program at a postsecondary institution that provides an academic environment and education that prepares students for potential success in advanced study.
Personal Statement
The personal statement:
The Admissions Committee finds the personal statement to be helpful, along with letters of reference, the autobiographical sketch and verifiers, to identify scholarship prospects among applicants who are competitive on the basis of grades and LSAT scores.
In the Access category, a secondary mandatory statement will be required (1500 character limited) and will appear on the OLSAS application after choosing the access category of admission. Please use this section to address the basis of your access claim and upload corroboration of these circumstances through relevant supporting documentation.
Part-time studies applicants: Outline in the personal statement your reasons for wanting to study part-time.
The Admissions Committee uses a holistic approach to applications that takes into account a number of factors in addition to grades and LSAT results.
3500
208
$19,487.57
10
Western Law
Applicants must have completed a minimum of 3 years of full-time (or equivalent) undergraduate university study, although the majority of admitted students have a 4-year degree.
The Personal Statement
Does Western Law require a personal statement as part of the application package?
Yes.
What is the maximum length?
7000 characters including spaces.
Where can I find details about the requirements for Western’s personal statement?
In three places:
3. in the online OLSAS application itself, more specifically in the “Help” box on the page where applicants prepare their personal statement.
How does Western’s personal statement differ from requirements in the past?
Applicants are asked to separate their narrative in to two distinct parts: Part A (5000 characters), which is a free-flowing section, where applicants can tell us what they want us to know (suggestions are provided); and Part B (2000 characters), where applicants are asked to respond to a fact scenario. Two separate text boxes are provided for this purpose in the OLSAS online application. Access and Aboriginal applicants may submit an additional statement (in an additional Part C text box, maximum 1000 characters) for Access applicants to provide details of the disadvantage or barrier that may have affected academic performance or LSAT score(s), or for Aboriginal applicants to detail their ties to their Aboriginal/Indigenous community.
Do you have any tips for the writing of the personal statement?
Yes. We offer the following “Dos” and “DON’Ts”:
DO
Be sincere.
Make It interesting from the very first paragraph.
Tell us about you.
Consider it your “interview on paper.”
Provide examples to illustrate your statements.
Highlight the positives.
Create visuals for your reader.
Tie the introduction and conclusion together.
Be concise.
Be meticulous about spelling, grammar, phrasing, and word choice.
Ask someone to proofread your work.
Explain anomalies in your academic work if applicable.
Find the right balance between humility and self-confidence.
DON’T
Repeat what’s in your autobiographical sketch or resume. Instead highlight key items.
Use cliché phrases.
Make blanket statements without further detail.
Tell us what you think we want to hear when it’s not sincere.
Use other personal statements as templates. They only distract you.
Permit rewriting or excessive editing by others. It is your personal statement.
Be ingratiating or overbearing.
Write it at the last minute. Instead revise, revise, and revise until it’s perfect!
Western looks for well-rounded applicants who have, in addition to strong LSAT scores and grades, a variety of experiences (work, public service, leadership, etc.) and skills, including strong communication and social skills. Western also considers applicants’ personal statements, reference letters, and LSAT writing samples
2549
189
$21,800.00
11
University of Toronto
Applicants must have successfully completed at least 3 years of full-time undergraduate study (or equivalent) of an approved course, leading to a degree at a recognized university, by the end of May in the year of entry.
Personal Statement and Optional Essay
Letters of recommendation are not required, and interviews are not conducted for admission selection. For this reason, applicants are encouraged to use the personal statement and optional personal essay to highlight their academic, personal and professional accomplishments, and share with the Committee a more three-dimensional picture of themselves and their vision for their own legal education at the University of Toronto.
All statements and essays of applicants who are offered admission are read independently by at least three (and as many as six) members of the Admissions Committee, which includes students, senior administrative staff and faculty members.
Personal Statement - Mandatory
5,000 characters (maximum), in plain text, including punctuation and spaces.
The statement is part of the OLSAS application form, and is not submitted as a separate document by upload or hardcopy. The text is entered on the application form directly.
The Personal Statement is part of the OLSAS application form, and not submitted as a separate document. You are encouraged to use the Personal Statement to share your “story” with the Admissions Committee. Indigenous applicants are encouraged to outline in their personal statements their interest in, identification with and connection to their communities. There is no template to follow as the statement serves as the means for self-expression and self-description. Successful statements tend to be those that feature clear and authentic writing.
Optional Essay
2,500 characters (maximum), in plain text, including punctuation and spaces.
The essay is part of the OLSAS application form, and is not submitted as a separate document by upload or hardcopy. The text is entered on the application form directly.
The essay should be used to provide additional personal information from a choice of topics we suggest, such as a meaningful intellectual experience, a vision of your future goals, how you overcame obstacles to achievement, or how your identity, background and experiences will contribute to the diversity of the law school.
An applicant's undergraduate GPA, LSAT, and personal statement are evaluated in a holistic review.
2,779
213
$34,849.72
12
Osgoode Hall Law School, York University
Applicants must have completed a minimum of 3 full years of study at a recognized university in a program leading to a degree (90 credit hours of study)
Personal Statement
The Personal Statement provides an opportunity to highlight any information that you feel the Admissions Committee requires to make an informed and
thoughtful decision about your application. It will be considered together with the rest of your application documents.
The Personal Statement consists of a mandatory Part A and an optional Part B.
Part A (Mandatory) – Two sections, 2,000 characters each
Part A of the Personal Statement asks you to discuss topics such as community leadership and involvement, academic leadership and involvement, advanced academic work and athletic activities. You are also asked to elaborate on your interest in legal education and how you may use your law degree in the future.
Part B (Optional) – 2,500 characters
Part B of the Personal Statement is optional. It allows you to discuss one or more of the following, if they apply: equity factors, work/life experience, performance considerations and diversity factors.
Osgoode Hall has a holistic review process and looks for strength in academic and non-academic credentials. No formula or weighting is used to compare them. The review process includes equity and diversity considerations cited by the applicant.
2,735
290
$25,916.50
13
University of Windsor
Applicants must have completed an undergraduate degree by August 1 of year of entry.
We emphasize that no 1 single factor determines admission to Windsor Law. The Admission Committee assesses applications in light of the previous criteria. The chief source of information about you is that which you provide in your Personal Profile. Please take care to present a full and rounded view of yourself in your Personal Profile.
The application and the Personal Profile (found in the online application under “School Submissions”) were developed to provide you with the opportunity to assemble a persuasive case for admission.
Admission Committee members will assess the information provided to determine the following:
In the application, you are expected to identify significant experiences and accomplishments, and indicate how they relate to the admission criteria.
For example, particular experiences (work, cultural, sporting and academic) should be described in sufficient detail to allow the evaluators to make an assessment.
Any experience that demonstrates that you are self-disciplined and committed to excellence in any field should be described.
Committee members are interested in those experiences that show that you are devoted to self-improvement and involvement in the community and service to others.
Contributions to the following help demonstrate this:
If you are a member of a group that is disadvantaged for any reason, these circumstances should be made known to the Admission Committee.
Windsor uses a holistic review that considers academic performance, work experience, community involvement, personal accomplishments, career objectives, individual circumstances, and LSAT scores.
2000
165
$19,317.14
14
Lakehead University Bora Laskin Faculty of Law
Applicants must have completed a minimum of 3 years of full-time undergraduate studies at a recognized university. Preference given to those with an undergraduate degree.
Personal Statement: You must complete the Personal Statement with your OLSAS application. The Personal Statement provides you with the opportunity to demonstrate the strengths, capabilities and achievements that distinguish you as a desirable applicant. The Personal Statement can include information about what led you to apply to study law, your preparedness for the study of law, your aspirations after graduation, and your interest in Lakehead University and the Bora Laskin Faculty of Law.
The Faculty of Law is committed to the following 3 mandate areas:
1. Aboriginal and Indigenous law;
2. Environmental and Natural Resource law; and
3. Sole practitioner/small town law practice including the Integrated Practice Curriculum (IPC).
Please discuss how any or all of our mandate areas fit in with your goals as a future lawyer. If applicable, please also discuss any connection or previous experience you have with any or all of our mandate areas.
You may wish to include information about any anomalies with your academic performance, highlight non‐academic achievements and note any special circumstances that have contributed to, or adversely affected, your academic and non‐academic success.
Your personal statement will be considered in the context of the rest of your application. It must be authored entirely by you and must not exceed 8,000 characters in length.
Lakehead considers academic achievements, LSAT scores, personal statements, references, and other supporting documentation. There is no minimum GPA or LSAT.
572
65
$18,054.21
15
McGill University
Candidates must have a minimum of two years (60 credits) of university studies, or a diploma of collegial studies (DCS) from a Quebec College of General and Professional Education (CEGEP), at the time of registration. Students with a French Baccalaureate from Quebec (Collèges international Marie de France or Stanislas) are also eligible to apply. Most students admitted in the “University” category have completed an undergraduate degree.
Candidates must demonstrate that they are at least passively bilingual, which means that they have at a minimum an advanced intermediate level of reading and aural comprehension of both English and French.
Personal Statement
Applicants must submit an essay of a maximum of 750 words, referred to as the Personal Statement.
What is the purpose of the Personal Statement?
The Personal Statement is candidates’ moment to showcase the unique aspects of their motivations, their background, and their personality that make them a compelling candidate for our program.
The Admissions Committee relies on the Personal Statement to understand the factors that motivate candidates to pursue a legal education, the particular meaning that the study of law holds for them, and the reasons for their interest in our program. In addition, the Personal Statement shows the Admissions Committee candidates’ writing skills, their ability to present their ideas in English and/or French, and their maturity and judgment as shown through their writing. Given the importance of strong writing skills for success in law school, a well-written Personal Statement is a critical component of a successful application.
What is the Admissions Committee looking for in reading your Personal Statement?
The Admissions Committee is interested in hearing why candidates’ want to study law, why they are interested in McGill’s program in particular, and what they will bring to our learning community. The Committee looks for indicators of intellectual curiosity, community engagement, political/social insight, leadership skills, ability to work with others, openness to diversity (cultural, linguistic and otherwise), maturity and judgment.
We strongly encourage applicants belonging an equity-deserving group to include information in their Personal Statements on how their personal circumstances, lived experience, work, community involvement, and extra-curricular activities relate to their desire and preparation to study law at McGill University.
The Personal Statement should be a product of candidates’ own reflection. We truly value a wide range of backgrounds, identities, and future aspirations. Whether a candidate wishes to become a practicing lawyer or they have other ideas about their career path following a legal education, their application, and specifically their Personal Statement, should show thoughtful consideration of their reasons for studying law, and at our Faculty in particular.
Practical Tips
Before writing, candidates should reflect critically on their motivations, interests, convictions and connection to our program. Law faculties all tend to have their own strengths and particularities. Doing some research may help candidates identify and articulate their particular interest in studying at McGill.
The Personal Statement should not be used as a vehicle for narrating or repeating aspects that appear elsewhere in the application. The limited writing space should be used to tie the various threads of the application together, rather than repeating a candidate’s name or field of study or listing the various extracurricular activities included in the CV. The Admissions Committee is looking for an authentic and original explanation of a candidate’s interests in studying law at McGill that connects the various elements of the application.
The Personal Statement is not a cover letter. It does not need to include the Faculty of Law’s mailing address, the date or formal greetings or salutations.
Candidates may submit their Personal Statement in English or French. It is important that candidates write the statement in whatever of the two language(s) they are most comfortable expressing themselves. Candidates are discouraged from using the Personal Statement as a way to establish their bilingualism unless they are very comfortable expressing themselves in the other language.
The Personal Statement must follow our formatting guidelines (see below) and must be free of grammatical, syntax and punctuation errors. Candidates should review and edit their personal statements multiple times before submission. They may even consider having a friend, family member or academic advisor review the document to ensure it contains no errors. Only one submission of the Personal Statement is accepted so it is important to submit the Personal Statement in its final version of both format and substance.
Re-applicants
Candidates who have applied to the Faculty in the past must submit a new Personal Statement with any new application. Re-applicants who make no substantive changes to their Personal Statement from one application to the next are unlikely to be viewed as competitive.
Format
Maximum 750 words
Committee reviewers assess the applicant's academic ability, [](https://mcgill.ca/law/bcl-llb/admissions-guide/eligibility), personal motivations for studying law, extracurricular, community or professional activities, and references. Applicants with academic records below this average GPA or percentile are encouraged to consider writing the LSAT. See the full policy [
](https://mcgill.ca/law/bcl-llb/admissions-guide/admissions-policy).1782+
181
$5,253.56 (Quebec resident)
16
University of Saskatchewan
Two full years of undergraduate study at a recognized university or the equivalent of such work (60 credit units)
Your personal statement provides us with further information about you that will be used when reviewing your application. Include information on special academic interests and achievements, work experience (including volunteer work), special skills, personal attributes and any other significant life experiences (e.g., family-related, travel, etc.). The personal statement must be composed entirely by you and should not exceed a maximum of 500 words.
The Admission Committee considers factors including the applicant's best two-year GPA, LSAT score, and any circumstances deemed relevant. The Committee has a slight preference for applicants with a connection to Saskatchewan and residents of territories/provinces without law schools.
1120
126
$19,828.00
17
Lincoln Alexander School of Law (previously operating as Ryerson University)
Applicants need to complete a minimum of 3 years of study (30 one-semester courses or equivalent) completed at a recognized university in a program leading to a degree.
(None.)
Lincoln Alexander School of Law has a holistic review, considering LSAT, GPA, personal statement, application materials, and an online video interview.
NA
NA
$22,140.94
Student A (video interview)
I had 30 seconds of prep time and 1 minute of answer time on each question:
18
Thompson Rivers University Faculty of Law
Applicants have obtained an undergraduate degree in an approved course of study from a degree granting institution; or successfully completed the first 3 years (minimum 90 credits) or more of an approved course of studies leading to an undergraduate degree from a degree granting institution.
The statement of interest should be no more than 750 words. You may print your statement on a separate page and submit along with this application or submit under separate cover. The purpose of the statement of interest is to provide the Admissions Committee with additional information about you that will be used in assessing your application.
Among other things, the Admissions Committee is interested in finding out the following:
• What led you to make the decision to apply to law school?
• What you would like to do with your law degree?
• Why you are interested in the Faculty of Law at Thompson Rivers University in particular?
• Why you have made previous academic or other choices and how they have affected your decision to apply to law school?
This is a place for you to show us who you are, and what makes you of particular interest to the Faculty of Law at Thompson Rivers University. It is also an opportunity for you to demonstrate your personality, your maturity and that you understand the nature of the decision that you are making in choosing to come to the Faculty of Law at Thompson Rivers University.
The members of the Admissions Committee consider the Statement of Interest in the context of the rest of your application. Therefore it is useful for you to discuss how the experiences you have listed elsewhere on your application are relevant to your desire to attend law school.
Thompson Rivers has a holistic review.
800
124
$21,734.32
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