OLSAS – University of Toronto
University program information changes regularly. Refer to the application and the university’s website for the most up-to-date details.
Quick Links
- About the University of Toronto Faculty of Law
- Applicant Categories
- Black Student Application Process (BSAP) Stream
- Admission as a First-year Applicant
- Admission as a Transfer JD Applicant
- Admission as a Letter of Permission (LOP) Applicant
- Admission as a National Committee on Accreditation (NCA) Applicant
- Combined Programs
- Supplementary Information for All Applicants
- Financial Aid
- Residence and Housing
- Contact Information
About the University of Toronto Faculty of Law
The Faculty of Law at the University of Toronto is an exceptional community to study law in. A student body with diverse ethnic, cultural, political and socio-economic backgrounds, experiences and interests complements the academic strength and intellectual ambition of our faculty.
Each year we produce a class of Juris Doctor (JD) graduates with outstanding employment prospects by exposing our talented students to a deep curriculum taught by professors with international reputations for scholarly excellence, all in close proximity to Canada’s leading legal and financial markets.
Statement of Admission Policy
We seek to identify and offer admission to students with diverse interests and backgrounds, who demonstrate unusually strong academic and personal promise. The review of applications is holistic.
We consider all the features of your application, with emphasis on your:
- record of undergraduate and graduate achievement,
- aptitude,
- personal experiences,
- interests and
- character.
The Admissions Committee considers a host of academic, professional and personal factors in its attempt to evaluate each applicant’s demonstrated potential for enriching the law school community, the profession and society.
Applicant Categories
For all program selections, choose 1 of 3 applicant categories:
General Applicant Category
Most applications are made in the General category. In this category, you 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.
Mature Applicant Category
You must have at least 5 complete years (that may not be consecutive) of non-academic experience (experience outside of full-time study) by September of the year of entry to apply as a Mature applicant. With growing numbers of excellent applications in recent years, admission through the Mature category is virtually as competitive as the General category.
Indigenous Applicant Category
Indigenous applicants, including those of First Nations (status and non-status), Inuit and Métis heritage, represent unique groups in Canada and are given special consideration when applying to the Faculty of Law. We strongly encourage Indigenous applications.
Current Indigenous students, the Indigenous Students’ Association Faculty Advisor, the Manager of the Indigenous Initiative Office and the Assistant Dean, Students, are delighted to speak with you about life at the law school. Email the JD Admissions Office to arrange an introduction.
Applicants who satisfy both the Indigenous and Mature applicant categories should select the Indigenous applicant category only and may also provide a resumé for their application.
We encourage Indigenous applicants to outline their identification with, involvement in, and connection to their communities.
Black Student Application Process (BSAP) Stream
In addition to choosing an admission category (General, Mature or Indigenous), Black candidates are encouraged to self-identify and for first year or transfer admission, also select the U of T BSAP.
The University of Toronto Faculty of Law recognizes that the unique perspectives and experiences of Black individuals and Black communities deepen the talents and perspectives in law school. The BSAP is an important part of our commitment to ensuring that legal education is accessible to talented students from all segments of Canadian society and that the legal profession represents the diverse communities that lawyers serve.
In addition to selecting any applicant category (General, Mature or Indigenous), applicants who self-identify as Black can opt to apply to this stream, which aims to increase Black law student representation at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law.
You must meet the same LSAT requirements and academic requirements for admission that we seek from all candidates. The BSAP stream does not have a designated quota for admission.
You must apply to either a JD first-year or transfer program by our standard deadlines and procedures and, in the School Submissions section of your OLSAS application, you must also:
- select the BSAP option.
- submit a BSAP Essay highlighting why you chose this stream.
The BSAP Admissions Committee reads all your written submissions, including your:
- Personal Statement (mandatory)
- Optional Essay (if you choose to submit one)
- BSAP Essay
Read more about the Personal Statement and Optional Essay.
BSAP Essay
The BSAP Essay (maximum 2,500 characters) offers a unique opportunity to describe your strengths and accomplishments, vision for your own legal education and to tell your story. There is no template to follow to express and describe yourself.
Sample topics include:
- describing why you chose the BSAP stream;
- writing on an issue that you feel is important to the Black community; or
- sharing your motivations and inspirations.
Whether you choose to use or reference any of these topics, you should relate what you write about to a legal issue and/or the study/practice of law.
In all your written submissions, try to avoid repetition when you write about your candidacy.
Admission as a First-year Applicant
Filing Applications
Submit the following documentation directly to OLSAS by November 1, 2022, when you apply to the first year of the JD program:
- OLSAS application
- Official and original copies of all postsecondary academic transcripts
- Law School Admission Test (LSAT) score(s)
- A Personal Statement (Mature applicants must also submit a resumé)
- Optional Essay
- The BSAP Essay (Mandatory for BSAP stream applicants)
If you are a Mature applicant, you must submit your resumé using Secure Applicant Messaging (SAM) in the OLSAS application.
References are not required and, if submitted, will not form part of your file. Interviews are not used for admission.
OLSAS applications are due by 11:59 pm (ET) on November 1, 2022. You must submit your application, including the documents in (4), (5) and (6), by the listed deadline even if other required documents are not yet complete or available.
Submit late documents directly to OLSAS as soon as they become available. Applications will be reviewed only after all documents are received.
Read more about the LSAT and supporting document requirements.
Admission Process
We will email you about the admission decision.
We expect to make 3 main rounds of offers of admission:
- The first in early December
- The second in late January
- The third in mid- to late March
We will establish a waiting list when we expect that all of the places in the class may be filled (around the beginning of April).
Conditional Offers of Admission
If you apply to the JD first year with undergraduate or graduate courses/degrees in progress, we may admit you on the condition that you complete those courses/degrees prior to enrollment.
We will list admission conditions in your offer letter. Official final transcripts are due to OLSAS by June 30, 2023.
Deferral of Admission
Deferrals may be granted at the discretion of the Chair of the Admissions Committee. We consider written requests for deferrals on an individual basis after you are offered admission, have accepted our offer and paid the admission tuition deposit.
Admission as a Transfer JD Applicant
If you have successfully completed your first year only of a JD or Bachelor of Law (LLB) program at another common law school (Canadian or non-Canadian), we encourage you to apply for entry into the second year of our JD program.
An application is considered when you have completed at least 3 years of full‑time undergraduate university studies and at least 4 of the JD program’s foundation courses, which include:
- Administrative Law
- Canadian Constitutional Law
- Contract Law
- Criminal Law
- Legal Process
- Property Law
- Torts
Generally, transfer students will qualify for the University of Toronto’s JD degree after completing 2 years of study at the law school.
Transfer credit will be considered and granted, where appropriate, for first-year law courses successfully completed at another common law school. We will not grant transfer credit for law courses completed at another law school after its traditional first-year terms, including summer courses.
Note: As a transfer student, you are not eligible to participate in the Student Exchange Program.
Combined Programs for Transfer Applicants
Transfer applicants may apply for admission to one of our combined programs.
Application Procedure for Transfer Applicants
You must submit the following documentation directly to OLSAS by May 1, 2023:
- OLSAS application
- Official and original copies of all postsecondary academic transcripts, including final grades for law school courses
- LSAT score(s)
- A letter from your current law school indicating you are in good standing and have not been subject to any disciplinary actions
- Personal Statement
- Optional Essay
- The BSAP Essay (Mandatory for BSAP stream applicants)
Your current law school must submit the required document in (4) directly to OLSAS.
OLSAS applications are due by 11:59 pm (ET) on May 1, 2023. You must submit your application, including the documents in (5), (6) and (7) by the listed deadline even if other required documents are not yet complete or available. Submit late documents directly to OLSAS as soon as they become available.
Applications will be reviewed only after all documents are received.
Read more about the LSAT and supporting document requirements.
Admission as a Letter of Permission (LOP) Applicant
If you have successfully completed 2 years in a JD or LLB program at another law school, you will be considered for admission. You may apply to study for up to 1 academic year at the University of Toronto as a visiting student on a LOP.
Your current law school issues the LOP. As an LOP student, you do not receive a JD degree from the University of Toronto. Rather, you receive a law degree from your current law school (subject to its degree requirements).
As non-degree students, LOP students are not eligible for financial assistance from the Faculty of Law.
Application Procedure for LOP Applicants
You must submit the following documentation directly to OLSAS by May 1, 2023:
- OLSAS application
- Official and original copies of all postsecondary academic transcripts, including final grades for law school courses
- LSAT score(s)
- A LOP from your current law school
- A letter from your current law school indicating you are in good standing and have not been subject to any disciplinary actions
- Personal Statement
- Optional Essay
- The BSAP Essay (Mandatory for BSAP stream applicants)
Your current law school must submit the required documents in (4) and (5) directly to OLSAS.
OLSAS applications are due by 11:59 pm (ET) on May 1, 2023. You must submit your application, including the documents in (6), (7) and (8), by the listed deadline even if other required documents are not yet complete or available. Submit late documents directly to OLSAS as soon as they become available.
We will review applications only after all documents are received.
Read more about the LSAT and supporting document requirements.
Admission as a National Committee on Accreditation (NCA) Applicant
Regardless of your immigration status in Canada, if you have a law degree from outside Canada or a civil law degree from the province of Quebec and are seeking to qualify to practice law in a common law province in Canada, you must first consult the NCA.
The NCA examines the qualifications of internationally trained applicants and makes recommendations on behalf of the Law Society of Ontario (and all other law societies in Canada) as to the further study of law required before you are qualified to enter a province’s licensing process.
In most cases, the NCA will recommend that you successfully study specific subjects. You may demonstrate successful study of these subjects by completing specific courses at a Canadian law school or by passing NCA challenge examinations.
Options at the Faculty of Law
There are 2 options at the law school for those who would like to meet the NCA’s requirements:
Global Professional Master of Laws (GPLLM) Program
The GPLLM program is an executive-style, 12- or 24-month graduate degree focused on law from an international perspective. Classes are held 1 evening per week and on occasional weekends and are taught by a combination of distinguished faculty and experienced practitioners.
There are 3 program concentrations:
- Business Law
- Canadian Law in a Global Context
- Innovation, Law & Technology
The concentration in Canadian Law in a Global Context provides 9 courses designed to meet the NCA’s requirements for internationally trained lawyers:
- Applied Legal Research & Writing
- Canadian Administrative Law
- Canadian Constitutional Law
- Canadian Criminal Law
- Contract Law
- Foundations of Canadian Law
- Professional Responsibility
- Property Law
- Tort Law
It also offers an additional optional course, Business Organizations. GPLLM law courses in the other concentrations may also be available to you.
Depending on your NCA assessments, you may simultaneously complete both the GPLLM graduate degree and meet some or all your NCA requirements.
Specific JD Program Courses
Lawyers with non-Canadian legal education and training may also apply to take certain courses for credit in our JD program to fulfill NCA requirements.
For this option, the Foundations of Canadian Law, Legal Research & Writing, and Professional Responsibility courses are not available as individual (stand-alone) JD courses for meeting NCA requirements.
Admission is on a fee-per-course basis. The fee is estimated at $8,370 plus HST (13% tax) per course for 2023-2024 (subject to change in future academic years).
We base selection primarily on your performance in previous legal studies (including the results of NCA challenge exams) and the Admissions Committee’s assessment. If you have failed any NCA challenge exam, you will not be considered for admission.
As non-degree students, NCA students are not eligible for financial assistance from the Faculty of Law.
Note: Interviews for articling placements in Ontario generally occur during the summer, 1 full year prior to the start of the placement. Consult the Law Society of Ontario or call 416-947-3300 to confirm procedures and deadlines for the Articling Program and the Law Practice Program.
Application Procedure for NCA Applicants
You must submit the following documentation directly to OLSAS by May 1, 2023:
- OLSAS application
- A copy of the NCA assessment, sent directly from the NCA to OLSAS
- A copy of the results of all NCA exams taken
- A written note specifying if you intend to take, or not take, any NCA exams before enrolling at the law school
- LSAT score(s), if the LSAT was taken
- Official and original law school academic transcripts
- A Personal Statement
You must submit the requested documents in (3) and (4) using SAM in your OLSAS application.
For (6), ask the NCA to include its copy of your law school academic transcripts with the copy of the NCA assessment.
OLSAS applications are due by 11:59 pm (ET) on May 1, 2023. You must submit your application, including the documents in (3), (4) and (7), by the listed deadline even if other required documents are not yet complete or available.
Submit late documents directly to OLSAS as soon as they become available. Applications will be reviewed only after all documents are received.
Read more about the supporting document requirements.
Combined Programs
The Faculty of Law partners with other faculties and departments at the University of Toronto to offer several special combined degree programs.
Combined programs allow students to complete the JD program and 1 partner graduate degree program together. The combination refers to being registered in the 2 programs simultaneously rather than in a single packaged program of blended courses. With the combined registration, you complete the 2 degrees sooner than if you took them separately.
For combined programs, you must apply separately to each program by their respective application deadlines and procedures and satisfy their respective admission requirements. The partner program will apply its own admission standards for selection.
The University of Toronto currently offers the following combined programs:
| Degree Combination | Partner Program | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| JD/MA | Master of Arts – Criminology | 3 years |
| JD/MA | Master of Arts – Economics | 3 years |
| JD/MA | Master of Arts – English | 3 years |
| JD/MA | Master of Arts – European and Russian Affairs | 4 years |
| JD/MBA | Master of Business Administration | 4 years |
| JD/MGA | Master of Global Affairs | 4 years |
| JD/MI | Master of Information | 4 years |
| JD/MPP | Master of Public Policy | 4 years |
| JD/MSW | Master of Social Work | 3 years with a BSW completed 4 years without a BSW |
| JD/PhD | Doctor of Philosophy – Criminology | Refer to the combined programs website |
| JD/PhD | Doctor of Philosophy – Economics | Refer to the combined programs website |
| JD/PhD | Doctor of Philosophy – Philosophy | Refer to the combined programs website |
| JD/PhD | Doctor of Philosophy – Political Science | Refer to the combined programs website |
As a prospective combined program student, be aware that because the first year of each of the combined programs includes only courses at the Faculty of Law, it is possible to apply to the combined programs during the first year of the JD program.
In addition to these combined programs, we offer several certificate and collaborative programs that you can apply to during your JD studies. Apply to these programs internally at the law school and not through OLSAS.
Certificate and collaborative programs include:
- Certificate in Aboriginal Legal Studies
- Certificate in Environmental Studies
- Certificate in Sexual Diversity and Gender Studies
- Collaborative Program in Jewish Studies
Read more about each combined, certificate and collaborative program.
Supplementary Information for All Applicants
In this section:
- Add Our Email Address to Your Contact List as a Trusted Sender
- Application Fee Waivers
- Late Applications
- Law School Admission Test (LSAT)
- Personal Statement and Optional Essay
- BSAP Essay
- Reference Letters
- International and Exchange Transcripts
- English-language Proficiency
- Measures to Safeguard the Integrity of the Admission Process
Add Our Email Address to Your Contact List as a Trusted Sender
We will use email as the primary means of communicating with applicants, including acknowledging the receipt of your application via OLSAS and our final admission decision.
As we may use a secure mass emailer, provide a valid email in your application and add “admissions.law@utoronto.ca” as a contact to your email address book. This will ensure that you will receive our messages in your inbox rather than in a spam/junk folder.
Application Fee Waivers
You may request an exemption from the $115 OLSAS institutional fee for our law school if you are applying for entry into the first year or transfer into the second year.
Fee waivers must be approved by our JD Admissions Office prior to submitting your OLSAS application.
We reserve the right to verify your waiver declaration. A false declaration may result in immediate rejection or in the revocation of an offer of admission or registration at the law school. For more information, email the JD Admissions Office.
Late Applications
If you believe you will not meet the application deadline due to the late arrival of supporting documents, then it is best that you still apply by the application deadline, instead of waiting for all your documents before you apply. By applying by the deadline, you will avoid the need to make a written request to allow a late application.
We will consider requests to submit late applications. Email your late application requests with attachments.
We will be more receptive to requests for late applications that are accompanied by unofficial copies of all postsecondary transcripts (and LSAT scores, if the LSAT was taken by the time of the request).
Law School Admission Test (LSAT)
The LSAT is required of all first-year JD, transfer and LOP applicants. It is not required for NCA applicants.
If you wrote the LSAT more than once, the Admissions Committee will consider all the results. Emphasis will be placed on the highest score.
First-year entry: For entry in 2023, the earliest acceptable test is the June 2018 test. The latest acceptable test is the January 2023 test.
Upper-year entry: For entry in 2023, the latest acceptable test is the April 2023 test.
All candidates: You are strongly encouraged to take the LSAT on an earlier test date, instead of relying on the last acceptable test date. You must have a completed LSAT comprising both the Multiple Choice portion and the LSAT Writing portion for admission consideration.
Personal Statement and Optional Essay
The Admissions Committee does not conduct interviews. For this reason, you are required to submit a Personal Statement and are encouraged to provide an Optional Essay.
Use these documents to highlight your academic, personal and professional accomplishments, and share with the Committee a more 3-dimensional picture of yourself and your vision for your legal education at the University of Toronto.
Personal Statement
The Personal Statement (maximum 5,000 characters) is part of the OLSAS application. The context of the Personal Statement is not prescribed; however, we encourage you to use the Personal Statement to share your story with the Admissions Committee.
You may wish to outline the following in the Personal Statement:
- How your identity, background and experiences will contribute to the diversity of the law school.
- Your choice of undergraduate program and institution.
- The extent to which it has prepared you for studying law.
- Any anomalies in your academic record, including false starts, fewer than 5 courses over 2 terms and introductory courses taken in third or fourth year of a program (if applicable).
The Personal Statement is also an opportunity to highlight your non-academic accomplishments and any circumstances that may have contributed to, or detracted from, your academic and non-academic success, such as:
- the response to disadvantage due to adverse personal or socio-economic circumstances;
- the response to barriers faced by cultural (including racial and ethnic) or linguistic minorities; and
- the impact of temporary or permanent physical disabilities.
You may want to write to the Committee about the different ways you see yourself contributing to the law school and legal community.
We encourage Indigenous applicants to outline their identification with, involvement in, and connection to their communities in their personal statements or optional essays.
Optional Essay
The Optional Essay (maximum 2,500 characters) is part of the OLSAS application. You should use your essay to provide additional personal information.
Submit 1 essay that addresses one of these topics:
- A meaningful intellectual experience
- A vision of your future goals
- How you overcame obstacles to achievement
- How your identity, background and experiences will contribute to the diversity of the law school (if not already addressed in the Personal Statement)
Successful personal statements and essays tend to be those that feature clear and authentic writing. All personal statements and essays of applicants who are offered admission are read independently by at least 3 (and as many as 6) Admissions Committee members. The Admissions Committee includes students, senior administrative staff and faculty members.
In all your written submissions, try to avoid repetition when you write about your candidacy.
BSAP Essay
In addition to choosing an admission category (General, Mature or Indigenous), Black candidates are encouraged to self-identify and, for first year or transfer admission, select the U of T BSAP.
A BSAP Essay is mandatory for those who select the BSAP stream.
Read the specifications for the BSAP Essay.
Reference Letters
Reference letters are not required and will not be considered if submitted.
International and Exchange Transcripts
If you have completed your undergraduate degree (or completed more than 1 year of study) at a postsecondary institution outside of Canada or the United States, you are expected to submit a third-party course-by-course evaluation of your transcripts from World Education Services (WES) for admission review.
WES evaluations are not required for:
- NCA applicants.
- United Kingdom (UK) law school transcripts for transfer and Letter of Permission applicants.
For student exchange course work, you must arrange separately for both your host and your home institution to submit their official transcripts to OLSAS directly. This is in addition to the submission of the official transcript by your home institution. A WES evaluation is not required for courses taken as part of an exchange program, as long as either the transfer credits or the grades for these courses appear on your home institution’s transcript.
NCA Applicants: Ask the NCA to include your law school transcripts with your NCA assessments.
English-language Proficiency
We do not require a test of English-language proficiency (e.g., TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo).
Measures to Safeguard the Integrity of the Admission Process
All application elements for admission to the law school are expected to be complete, authentic, true and, where applicable, your original work. The Faculty of Law reserves the right to verify the authenticity and originality of all submitted application materials and, at its sole discretion, may revoke an offer of admission or take any other reasonable steps to safeguard the integrity of the admission process.
Financial Aid
The JD Financial Aid program at the Faculty of Law at the University of Toronto was designed and developed by students for students. A committee of faculty members and elected students, chaired by the Assistant Dean, JD Program, administers and monitors this aid program.
A couple basic ideas frame our JD Financial Aid programs and policies:
- We are committed to ensuring that financial aid is available to those students who require it most.
- We believe that the emphasis on financial need as the main criterion for financial assistance serves both the law school and the broader community by ensuring access to legal education. Most of our financial aid is allocated based on financial need.
In 2021-2022, the JD Financial Aid program distributed over $4.7 million in bursaries and loan interest payments. 80% of students who applied for financial aid received it and the average bursary was approximately $17,050.
If you apply for financial aid, you must also apply for government student aid.
All domestic University of Toronto JD students (including transfer students) are eligible to apply for the Faculty of Law JD Financial Aid program. LOP, NCA and international students are not eligible to apply for our JD Financial Aid program.
For an instant estimate of aid funding from the law school use our exclusive online calculator. The calculated aid package will be an estimate for 1 year of study and will be tailored to your financial means. The calculator allows you to obtain a funding estimate before or after applying for admission.
Residence and Housing
Incoming first-year JD students admitted by May 15, 2023, can access approximately 30 guaranteed spaces at the on-campus Graduate House residence.
If you are seeking housing for your family, you should consider the U of T Student Family Housing high-rise units, located a 15-minute walk east of the law school. There are 2 guaranteed housing spaces for these units for first-year JD students.
In early May, JD Admissions will send an email with instructions on how first-year JD students may secure either type of guaranteed residence space.
Visit U of T Off-Campus Housing for information about accommodation provided by private landlords.
Contact Information
Admission Inquiries
You are advised to review the Faculty of Law’s admission policies and procedures.
Admission advisors are available to answer questions in person, by telephone or in writing. They are extremely knowledgeable about the admission process and can assist you with most matters about your applications.
JD Admissions Office
Faculty of Law, University of Toronto
78 Queen’s Park
Toronto ON M5S 2C5
Canada
Telephone: 416-978-3716
Email: admissions.law@utoronto.ca
Information Sessions/Campus Tours
We invite you to meet with us at any of our tours or admission information sessions.
See a complete list of our admissions events.
Book a campus tour.