The information on this page was provided by the law school.
Introduction
The Faculty of Law is one of the oldest professional faculties at the University of Toronto, with a long and illustrious history. The law school took on its modern form under the leadership of Cecil Wright in 1949, building on the foundations of the law school established at the University of Toronto in 1887.
Today, it is one of the world’s great law schools, a dynamic academic and social community with 57full-timefaculty members and 25 distinguishedshort-termvisiting professors from the world’s leading law schools, as well as 500 JD and graduate students.
The Faculty’s rich academic programs are supplemented by its many legal clinics and public interest programs, and its close links to the Faculty’s more than 6,000 alumni, who enjoy rewarding careers in every sector of Canadian society and remain involved in many aspects of life at the law school.
Housed in two beautiful, historic buildings and a state-of-the-art facility, the Faculty features modern amenities, including the renowned, high-technology Bora Laskin Law Library.
Located in the heart of downtown Toronto, Canada’s largest city, the law school is near a wide variety of attractions, including the Royal Ontario Museum, which is next door.
Why U of T?
- Our Faculty is internationally recognized for academic excellence.
- Our students are exposed to some of the world’s finest doctrinal and theoretical scholars in public and private law.
- Our students are sought after by prominent law firms, nationally and internationally, governmental and nongovernmental organizations, and leading graduate law schools.
- Our law school distributes over $2 million in financial aid each year.
- Our graduating classes typically enjoy the highest rates of employment of all Ontario law schools.
- Linkages with other U of T faculties, other universities, and leading members of the bar and bench provide a diverse interdisciplinary approach to teaching and research.
- Our law school has a strong and unwavering commitment to public service and leadership through numerous programs and activities.
- Our student body is comprised of extraordinary individuals representing a myriad of backgrounds, interests, and accomplishments.
- We are located in downtown Toronto—the heart of one of the world’s most multicultural and interesting cities.
Law School Enrollment
Physical Facilities
Housed in two historic buildings—Flavelle House and Falconer Hall—and the new Jackman Law Building, the law school is located on the St. George campus of the University of Toronto, close to the heart of the city.
Both the Flavelle House and Falconer Hall were private homes in the early 1900s, and offer students an architecturally inspiring environment for their studies. In recent years, major renovations have equipped the historic houses with leading-edge technology. Students enjoy Internet connections for laptops andInternet-basedconferencing technology that allows interaction with guest lecturers, legal experts, faculty, and other students and schools around the world.
TheJackman Law Buildingprovides a new, state-of-the-art facility to house the Faculty of Law. The new building features classrooms, offices, study spaces, and the Bora Laskin Library, which provides a comfortable, modern environment where students can access rich legal resources and related materials. The library currently offers more than 265,000 volumes and strives to support law studies with the highest quality legal resources, services, and training. Its collection includes legal materials from the major common law countries and more than 700 scholarly periodicals from around the world, as well as subscriptions to leading law CD-ROMs and online systems such as Quicklaw, Westlaw, and LexisNexis.
Housing
There is a variety of accommodations available both on and off campus for students coming to Toronto independently or with their families. Housing options include the university residences, independent residences, student-family housing, and off-campus housing.
Demand for residence is very high and law students are advised to apply for residence as soon as possible.
Graduate House
Visit theGraduate House websitefor all information about the residence, including its exact location, types of accommodation, amenities, fees, and the application process.
Priority for rooms in the Graduate House is given to first-year students from outside southern Ontario whose opportunities to locate suitable housing in Toronto prior to September were limited. Within this priority, preference is given to students who have shown financial need.
University of Toronto Student Housing Services
Please visitUniversity of Toronto’s Housing Servicesfor information such as
- the undergraduate residences on campus that accept applications from law students (be advised that space in residence cannot be assured, as priority is given to undergraduate students);
- the university’s family housing apartments;
- independent residences located near the law school; and
- other off-campus housing options, including summer and temporary housing.
The Housing Service now includes aregistry of off-campus housing.
LLM Programs/Areas of Specialization
Our graduate program consistently produces superb scholars with a remarkable breadth of interests. Their graduate studies at the University of Toronto enable them to find rich and intellectually stimulating careers in teaching, research, policy, and practice around the world.- Excellent opportunities for interdisciplinary scholarship, including research centres in innovation law and health law, as well as many collaborative programs.
Our graduate program consistently produces superb scholars with a remarkable breadth of interests. Their graduate studies at the University of Toronto enable them to find rich and intellectually stimulating careers in teaching, research, policy, and practice around the world.The University of Toronto Faculty of Law offers the following law degrees:
- Juris Doctor (JD)
- Combined-degree programs—JD/MA or JD/PhD
- Master of Laws (LLM)
- Master of Studies in Law (MSL)
- Global Professional Master of Laws (GPLLM)
- Doctor of Juridical Sciences (SJD)
Coursework-Intensive LLM
Thecoursework-intensiveformat is aimed at law students who wish to specialize in a specific area of law (particularly in one of the Law Faculty’s several strengths), to develop an understanding of North American legal processes and laws, or to explore the common law at an advanced level.
Graduates of the coursework-intensive LLM have pursued further graduate legal education (through a doctoral program), entered directly into a university position, or resumed practice with private firms, government agencies, and nongovernmental organizations.
The coursework-intensive LLM is usually undertaken on a full-time basis, from September to August. In exceptional cases, with the permission of the associate dean, students may apply to complete the program on a part-time basis.
Students can customize an area of focus in the coursework-intensive LLM through their course selections and thesis topic. In the past, students have studied in areas like constitutional law, international law, law and economics, and legal theory.
Requirements
Students must
- remain in residence in Toronto for two academic terms (September to April) and
- complete 28 credit hours of coursework, including the mandatory LLM seminar.
Curriculum
Graduate students choose their other courses from the wide variety available in the JD program, which are posted online in the summer. Graduate students are expected to choose upper-level and seminar courses. Only in exceptional cases will students be permitted to select basic courses or courses from the first-year JD program. NCA courses are not included in the LLM curriculum, so please consider the GPLLM program if you are looking to requalify.
Thesis-Intensive LLM
Thethesis-intensive LLMoffers law graduates the opportunity to demonstrate advanced legal scholarship through the writing of a dissertation of significant length. Graduates of the thesis-intensive LLM program often pursue further graduate legal studies (through a doctoral program) or seek positions in the academy or in policy development.
The full-time LLM is designed as a 12-month program commencing in September, involving a course of studies and a thesis which, combined, are valued at 24 credit hours. Students in the thesis-intensive LLM program can design a program in almost any area of law and legal theory that will meet that student’s interests and needs.
All thesis-intensive LLM candidates participate in the graduate seminar, Alternative Approaches to Legal Scholarship, as well as the LLM seminar with other graduate students. Those seminars are designed to expose students to various approaches to legal scholarship, including law and philosophy, law and economics, feminism and the law, legal history, law and society, analytical jurisprudence, and critical legal theory.
Requirements
Students must
- remain in residence in Toronto for two academic terms (September to April);
- complete 8–20 credit hours of coursework, including the mandatory graduate seminar, Alternative Approaches to Legal Scholarship, and the LLM seminar; and
- write a 4–16-credit thesis (approximately 15,000–45,000 words) under the supervision of a graduate faculty member.
Curriculum
Graduate students choose their other courses from those available in the JD program, which are posted online in the summer. Graduate students are expected to choose upper-year courses and seminars. Only in exceptional cases will students be permitted to select basic courses or courses from the first-year JD program. NCA courses are not included in the LLM curriculum, so please consider the GPLLM program if you’re looking to requalify.
Global Professional Master of Laws
TheGlobal Professional Master of Laws (GPLLM)is a 12-month executive-style master of laws offered during evenings and weekends and taught by a winning combination of leading legal experts and renowned full-time faculty. The GPLLM combines the best of U of T’s reputation for academic excellence with the pragmatic real-world expertise that is the gold standard in today’s competitive business environment.
What is the GPLLM?
The GPLLM provides an intensive experience like no other. Focused on Canadian business law from a global perspective, the Global Professional Master of Laws (GPLLM) challenges lawyers, business leaders, professionals of all sorts, and policymakers to think differently about the legal issues and framework with which they deal. Students examine the impact of globalization on laws, legal institutions, and markets from a broad, multidisciplinary, and comparative legal perspective. Through examples, case studies, debates, and deconstruction of actual business deals, you’ll gain hands-on practical knowledge, and a robust understanding of the constructs of Canadian business law—and emerge a valued leader for your organization.
Equipped with a GPLLM, graduates add immediate value to their clients, businesses, organizations, and agencies. The program prepares its participants to dissect and ask the right questions when dealing with complex global legal issues and transactions. In collaboration with local and foreign counsel, auditors, and other parties, they are able to effectively identify the issues and challenges arising from the globalized business environment.
Faculty
Top legal minds from the U of T Faculty of Law teach alongside adjunct faculty who are leading experts from Canadian and global law firms, businesses, and institutions. Dean Edward Iacobucci and an additional 8–10 of our full-time faculty teach in the program, including Professors Michael Trebilcock, Ben Alarie, Anita Anand, Tony Duggan, Mohammed Fadel, and David Schneiderman. Adjunct and international faculty from other universities and the business world are listed on our website.
Curriculum
All students take Law and Business in a Global Economy, which is a mandatory foundational course.
Students must choose one course from each of the following groups (which are offered through a combination of evening classes and weekend modules):
Selection 1
- Comparative Corporate Governance
- Canadian Administrative Law
- Anti-Corruption Law: International, Domestic, and Practical Perspectives
Selection 2
- Securities Regulation and Corporate Finance
- Canadian Constitutional Law
Selection 3
- Mergers and Acquisitions
- Canadian Criminal Law
- Canadian and Cross-Border Issues in Corporate Tax
- Commercial Arbitration and Dispute Resolution
GPLLM students must also choose three seminar courses from the following options (each of which is offered as two-day weekend intensives):
- Law and Policy of Public-Private Partnerships
- Intellectual Property Law
- Economic and Social Regulation & Competition Law
- Corporate Social Responsibility, Ethics, and the Law
- International Insolvency Law
Finally, students may choose one course from each grouping below (which are offered as three-day weekend courses):
Selection 1
- Canadian and Cross-Border Issues in Corporate Tax
- Foundations of Canadian Law
Selection 2
- International Dispute Resolution
- Professional Responsibility
Additional elective courses will be offered in future years.
What You’ll Take—and Take Away
- A Master of Laws degree from Canada’s top law school and one of the world’s great law schools.
- A unique, dynamic learning environment led by leading legal experts.
- Professionals from different backgrounds, industries, experiences, and perspectives.
- An extensive alumni network—for life.
- An ability to distinguish yourself professionally.
- A unique combination of legal and business expertise that will change the way you think and enable you to develop your leadership skills.
- Analytical reasoning and insights that will boost your credibility and understanding, and put you a step ahead of your colleagues.
- A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that you can fit into your life and work.
An LLM does not qualify foreign-trained candidates to practice law in Ontario.
Student Services and Organizations
Students manage a remarkable range of organizations and activities at the Faculty of Law. Students also benefit from numerous services provided by the Faculty and the university. Organizations and activities include:
- Aboriginal Law Students’ Association
- The Advocates’ Circle
- Artists’ Legal Advice Services (ALAS)
- Black Law Students’ Association
- Christian Law Students’ Association
- Criminal Law Students’ Association
- East Asian Law Students Association
- Environmental Law Club
- HELMUT
- Health Law Club
- International Law Society
- Intramural Sports
- In wine there is truth
- JD/MBA Students’ Association
- Jewish Law Students’ Association
- Law Ball
- Law Follies
- Law Games
- The LIFT Project
- Mandate for Public Interest Law
- Muslim Law Students’ Association
- Out in Law
- Senators Club
- South Asian Law Students’ Association
- Sports and Entertainment Law Society
- Technology and Intellectual Property Club
- Ultra Vires
- Women and the Law
Graduate Law Students Association
The Graduate Law Students Association (GLSA) represents all students enrolled in the Graduate Programme at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law. The object of the GLSA is to assist graduate students in their dealings with the Faculty and to obtain representation for students on various committees and organizations that pertain to the graduate law programme. The GLSA strives to encourage and facilitate cooperation and understanding among students and faculty in order to improve the research activities and educational experiences of all graduate law students at the University of Toronto.
Other Programs of Special Interest
- Capital Markets Institute
- Centre for Innovation Law and Policy
- Distinguished Visiting Professors Program
- Health Law and Policy Group
- International Human Rights Program
- Law in Action Within Schools (LAWS)
- Pro Bono Students Canada
- Workshops: Feminism and the Law; Diversity; Legal Theory; Constitutional Roundtable; Health Law and Society; Law and Economics; and Globalization, Law, and Justice
FAQs
What is the acceptance rate for University of Toronto law Faculty? ›
The Faculty of Law has high admission criteria with an acceptance rate of 13.5% and a yield rate of 70.1%. The Faculty features a 98% yield rate in the province of Ontario, the province that accounts for about half of the country of Canada's English-language common-law population.
How hard is it to get into University of Toronto law school? ›Application of Admission Policy. Admission to the Faculty of Law is selective. In each cycle, generally 2,000 applications are received for about 200 first-year places in the JD program, with fewer than 300 offers of admission. There are three categories of admission: general, mature and Indigenous.
What average do you need to get into University of Toronto law? ›We do not have a minimum LSAT score or GPA. The strongest applicants to the 2020-2021 program had LSAT scores starting at 160 and undergraduate GPAs starting at A-.
What LSAT score do I need for University of Toronto? ›| ADMISSIONS DATA BY ENTRY YEAR | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2021 | Enrolment |
| 2022 | 2021 | Admission Standards |
| 168 | 168 | LSAT median (midpoint, not minimum) (95th | 95th | 93rd | 93rd | 93rd percentile) |
| 3.88 | 3.88 | GPA median (midpoint, not minimum), on best three full-time years of undergraduate study on the OLSAS 4.0 scale |
If your score, for example, was a 159, your percentile is somewhere around 77 percent. An exceptional LSAT score will be somewhere around a 173, which is the 99th percentile, according to the Law School Admissions Council—if you received a 173, you scored better than 99 percent of all test takers.
What law schools are easiest to get into Canada? ›| School | Acceptance Rate | GPA |
|---|---|---|
| McGill University Faculty of Law | 14.19% | 3.8 |
| Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University | 13% | 3.7 |
| University of Alberta Law School | 15.08% | 3.8 |
| University of British Columbia Peter A. Allard School of Law | 11.5% | 3.0 |
But to answer the question what GPA do you need to get into law school, any law school, then the answer is at least a 2.5. That is realistically the lowest GPA you can have to get into law school. But even with a 2.5, you have an uphill battle to climb as that is in the lowest category of GPAs any school accepts.
How much does a lawyer make at University of Toronto? ›What is the salary range for new lawyers? The Career Development Office compiles current information on articling and associate salaries and makes this available to our students. Articling salaries in Toronto range from approximately $35,000 to $70,000 per year.
What GPA is good enough for law school? ›Among the 191 ranked law schools that submitted grade data to U.S. News in an annual survey, the average median GPA of entering law school students in 2021 was 3.55. But at the 20 highest-ranked law schools, the average median GPA is much higher – 3.86.
Is Ryerson law school hard to get into? ›1,953 applications were submitted in 2020 of which 171 candidates were enrolled in Year One of the Juris Doctor program (an acceptance rate of 8.8%). 2021 course places were decreased to 150 in number, albeit the surge in applications to 2,521 candidatures (an acceptance rate of 5.9%).
What is the average age of law students? ›
What Is The Average Age Of Law Students? The average age of law students is 25 or younger. Only 20% of law students are 30 or older. While only a small percentage of law students are above the age of 40, there have been several successful older graduates.
Is a 161 a good LSAT score? ›However, there are plenty of law schools with LSAT scores of 150 or lower within their median range, so don't be discouraged. 160 score: A score of 160 or above is typically considered a good LSAT score.
What is the lowest LSAT for Harvard? ›As you can see from these numbers, an LSAT score of 170 or higher and a GPA above 3.75 will give you a chance of gaining admission to Harvard Law School. If you have a GPA of 3.94 or higher and above a 175, you are pretty much a lock for admission, particularly given the class size of ~560.
Can you get a 150 on the LSAT without studying? ›How Much On An Average Can I Score In LSAT Without Studying? A crystal clear and precise answer to this query is 150. The LSAT ( law school admission test) exam is scored between 120-180; on average, students sitting in the exam can score 145-153 without studying based on various statistics.
How good is a 157 LSAT score? ›If we were to speak about a good LSAT score in very broad terms, 157 or above would be a reasonable place to start. Anything above 160 is not a bad LSAT score.
What was Obama's LSAT score? ›Unraveling the secret behind Obama's LSAT Score
Only two of them scored over the 63% mark; and in fact scored between 94-98%, which would be equivalent to a score of 166 – 171 in today's grading system.
Scores range between 120 and 180 on the LSAT. However, the average LSAT score is 150, which is enough to get you into most American Bar Association-accredited law schools.
Can I get into law school with a 143 LSAT score? ›Typically, a good rule of thumb is that you want to at least break 140 to make taking on the cost of law school economically feasible. You can get into a law school with a 140 LSAT score. If you can't break 140, you either want to rethink your testing strategy or reconsider law school.
What are the least competitive law schools in Canada? ›There is a link to a list here of all of the law school LSAT and GPA requirements for all law schools in Canada. Generally speaking, the schools that have the lowest average GPA and LSAT scores are the University of Saskatchewan, University of New Brunswick and TRU.
What is the cheapest law school in Canada? ›- Brandon University.
- Université de Saint-Boniface.
- Dominican University College.
- Canadian Mennonite University.
- The Memorial University of Newfoundland.
- University of Northern British Columbia.
- The University of Calgary.
- The University of Saskatchewan.
Is LLB enough to become a lawyer in Canada? ›
Go to Law School
At this point, your hard work has paid off. In order to qualify for bar membership in Canada, you must take either a Bachelor of Laws Degree (L.L.B.) or Juris Doctor (J.D.), which both take three years to complete.
Many students may feel that achieving bad law school grades will completely prevent them from finding a job, but that is simply not true. It can be a little more difficult to secure employment when you have lower than average grades, but it is not impossible.
What if my GPA is too low for law school? ›To compensate for a weak GPA on your law school application, consider these three tips: Explain your grades in an addendum. Show your abilities elsewhere. Take extra classes.
What is the lowest GPA to get into Harvard Law? ›While there is no minimum GPA required to apply to Harvard Law, you should aim for the median GPA of 3.92 or higher for a more competitive application.
Is lawyer a high paying job in Canada? ›As in many other countries, lawyers in Canada are considered a prestigious, stable, and lucrative career. Lawyers are one of the most highly paid professions in the country, along with doctors, accountants, and engineers, with a yearly average of $126,595.
What is the maximum lawyer salary in Canada? ›Lawyer Salary in Canada per Year - $98,000 to $300,000
According to the Government's Job Bank, the median annual salary for a lawyer in Canada is $116,940. The lowest is $37,000, and the highest is nearly $300,000.
The list includes 5,246 U of T employees, a 5.3 per cent increase from 2021. The average salary of all U of T employees on the list came to $164,150, with the highest-paid employee — Professor and Sandra Rotman Chair in Health Sector Strategy Brian Golden — making almost $600,000.
Is a B+ in law school good? ›Law School Grading
That means a B+ is the median grade at that school. However, in law school the number of people that must fall at or above that grade is not fully determined yet. Rather, the bulk of exam scores will fall exactly at the median, and the professor determines how many grades will deviate from that.
What is considered a low GPA for law school? Typically, a low GPA for law school would be below 3.0.
What is the average GPA for 1L law school? ›1L Legal Writing (I & II) Mean: 3.15 to 3.45.
Is UBC law hard to get into? ›
Thus, the UBC law school acceptance rate is 13.3%.
What is the most difficult year of law school? ›Law school is an academic challenge; most students agree the first year (“1L” year) is the most difficult. In part, this is because law school is taught using methods entirely different than the lecture method used in most college classrooms.
What is the easiest law school to get into with a low GPA? ›What are the easiest law schools to get into with a low GPA or LSAT score? Some of the law schools which accept the lowest average GPA and LSAT scores are Whittier Law School, University of North Dakota Law School and Touro University Law School.
Who is the youngest lawyer ever? ›Stephen Baccus aka the “boy genius” started studying law when he was only 14 years old. He finished his law degree within two and a half years which made him a graduate of Bachelor of Laws at the age of 16.
Is 27 too old to start law school? ›It's never too late in life to apply to law school. Although most applicants are under 25, roughly 20% are 30 or older, according to the Law School Admission Council. Many older law school graduates build fulfilling second careers that draw upon preexisting skills and experiences.
How old is the oldest law student? ›John VanBuskirk was the oldest law school graduate in 2018, completing his degree at the University of North Texas Dallas College of Law at the age of 71.
How bad is a 147 LSAT score? ›Typical LSAT score ranges include: 120-147 Low. 148-156 Mid. 157-164 High.
Can I get into Harvard with a 160 LSAT? ›As of the most recent application cycle, Harvard Law's median LSAT score is 174. Assuming the rest of your application is perfectly “average” for Harvard Law, if your LSAT score is below 174, your chances of getting in are below average. If it's above 174, your chances are above average.
Has anyone gotten a 180 on the LSAT? ›While only 0.1% of test-takers get a 180, many more get accepted into law school each year.
Is University of Toronto good for law? ›The University of Toronto Faculty of Law is a top 16 law school on the worldwide Times Higher Education 2023 rankings.
What is the acceptance rate for Ryerson Law School? ›
Enrolment Statistics
1,953 applications were submitted in 2020 of which 171 candidates were enrolled in Year One of the Juris Doctor program (an acceptance rate of 8.8%). 2021 course places were decreased to 150 in number, albeit the surge in applications to 2,521 candidatures (an acceptance rate of 5.9%).
- Duke University School of Law.
- Washington and Lee University School of Law.
- Stanford Law School.
- Vanderbilt Law School.
- Notre Dame Law School.
- University of California, Irvine School of Law.
- Boston College Law School.
- Florida State University College of Law.
A joint program takes 4 to 5 years to complete. The Faculty of Law's Admissions Office has an acceptance rate of 10.1%.
How much money do lawyers make in Ontario? ›| Province | Average ($/year) |
|---|---|
| Alberta | $140,808 |
| Ontario | $131,654 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | $131,203 |
| Saskatchewan | $119,587 |
The average lawyer salary in Toronto is $157,975. The average lawyer salary in Ottawa is $137,246.
What law school is the hardest to get accepted? ›- Yale University. With an acceptance rate of just 6.9%, it's no wonder that Yale is the hardest law school to get into. ...
- Stanford University. ...
- Harvard University. ...
- University of Pennsylvania. ...
- University of Virginia. ...
- Columbia University. ...
- University of Chicago. ...
- University of Southern California.
Law school can be hard but it is also easy to just go about it poorly. December exams are often difficult for first-year law students and one or two exams typically count for 100 per cent of a final grade in a course.
Why do law professors make so much money? ›"Legal Professions and Studies" and "Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services" are paid higher than faculty in more research oriented fields such as engineering. It is because of: More demands for law and business faculty and graduates. Higher tuition in such fields.
What law school is better than Harvard? ›Yale has been No. 1 in the U.S. News Best Law Schools rankings since their inception in 1990, and Harvard has been in the top three for every year except two (including last year, when it dropped to No. 4).
What is the most prestigious law school in the world? ›