About Western Law
Western University, founded in 1878, is one of Canada’s top research-intensive universities. We deliver “The Western Experience”, an exemplary learning experience that engages the best and brightest people, challenging them to meet ever-higher standards in the classroom and beyond.
Since our first class graduated in 1883, we have become a vibrant centre of learning. Today we have 42,000+ students, 400+ undergraduate programs and 160+ graduate programs, complemented by an exceptional range of curricular, co-curricular and extracurricular activities in every faculty. From our home in Southwestern Ontario and outward across every continent, we prepare future leaders to succeed.
Western Law offers a best-in-class legal education in one of the most supportive professional learning environments in Canada. We prepare the lawyers and leaders of tomorrow to navigate the complex global challenges of our times and drive meaningful change.
Western Law combines a rigorous legal education with an exceptional student experience. Our small class size and collegial environment foster lifelong connections, and allow you to find support from peers and personalized attention from professors and staff. We are committed to cultivating an equitable and inclusive environment where students, faculty and staff feel valued and empowered to succeed.
With an incoming class size of 198 students, we form a collegial, dynamic community where you can expect to thrive both personally and professionally.
Small Group Program
At the heart of the Western Law student experience is our Small Group Program. As a first-year student, you will take a core course with a small group of 22 students where you will be introduced to fundamental legal skills and provided with an invaluable support system and individualized attention from professors. You will stay with your small group – mixed with other small groups – for the balance of your first-year courses.
This unique program is further enhanced by student assistants who conduct hands-on legal research instruction in the library, assist with skills learning and act as mentors.
Academic Excellence
Academic excellence is also at the heart of Western Law. Our faculty scholarship is wide-ranging and boasts expertise in:
- business law,
- constitutional law,
- family law,
- international law,
- insurance law,
- intellectual property,
- legal ethics and
- torts, among many other areas.
Our professors make important contributions to the law and public policy in Canada and the world through their scholarly research. They also value collegiality, providing you with significant opportunities to interact with them as academic and professional mentors. This includes the opportunity to apply for research assistant positions in specialized fields of law.
Updated Curriculum
Our updated curriculum will expand your options and provide greater opportunities for advanced, active and experiential learning.
First Year
In first year, in addition to essential core courses, you will have the option of taking Corporate Law, which is fundamental to many areas of legal practice, in the winter term. This opportunity is unique among Canadian law schools. Taking Corporate Law in your first year will allow you to take more specialized business law courses as early as the fall term of second year, if desired, and provide greater flexibility in your upper-year courses.
Additionally, there is a 3-week period in January that provides an intensive active learning experience for every first-year student at Western Law. You will spend this time concentrating on moot court exercises that further develop your research, writing and oral advocacy skills.
Upper Year
In upper years, you will gain additional opportunities to practice your professional writing through writing requirements that may include a variety of court documents. You may also enroll in week-long intensive courses in highly specialized areas of law, such as Advanced Topics in Securities Law and Practice, Canadian Energy Law, Public Policy and Energy Transformation (Diversification), Hate Speech in Canada, Cannabis Law and Practice, Condominium Law, Outer Space Law, and Workers’ Compensation Law and Precarious Employment.
Finally, curricular streams are available to provide you with informal guidance on the courses and co-curricular activities you may pursue depending on your interests and career aspirations. The streams will help you understand the relationships between and among courses and progress toward more advanced study in a particular area. Some curricular streams include capstone courses, which will assist you in making the transition from legal education to legal practice. Under these streams, you are free to create an upper-year program that aligns with your specific interests.
Legal Clinics
At Western Law you can participate in our legal clinics as early as your first year. In addition to our flagship Community Legal Services clinic, we offer specialized clinics in:
- Business Law
- Intellectual Property Law & Innovation
- Legal Information for Sexual Assault
- Mediation
- Sports Law
International Experience
We value and embrace the international experience, believing that in this era of globalization, exposure to another legal system is tremendously important. Our extensive exchange and summer law internship programs provide you with an enhanced perspective and a keen understanding of the rule of law beyond our borders. We have an active international exchange program, with 16 partnerships in leading law schools around the world.
More than 40 placements are offered every year with 2-4 places usually available at each partner school. This allows you to benefit from expanded curriculum options, study legal issues from a new perspective and create a network of international contacts.
Through our thriving Western Law Internship Program (WLIP), you may intern with international organizations, non-governmental and Indigenous organizations, and private industries. The WLIP allows you to expand your knowledge of international, domestic and comparative law issues while applying your legal skills in a professional environment. This enriched educational experience opens a new world of opportunities for you to succeed and prosper in an increasingly interdependent global system.
Advocacy Programs
Advocacy is a fundamental skill for aspiring lawyers. Our advocacy programs give you the opportunity to argue hypothetical cases before trial and appellate moot courts, and to gain experience in preparing both written and oral submissions. You can participate in advocacy competitions as early as the first term of first year. You can also participate in competitions involving other lawyering skills, including contract drafting, client counselling and negotiation. Our external advocacy teams routinely win awards in provincial, national and international competitions.
Visit Western Law to read more about our:
- Special programs
- Intensive courses
- Speaker programs
- Research groups
- Career and Professional Development Office
- Student Legal Society and student life
- Class profiles
Location
Western boasts one of the most picturesque campuses in Canada. Situated along the banks of the Thames River in London, Ontario, our gothic architecture and our ivy-covered campus blend in seamlessly with 1,200 acres of rolling hills and endless scenic locations to study, chat with friends and relax.
With a population of more than 440,000, London offers the best of both worlds: Big city excitement with a small-town feel, including affordable living compared to many major urban centres.
Affectionately called the Forest City due to its numerous trees and more than 200 public parks, London also has an extensive trail system that runs along the Thames River right on to our campus.
In addition, winter sports can be enjoyed at London’s Boler Mountain and its many ice rinks, while in the summer Londoners enjoy the beaches of 2 Great Lakes (Huron and Erie) in nearby Grand Bend and Port Stanley.
London also offers affordable sporting events, a thriving creative community and numerous festivals. London is proud to be Canada’s first UNESCO City of Music, boasting 4,000+ concerts and music events annually.
Program Information
We offer a 3-year full-time Juris Doctor (JD) degree program, as well as combined graduate and undergraduate degrees in several disciplines.
An Extended-Time JD program is also available for students who cannot manage a full-time program because of:
- family responsibilities,
- health issues,
- disabilities,
- financial necessity or
- other special circumstances.
Combined-degree Programs
Undergraduate
We offer 2 undergraduate combined-degree programs with other Western University faculties for students already enrolled at Western:
- HBA/JD (with the Ivey Business School)
- BESc/JD (with the Faculty of Engineering)
The application deadline is May 1, 2026. To see the formal requirements for the program you are interested in, visit Western’s Academic Calendar.
If admitted to one of these programs you will complete your undergraduate degree and your law degree in 6 academic years, as follows, instead of the 7 years that would be required if you completed the degrees separately:
| Years 1-3 | 3 years of undergraduate study |
| Year 4 | Law 1 |
| Years 5-6 | Law 2 & 3 and final year of undergraduate degree program |
Graduate
We also offer a combined Juris Doctor/Bachelor of Laws (JD/LLB) program with Université Laval and the following graduate combined-degree programs:
- JD/MSc (Geology or Geophysics)
- JD/MBA (Ivey Business School)
- JD/LLM (University of Groningen, The Netherlands)
You must apply to the JD/MSc combined-degree program separately. This can be done in 1 of 2 ways:
- Apply to both programs separately by the deadlines established by the Faculty of Law (November 1 for fall admission) and the Geology/Geophysics program. The application for the JD program is available on the OLSAS website.
- Apply to the MSc program by the deadline established by the Geology/Geophysics program (before or after admission to first-year Law).
In either case, you must indicate on both applications your intention to pursue the combined‑degree program.
JD/MBA
The JD/MBA program is a limited-enrollment program administered jointly by the Faculty of Law and the Ivey Business School.
The program is designed for candidates who envision a career in areas where business and law are integrated. It provides an exceptional education for highly motivated, talented students capable of managing the demands of 2 intensive programs simultaneously. In this program, you complete both degrees in just over 3 years instead of the 4 it would take if the programs were completed consecutively.
A minimum of 2 years of full-time quality work experience is required for the MBA program. If you do not meet the work experience requirement for the MBA program, you will still be considered for our regular JD program.
If you apply to the JD/MBA, you are not required to write the GMAT. Your LSAT score will be considered by the Ivey Business School instead of the GMAT. You must write the LSAT by November 2025 to be considered for the JD/MBA program, since the MBA portion of the program begins in March 2026.
Although you select “JD/MBA” as an option when you complete your OLSAS application, you must submit a separate application to the Ivey Business School no later than January 2026, as the first MBA component (business essentials) of the JD/MBA program begins in March 2026 – before first-year law.
After completing first-year law, you will take both MBA and law courses in your second and third years of study. This schedule allows you to be available for summer employment after first and second year.
Admission Requirements and Supporting Documents
Eligibility Criteria
Western Law is strongly committed to excellence and diversity. While we believe that excellence in academic studies and strong performance on the LSAT are the best evidence of the ability to succeed in law school, we also believe that achievement in other areas may indicate potential for success; therefore, applications are reviewed holistically. Our admissions policy, which allows applicants to show their potential in a variety of ways, is designed to produce a mix of students with diverse backgrounds.
The Admissions Committee considers the highest LSAT score and cumulative grade point average (GPA), which is based on all undergraduate university courses you received grades for. This includes grades obtained during spring and summer terms and on academic exchanges. However, if your cumulative GPA is not competitive, we will give greater weight to your last 2 years of full-time (or equivalent) undergraduate university study (defined as a minimum of 20 semestered courses).
The Committee also considers factors other than grades and LSAT scores, including:
- employment,
- personal and professional achievements,
- extracurricular engagement,
- volunteer activities and
- other life experience.
A full course load throughout your undergraduate academic career (5 semestered courses per term) is preferred. Research and writing experience, and graduate work, are also very positive factors.
All applicants must provide the following:
- Official transcripts for all postsecondary education.
- 2 confidential reference letters, 1 of which must be academic (i.e., from a university professor who has taught you).
- Notes:
- If you are applying as an HBA/JD candidate, your academic reference letter must be from an HBA1 professor.
- If more than 2 reference letters are received, only 2 will be read.
- Notes:
- A Personal Statement.
- An Autobiographical Sketch, Detailed Sketch and verifiers.
- LSAT score(s) and the LSAT Writing.
Unsolicited documents will not be reviewed.
In addition:
- Access applicants must provide supporting documentation to substantiate their access claim.
- Indigenous applicants must provide proof of Indigenous status, ancestry or other ties to their Indigenous community.
- Mature applicants may submit a resumé. Moreover, where it is not possible to provide an academic reference due to the passage of time, 2 non-academic reference letters are acceptable for mature applicants.
We request resumés for Mature applicants only. If other applicants submit resumés, they will not be reviewed.
Refer to Admission Categories for information about discretionary category application requirements.
Upper-year applicants must provide additional information, detailed in the following section.
Law School Admission Test (LSAT)
An LSAT score is required. LSAT scores from June 2020 to January 2026 are accepted. However, we strongly recommend that you plan to write the LSAT by November 2025 since the majority of our offers are made before January LSAT scores are released.
If you are a JD/MBA applicant, you must write the LSAT by November 2025 to be considered for the JD/MBA program, since the MBA portion of the program begins in March 2026.
College and Polytechnic Degrees
Western Law currently does not accept college or polytechnic study, or college or polytechnic degrees as eligible pre-law study for admission. Moreover, college and polytechnic courses are not included in your GPA calculation.
College and polytechnic courses for which you received credit towards a university degree, as part of a pathways or bridging program, will be considered as appropriate pre-law study, provided you have at least 3 years of university study beyond the college transfer credits. If you are in a formal collaborative college/university (2+2) program with a common curriculum approved by both institutions, a third year of university study may not be required.
Personal Statement
The Personal Statement (maximum 5,000 characters) is an opportunity for you to help the Admissions Committee get to know you better. Please tell us about yourself and why you want to go to law school. Providing examples and context where needed, and writing with an authentic voice, will be helpful.
Optional Essay (available to all applicants; maximum 2,000 characters)
At Western Law we value diverse perspectives, experiences and backgrounds. We also appreciate that people take different paths to law school. With that in mind, is there any additional information you would like us to consider when reviewing your application? If you are applying in the Indigenous or Black category and would like to provide context, you may do so in the Optional Essay.
While you may wish to use the optional essay to expand on something you mentioned in your personal statement, we recommend that you do not repeat what is in your personal statement in your optional essay.
Access Applicants Only (1,000 characters)
Discuss the disadvantage or barrier you are seeking special consideration for, which may have affected your academic studies or LSAT score(s). Include specific information relating to the timeline, if applicable.
While others may review your Personal Statement, it must be written by you alone. Extensive editing or rewriting by others is not permissible. When you submit your Personal Statement to Western University Faculty of Law through OLSAS, you are confirming that you are the true author of your Statement. As such, the use of AI in the preparation of your personal statement is strongly discouraged. Personal statements will be compared with LSAT writing samples to look for consistency in writing quality.
Assessment of International Transcripts
If you have undertaken undergraduate studies outside Canada and the United States (US), you must have your international transcript assessed by World Education Services (WES). Request a course-by-course evaluation.
If you are applying through our Western/Bristol pathway, a WES assessment for your study at Bristol is not required.
If you have undertaken graduate studies outside of Canada and the US, you are not required to have your international transcript assessed by WES, although such an assessment may be requested.
A WES evaluation is not required for courses you take as part of an exchange program, provided transfer credits for those courses appear on your home university transcript. However, your transcript from the exchange institution must be sent to OLSAS for our review.
Language Proficiency
Proof of English-language proficiency (within the last 2 years) is required if English is not your first language and your university education was in a language other than English.
When you receive your test results, upload an unofficial copy to your OLSAS application using Secure Applicant Messaging (SAM). We will verify that copy against the official copy we receive directly from the testing organization.
Satisfactory achievement can be demonstrated in one of the following:
- The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
- The minimum acceptable score is 109 for the internet-based version, with a minimum score of 25 for writing and speaking skills, 267 (computer-based) or 630 (paper-based).
- Western’s TOEFL ID is 0984.
- The TOEFL Test Center will send your scores to us electronically.
- Application forms and additional information may be obtained from the TOEFL website.
- The International English Language Testing Service Academic (IELTS Academic).
- The minimum acceptable score is 8 out of 9.
- The IELTS is offered at multiple test centres worldwide.
- IELTS will send your scores to us electronically.
- Information on IELTS may be obtained from the IELTS website.
- The Duolingo English Test
- If accessing TOEFL or IELTS is difficult for you, we may accept the Duolingo English Test in lieu of TOEFL or IELTS.
- The minimum acceptable score is 130.
- Visit the Duolingo testing website and select “Western University – Graduate Studies” from the institution list.
Proof of Permanent Residency Status
Proof of permanent residence (landed immigrant) status is required. Submit a clear photocopy of the front and back of your permanent residency card. The date on the back must be legible. Canadian citizens do not need to submit proof of citizenship.
Admission Categories
First-Year Applicants
There are 2 major categories for admission into first year:
- General
- Discretionary
- Access
- Black
- Indigenous
- Mature
If you wish to change your applicant category after the application deadline, be aware that decisions permitting such a change are discretionary and rare. Carefully consider which applicant category is best for you before submitting your application.
General Category
We require a minimum of 3 years of full-time (or equivalent) undergraduate university study, although most admitted students have a 4-year degree. We define 1 year of full-time study as 10 semestered courses.
To be a competitive candidate in the General category, you should have a cumulative average of A- (80-84%) (GPA of 3.7) and an LSAT score above the 80th percentile. However, meeting these thresholds does not guarantee admission.
Discretionary Categories
For our Discretionary categories, we require:
- a minimum of 3 years of full-time (or equivalent) undergraduate university study for Access, Black or Indigenous candidates;
- a minimum of 2 years of full-time (or equivalent) undergraduate university study for Mature candidates; and
- evidence confirming the basis of your application.
The Admissions Committee may interview applicants in the discretionary categories.
Access Category
Access applicants are those whose academic performance was affected by a proven disadvantage that may include:
- cultural factors,
- socio-economic factors,
- medical or physical barriers, or
- a learning disability.
As an Access applicant, you must describe how the disadvantage affected your undergraduate academic record (including details about the relevant timeline) and provide supporting documentation. It is up to you to determine what documentation best supports your claim as described in your Personal Statement.
If you have a disability, you are required to provide full documentation from qualified professionals on your disability and its effect on your academic record or LSAT score(s), and provide information relating to any accommodations you received during your program of study.
You must upload all documentation to support your Access claim through SAM in your OLSAS application.
If you do not provide supporting documentation for your Access claim, you will be assessed as a General applicant.
Although your grades may have been affected by a proven disadvantage, you must show evidence of your potential to succeed at law school. This requires at least 1 year of competitive grades among 3 years of full-time (or equivalent) undergraduate university study. If you do not meet this minimum requirement, you are strongly encouraged to consider upgrading and applying in a future application cycle.
You will receive special consideration for your LSAT score(s) only where there is a causal connection between the disadvantage you are claiming and your LSAT performance.
Black Category
Black applicants are individuals who self-identify as members of the Black community. The Faculty of Law recognizes that such individuals are not represented adequately within the legal profession and strongly encourages applications from members of this group.
Applications from Black candidates will be reviewed holistically, informed by the principles of equity, diversity and inclusion. Candidates may use the optional essay to discuss lived experiences, which will be given additional weight during the review process. We strive to have all applications in this category assessed by at least 1 Black reviewer (among 2-3 reviewers).
Indigenous Category
Indigenous applicants are First Nations, Métis or Inuit Peoples. The Faculty of Law recognizes that Indigenous individuals are under-represented within the legal profession and strongly encourages applications from Indigenous students.
A minimum of 3 years of full-time (or equivalent, defined as 30 semestered courses) undergraduate university study is required.
Applications are reviewed holistically by the Faculty of Law Admissions Committee and are informed by the principles of equity, diversity, inclusion, decolonization and accessibility.
Affirmation Process
Under Western University’s Policy 1.58 – Affirming Declarations of Indigenous Citizenship or Membership, Indigenous applicants are required to submit a Student Declaration of Indigenous Citizenship or Membership to Western’s Office of Indigenous Initiatives by providing:
- 2 documents demonstrating proof of citizenship or membership to the Indigenous Nation claiming them and
- a Statement of Relational Positionality.
Your declaration should be completed when you apply to Western Law.
The Student Declaration of Indigenous Citizenship or Membership is separate from, and in addition to, the application you will submit through OLSAS.
Questions may be directed to: [email protected].
Once you submit your declaration and supporting documents, the Office of Indigenous Initiatives will review your submission and provide the Faculty of Law with its decision. When your application is complete it will be reviewed by the Admissions Committee.
Optional Essay – OLSAS Application
You may use the optional essay in the OLSAS application to speak to your lived experiences, goals or community involvement, which will be given additional weight during the review process.
While the Statement of Relational Positionality for Western’s affirmation process and the optional essay in the OLSAS application serve distinct purposes, you may choose to incorporate elements from your optional essay into your Statement, if relevant.
First-year Property Law Option
The Indigenous Law Centre (ILC) at the University of Saskatchewan offers a first-year Property Law course from May through July for incoming Indigenous law students.
As an incoming Indigenous law student, when you successfully complete the University of Saskatchewan ILC summer program, you will receive credit for first-year Property Law at Western Law. You will also receive funding to subsidize the cost of the program.
Financial Support
In addition to our entrance scholarships, financial assistance for Indigenous students is available through a variety of federal programs.
For Métis and Non-Status First Nations students, the Legal Studies for Indigenous People Program through the Department of Justice Canada provides financial support. Additionally, the Post-Secondary Student Support Program offered through Indigenous Services Canada provides funding for eligible First Nations and Inuit students.
We encourage students to explore these and other funding opportunities to support their legal education.
Mature Category
To be considered a Mature applicant you must have at least 5 years of non-university experience since leaving high school (before admission), which need not be consecutive, and a minimum of 2 years of full-time (or equivalent) undergraduate university study.
Deadline for First-year Applications
The application, reference letters, transcripts and any other supporting documents are due November 1, 2025.
For Western HBA/JD and BESc/JD applicants, these materials are due May 1, 2026.
If you are currently in university, you must order an updated transcript in January after your grades for the fall term are released, and again after your winter grades are released. Failure to do so may delay the review of your application.
Upper-year Applicants
There are 3 categories of applicants to second and third year:
- Transfer
- Advanced Standing (which includes the University of Bristol pathway)
- Letter of Permission (LOP)
The number of students admitted in these categories is limited by the availability of places in the second and third year.
The competition for these positions is significant. Generally, you will receive priority if you meet the competitive profile for our General category, described above, and you have strong first-year law school grades (defined as a B average or higher), which factor heavily in the admission decision. Compassionate reasons, where relevant, will also be considered.
Your Personal Statement should include your reason for transfer, seeking advanced standing or studying on an LOP at Western Law, as the case may be. The structure of the Personal Statement is the same for first-year and upper-year applicants.
In addition to the required documents outlined for all applicants, you must arrange to have the following submitted directly to OLSAS:
- An up-to-date transcript from your current law school, both when you apply and again when final term grades are released (if applicable).
- 2 confidential reference letters from law professors (in lieu of other reference letters).
- A letter from your current law school confirming you are in good standing and have not been the subject of any academic or non-academic discipline.
- LOP students only: A letter from your current law school prescribing a program of approved courses and/or setting out any specific requirements that must be met while studying at Western Law.
Transfer
If you are currently enrolled in first year at another Canadian law school, you may be admitted as a transfer student to the second year of the Western Law program. Upon successfully completing the program, you will receive a JD degree from Western University.
Advanced Standing
If you have successfully completed part or all of your legal education outside Canada, you may be considered for admission with advanced standing.
Applicants from the University of Bristol (UK) who are applying to Western Law as part of the Western/Bristol pathway, should apply as an advanced standing candidate.
A WES assessment for your study at Bristol is not required.
Except in extraordinary circumstances, you will not receive more than 1 year’s advanced standing. Thus, if admitted, you will be required to satisfy the program requirements of Western Law over a 2-year period.
Upon successfully completing the program, you will receive a JD degree from Western University.
Advanced standing applicants who have not written the LSAT are required to do so. June 2026 LSAT scores for September 2026 admission will be accepted.
University of Bristol Pathway
Western Law and the University of Bristol Law School have partnered to offer a unique program that provides Bristol LLB graduates the opportunity to complete their Juris Doctor (JD) degree at Western Law in 2 academic years.
Seats are held for competitive Bristol graduates, defined as candidates with a minimum 2:1 finish in their LLB program and an LSAT score above the 80th percentile.
To apply, follow the general instructions for upper-year advanced standing applicants.
Letter of Permission (LOP)
If you are currently enrolled at a Canadian law school, you can apply to study for 1 term or 1 academic year at Western Law on an LOP prescribing a program of approved courses from your current law school.
Typically, these requests are made by second-year students who seek to study at Western Law in their third year. If you successfully complete the approved program on an LOP, you do not receive a JD degree from Western. Rather, you receive a law degree from your home law school.
Deadline for Upper-year Applications
The application, reference letters, transcripts and any other supporting documents are due May 1, 2026.
If your transcript for the current academic year is not available before May 1, 2026, you must ensure it is provided as soon as it is available.
Admission Information
Application Review Process
An email acknowledging receipt of your application will be sent to you during the last 2 weeks of November. At that time, you will receive instructions on how to activate your Western identity and access your Western Student Center.
Admission decisions are made on a rolling basis from November to June. Given the number of applications received annually and the fact that we conduct a thorough review, it may be months before you receive an admission decision. We appreciate your patience.
We do not provide informal individual application status updates through the year. If you have not yet heard from us, it means your application is in the queue for review and a final decision has not yet been made.
All admission decisions are communicated in writing. When a decision is made, you will receive an email advising you to log into your Western Student Center to view your decision.
Rounds of offers are typically issued monthly. If you have not heard from us by April 1, your application is still under consideration. We typically have seats available after the April 1 response deadline for early offerees.
To be fair to all applicants, we do not consider unsolicited application updates or other submissions (such as letters of continued interest) throughout the cycle.
Wait List
Our wait list is typically created between mid-May and late June. Wait-listed candidates will be given the opportunity to provide updates to their autobiographical sketch.
Fee Waivers
If you wish to apply for a waiver of Western University’s portion of the application fee, contact the Admissions Office at the Faculty of Law directly to request the proper form before submitting your law school application through OLSAS.
Complete supporting documentation is required.
Granting fee waivers is discretionary and rare. However, if you already have an LSAC fee waiver, you will likely receive a Western Law fee waiver. Therefore, you are encouraged to apply for an LSAC fee waiver first. This can be done after logging into your LSAC account.
The deadline for submitting a fee waiver application and supporting documentation is October 15, 2025 (for first-year applicants), and April 15, 2026 (for upper-year applicants). These are firm deadlines.
Fee waiver applications without supporting documentation will not be considered.
Deferral of Admission
We will consider requests for a 1-year deferral of admission on an individual basis after you are admitted. Submit written requests, with supporting documentation, to the Assistant Dean (Admissions and Recruitment).
We grant deferrals in rare and exceptional circumstances only, typically when a situation beyond your control arises that you could not have reasonably anticipated when you applied, which prevents you from attending.
If we grant you a deferral, you must firmly accept your offer of admission and not apply to any other law schools in the next application cycle.
Additional Information
Career and Professional Development Office
Western Law consistently has among the top placement rates in Canada, with more than 95% of students securing articles after graduation, based on student-reported outcomes. Our Career and Professional Development Office operates year-round to provide information and tools to help you succeed in today’s competitive job market.
As a Western Law student, you will have access to:
- career management software and tools,
- one-on-one counselling for career planning and the recruitment process,
- career development programming and resources and
- recruiting programs.
We work with employers across Canada to organize several interview programs, including on-campus interviews for summer positions in Toronto, Ottawa, Calgary, Vancouver and the Maritimes.
While all Canadian schools offer career services, what sets us apart is our collegial environment in which upper-year students and alumni take a real interest and active roles as career speakers and mentors. You will graduate from Western Law with knowledge and skills that enable you to gain fulfilling employment and leadership opportunities throughout your career.
Black Students Law School Application Package
We are pleased to financially support the law school application process for 5 Black undergraduate students annually.
Eligible students receive a package valued at more than $1,800 that includes a voucher for the OLSAS application service fee ($200), a waiver of Western’s Faculty of Law application fee ($150) and registration in a commercial LSAT preparation course.
Credit/No Credit or Pass/Fail Options
Outside of the exceptional circumstances that arose in 2020, we strongly recommend that you elect to receive grades for courses completed, rather than opt for CR or Pass notations. Since a GPA cannot be attributed to “pass” or “credit” notations on your transcript using the Undergraduate Grade Conversion Table, those courses cannot be included in the calculation of your GPA for the purpose of assessing your undergraduate performance. Rather, grades provide us with the most accurate information related to your academic performance and your ability to handle the rigours of law school.
Late Applications
You may submit a late application only with the permission of the Assistant Dean (Admissions & Recruitment).
False or Misleading Information
If it is discovered that your application, or any communications during the admissions process, contain false or misleading information, we will reject your application or revoke your offer of admission and/or registration. We may also report you to the Law School Admission Council’s Misconduct and Irregularities in the Admission Process Subcommittee for further action.
Provide complete accurate information with your application, and take extra care with your Autobiographical Sketch, where attention to detail is particularly important.
Tuition, Scholarships and Financial Aid
Tuition and Fees
Tuition fees for 2026-2027 are estimated to be approximately $20,200 for Ontario residents and $23,325 for domestic out-of-province residents, plus supplemental fees of $1,760. The supplemental fees include Student Activity and Organization Fees, health and dental plans, and a London Transit bus pass. You can expect to spend between $1,000 and $1,400 on textbooks, depending on whether you choose to buy used, new or both.
Entrance Scholarships
We are committed to ensuring that you have access to adequate financial resources to complete your program of study. Funding is provided through various forms of financial assistance. Merit-based (scholarship) funding recognizes and rewards students for their excellent academic achievement. Needs-based funding (bursaries, awards, and work study) is distributed to students based on demonstrated financial need.
As an incoming first-year student, you may be eligible to receive Dean of Law Entrance Scholarships and Dean of Law Continuing Entrance Scholarships in amounts up to $50,000, awarded between February and April. We also offer numerous other entrance scholarships, which are typically awarded in the summer before classes begin.
All admitted students will be considered for entrance scholarships without submitting separate applications.
Government and Student Loans
Both the federal and provincial governments provide student financial assistance for Canadian citizens and permanent residents (landed immigrants) studying at the postsecondary level.
Financial assistance is in the form of an interest-free loan while you are a full-time student. If you live in Ontario, you should apply to the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP).
If you live in another province, you should obtain financial aid information by contacting the appropriate government office in your province.
Bursaries
Almost 40% of Western’s law students qualify for bursaries each year.
To be considered for an entrance bursary, which is non-repayable, you must also apply for government student loans.
The online entrance bursary application is typically available in January. We email you this information after we acknowledge receipt of your application in mid-November. Ensure your email account is configured to receive all email from Western.
Contact Information
Inquiries
If you have questions about the application and receipt of supporting documents, contact OLSAS.
If you have questions about our admission policies and standards or wish to arrange a tour of Western Law with a law student ambassador or with admissions personnel, contact our Admissions Office:
JD Admissions
Faculty of Law
Room 222
Western University
London ON N6A 3K7
Telephone: 519-661-3347
Fax: 519-850-2412
Email: [email protected]
We also invite you to visit Western Law via our Virtual Tour.