Admissions Information for Canadian Law Schools

Table of Contents

1. Dalhousie University Schulich School of Law
2. Lakehead University Bora Laskin Faculty of Law
3. Lincoln Alexander School of Law (previously operating as Ryerson University)
4. McGill University
5. Osgoode Hall Law School, York University
6. Queen's University
7. Thompson Rivers University Faculty of Law
8. University of Alberta
9. University of British Columbia
10. University of Calgary
11. University of Manitoba
12. University of New Brunswick
13. University of Ottawa
14. University of Saskatchewan
15. University of Toronto
16. University of Victoria
17. University of Windsor
18. Western Law

Dalhousie University Schulich School of Law (Halifax)

Deadline is January 10 | Last acceptable LSAT is the last LSAT sitting of the calendar year

Admissions Criteria

161–164 LSAT Average | 3.7 GPA Average on 4.3 scale

(Dalhousie uses a student's highest LSAT score. GPA based on overall GPA, or your last 10 credits, whichever is better. )

The admissions index weighs the GPA sixty percent and the LSAT forty percent. The Admissions Committee also considers non-academic experience, letters of reference, and other factors.

Apply online.

Required Documents

Online application with personal statement; LSAT report; 2 LORs; official transcripts for all post-secondary education; resume

Writing Components

Personal statement (included on the online application) – There is no minimum word/page length.

In your personal statement you may include your reasons for applying to law school, information or context about your academic performance/extra-curricular activities, key accomplishments from your paid/volunteer experience, your personal commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion, barriers you have overcome and/or any other personal information that you may wish to bring to the attention of the Admissions Committee. This may include any special skills, talents, or experiences that you feel have given you a unique way of looking at the world.

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Lakehead University Bora Laskin Faculty of Law (Thunder Bay)

Deadline is 1-Nov | Last acceptable LSAT is in January but they encourage students to write the LSAT by November 2023 to have score reports available for the first round of offers.

Admissions Criteria

No info LSAT | No info on GPA

(Lakehead uses a student's highest LSAT score. GPA based on minimum of 75-80% average in overall undergraduate study is preferred.)

Lakehead considers academic achievements, LSAT scores, personal statements, references, and other supporting documentation.

Apply via OLSAS.

Required Documents

OLSAS form; official transcripts from post-secondary studies; personal statement and OLSAS autobiographical sketch; LSAT scores; at least 2 letters of reference: 1 academic and 1 non-academic (2 academic references preferred); supporting evidence where necessary.

Writing Components

Personal Statement: You must complete the Personal Statement within your OLSAS application.

The Bora Laskin Faculty of Law is committed to the following 3 mandate areas:

1. Aboriginal and Indigenous Law,
2. Environmental Law and Natural Resource Law and
3. Sole Practitioner/Small Town Law practice, including the IPC.

Discuss how any or all of our mandate areas fit in with your goals as a future lawyer. If applicable, also discuss any connection or previous experience you have with any or all of our mandate areas.

• We recognize that it may be more difficult for Black and racialized applicants to situate their connection to the mandate areas given the long history of conceiving Indigenous-settler relations as a relationship between Indigenous people and white people.

• In light of this history, we want to clarify that we invite reflections on Indigenous-Black relations and the role of racialized people in reconciliation and decolonization. We welcome the thoughts of applicants on the historical exclusion of Black and racialized communities from environmental protection and natural resource development. We also welcome applicants’ thoughts on the challenges and contributions of Black and racialized communities in small town practice or as sole practitioners.

The Personal Statement also provides you with the opportunity to discuss your strengths, capabilities and achievements that distinguish you as a desirable applicant. You may wish to include information about what led you to apply to study law, your preparedness for the study of law and your interest in the Bora Laskin Faculty of Law.

You may also wish to include information about any anomalies within your academic performance, highlight non-academic achievements and note any special circumstances that have contributed to, or adversely affected, your academic and non-academic success.

Your Personal Statement will be considered in the context of the rest of your application. It must be authored entirely by you and must not exceed 8,000 characters in length.

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Lincoln Alexander School of Law (previously operating as Ryerson University) (Toronto)

Deadline is 1-Nov | Last acceptable LSAT is in January

Admissions Criteria

No info LSAT | No info on GPA

(Ryerson uses a student's highest LSAT score. GPA based on best 20 single-semester (or equivalent) graded undergraduate degree program at full course load.)

Lincoln Alexander School of Law has a holistic review, considering LSAT, GPA, personal statement, application materials, and an online video interview.

Apply via OLSAS.

Required Documents

LSAT score, personal statement, online interview, application, Reference Letters, Resumé and the OLSAS Autobiographical Sketch

Writing Components

The personal statements (School Submission) are a critical part of the application. They will be reviewed by the Admissions Committee in conjunction with the responses to the mandatory online interview and the other application components.
Additional/corroborating documentation can be included where applicable. Upload any documentation supporting your Access application through Secure Applicant Messaging (SAM) in your application.

Part B of the statement aims to offer a chance for you to reflect on how you intend to contribute to the Law School and the practice of Law as a whole. This can include your distinct experience and point of view. It also allows you to discuss one or more of the following, if they apply: equity factors, work/life experience, and diversity factors. If you are applying under the Access Category you may speak to the basis of your sub-category application in this essay. If you are applying under the Indigenous Category we ask that you speak to your relationship and connection to your community in this essay.You may want to address (but are not limited to) one of the following suggested topics. Tell us what you feel your relevant experience (e.g., lived experience, work experience and/or volunteer experience) can contribute to the program and student life at Lincoln Alexander Law.

1. Please share how you have been impacted by the law and/or access to justice. How will you work towards providing access to justice on your law journey?
2. Reflect on your identity and its intersections (including but not limited to: race, gender, socio-economic status, disabilities, immigration status, religion, sexual orientation etc.), demonstrating how they have shaped how you will contribute to the law.
3. Tell us about the challenges you have faced and how they shaped you to be able to contribute to the program and student life at Lincoln Alexander Law.
4. For candidates who did not pursue post-secondary education or have been out of an academic environment for years, how do you feel your background has prepared you for success in law school, and how has it prepared you to contribute to the Law School?

Note: If you are applying in the Indigenous category, you need to include an outline of your relationship and connection to your community, which could include the impact of colonization on your family, or your connection to Indigenous culture.

The statement must be authored entirely by you and it must not exceed the maximum character length, including spaces. The statement is in 2 parts:

Part A (5,000 characters)

Tell us why you want to attend law school, and more specifically, why you want to attend the Lincoln Alexander School of Law at Toronto Metropolitan University. How does attending Lincoln Alexander Law tie into your long-term goals? Please refer to our vision, values, curriculum and/or programming in your response. You must make a meaningful connection to at least two of our foundational pillars - increasing access to justice, stimulating technological innovation and entrepreneurship, and promoting equity, diversity and inclusion, and innovative pedagogy in your response.

Part B (2,500 characters)

Please tell us how you plan to contribute to the Law School, and to the practice of Law as a whole. You can discuss any of the following considerations that are relevant to your application: Lived experience and Work/Volunteer experience that you will bring, Equity and Diversity considerations. If you are applying under the Access Category you may speak to the basis of your sub-category application in this essay. If you are applying under the Indigenous Category we ask that you speak to your relationship and connection to your community in this essay.

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McGill University (Montreal)

Deadline is 1-Nov | Last acceptable LSAT is in November

Admissions Criteria

165 LSAT Average | 3.8 GPA Average

(McGill uses a student's average LSAT score. GPA based on all years of undergraduate study.)

Committee reviewers assess the applicant's academic ability, linguistic abilities, personal motivations for studying law, extracurricular, community or professional activities, and references. Applicants with academic records below this average GPA or percentile are encouraged to consider writing the LSAT. See the full policy here.

Apply online.

Required Documents

Online application; completed academic transcripts for all post-secondary studies; personal statement; CV; two references. LSAT is not required but LSAT results will be factored into the review process.

Writing Components

Personal Statement

Applicants must submit a 750 word essay referred to as the Personal Statement.

What is the purpose of the Personal Statement?

The Personal Statement is your moment to showcase the unique aspects of your motivations, your background, and your personality that make you a compelling candidate for our program.

The Admissions Committee relies on the Personal Statement to understand the factors that motivate you to pursue a legal education, the particular meaning that the study of law holds for you, and the reasons for your interest in our program. In addition, your Personal Statement shows the Admissions Committee your writing style, your ability to present your ideas in English and/or French, and your maturity and judgment as shown through your writing.

What is the Admissions Committee looking for in reading your Personal Statement?

The Admissions Committee is interested in hearing why you want to study law, why you are interested in McGill in particular, and what you will bring to our learning community. The Committee looks for indicators of intellectual curiosity, community engagement, political/social insight, leadership skills, ability to work with others, openness to diversity (cultural, linguistic and otherwise), maturity, judgment, and potential for development through opportunity or adversity.

The Personal Statement should be a product of your own reflection. We truly value a wide range of backgrounds, identities, and future aspirations. Whether you wish to become a practicing lawyer or you have other ideas about your career path following a legal education, your application, and specifically your Personal Statement, should show thoughtful consideration of your reasons for studying law, and at our Faculty in particular.

Practical Tips

Do some research on our law faculty and others. Law faculties all tend to have their own strengths and particularities. Doing some research may help you identify and articulate why you are interested in studying at McGill in particular.

Read our Admissions Policies to get a sense of what we look for in our admitted students.

Before writing, reflect critically on your motivations, your interests, and your convictions, and their connection to our program. The Personal Statement should not be used as a vehicle for narrating or repeating your CV. You have a limited amount of writing space; make it count. Do not repeat aspects of your candidacy that the Committee will see in other documents unless these aspects are directly linked to your interest in studying law at McGill.  Be authentic. Be yourself. Don't be afraid to be original, but be careful not to sacrifice substance.

You may submit your Personal Statement in English, French, or both. It is important that you write the statement in whatever of the two language(s) you are most comfortable expressing yourself. It is not recommended to use the Personal Statement as a way to establish your bilingualism unless you are very comfortable expressing yourself in the other language.

Importantly, make sure that your Personal Statement follows our formatting guidelines (see below) and that it has grammatical integrity. Only one submission of the Personal Statement is accepted so it is important to submit the Personal Statement in its final version of both format and substance.

Indigenous applicants are invited to submit additional documentation in addition to the Personal Statement. Please see the Indigenous Applicants page for more information.

Format

Maximum 750 words

• Include a word count at the end of your Personal Statement.
• Indicate your name and McGill ID (found in the Minerva acknowledgement notice) at the top right corner of all pages.

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Osgoode Hall Law School, York University (Toronto)

Deadline is 1-Nov | Last acceptable LSAT is in January

Admissions Criteria

161 LSAT Median | 3.69 GPA Median

(Osgoode Hall uses a student's highest LSAT score. GPA based on all years of undergraduate study.)

Osgoode Hall has a holistic review process and looks for strength in academic and non-academic credentials. No formula or weighting is used to compare them. The review process includes equity and diversity considerations cited by the applicant.

Apply via OLSAS.

Required Documents

OLSAS online application; original post-secondary transcripts; at least 2 LORs with at least one academic LOR; all LSAT scores; required personal statement; optional statement. Financial statement required for scholarship consideration.

Writing Components

Personal Statement

The Personal Statement provides an opportunity to highlight any information that you feel the Admissions Committee requires to make an informed and

thoughtful decision about your application. It will be considered together with the rest of your application documents.

The Personal Statement consists of a mandatory Part A and an optional Part B.

Part A (Mandatory) – Two sections, 2,000 characters each

Part A of the Personal Statement asks you to discuss topics such as community leadership and involvement, academic leadership and involvement, advanced academic work and athletic activities. You are also asked to elaborate on your interest in legal education and how you may use your law degree in the future.

Part B (Optional) – 2,500 characters

Part B of the Personal Statement is optional. It allows you to discuss one or more of the following, if they apply: equity factors, work/life experience, performance considerations and diversity factors.

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Queen's University (Kingston)

Deadline is 1-Nov | Last acceptable LSAT is in February

Admissions Criteria

160 LSAT Minimum | 3.7 GPA Minimum

(Queen's uses a student's highest LSAT score. GPA based on best two years. )

The Admissions Committee uses a holistic approach to applications that takes into account a number of factors in addition to grades and LSAT results.

Apply via OLSAS.

Required Documents

Online application; LSAT; undergraduate transcript; personal statement; 1 confidential academic LOR.

Writing Components

Personal Statement

The personal statement:

• allows you to highlight your academic, personal, professional and extracurricular accomplishments
• allows you to highlight your interest in studying law at Queen’s
• can be used to complement material included in your autobiographical sketch
• must be authored entirely by you
• must not exceed 6,000 characters in length, including spaces

The Admissions Committee finds the personal statement to be helpful, along with letters of reference, the autobiographical sketch and verifiers, to identify scholarship prospects among applicants who are competitive on the basis of grades and LSAT scores.

In the Access category, a secondary mandatory statement will be required (1500 character limited) and will appear on the OLSAS application after choosing the access category of admission.  Please use this section to address the basis of your access claim and upload corroboration of these circumstances through relevant supporting documentation.

Part-time studies applicants: Outline in the personal statement your reasons for wanting to study part-time.

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Thompson Rivers University Faculty of Law (Kamloops)

Deadline is 10-Feb | Last acceptable LSAT is in January

Admissions Criteria

160 LSAT Average | 3.67 GPA Average

(Thompson Rivers uses a student's highest LSAT score. GPA based on 20 most recent undergrad academic courses, (converted to TRU’s 4.33 grade scheme, if applicable))

Thompson Rivers has a holistic review.

Apply online.

Required Documents

Completed online or paper application; official transcripts of all post-secondary education; statement of interest; 2 letters of reference (at least 1 academic); resume; any supplemental documents.

Writing Components

The statement of interest should be no more than 750 words. You may print your statement on a separate page and submit along with this application or submit under separate cover. The purpose of the statement of interest is to provide the Admissions Committee with additional information about you that will be used in assessing your application.

Among other things, the Admissions Committee is interested in finding out the following:

• What led you to make the decision to apply to law school?
• What you would like to do with your law degree?
• Why you are interested in the Faculty of Law at Thompson Rivers University in particular?
• Why you have made previous academic or other choices and how they have affected your decision to apply to law school?

This is a place for you to show us who you are, and what makes you of particular interest to the Faculty of Law at Thompson Rivers University. It is also an opportunity for you to demonstrate your personality, your maturity and that you understand the nature of the decision that you are making in choosing to come to the Faculty of Law at Thompson Rivers University.

The members of the Admissions Committee consider the Statement of Interest in the context of the rest of your application. Therefore it is useful for you to discuss how the experiences you have listed elsewhere on your application are relevant to your desire to attend law school.

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University of Alberta (Edmonton)

Deadline is 1-Dec | Last acceptable LSAT is in January

Admissions Criteria

165 LSAT Average | 3.9 GPA Average

(Alberta uses a student's highest LSAT score. GPA based on last two years of undergraduate study.)

Alberta uses a "prediction indicator" that consists of a combination of GPA and LSAT score. If a candidate's prediction indicator is lower, then Alberta uses a more holistic review looking at the personal statement and prior experiences.

Apply online.

Required Documents

Online application; official transcripts (2) from all post-secondary institutions attended; personal statement; LSAT score. LORs are not accepted for regular entry.

Writing Components

Please submit a PDF version of your personal statement. The word limit for the personal statement is 1,000 words.

In reviewing applicants’ personal statements, the Admissions Committee is guided by the following objectives:

• Ensuring access to legal education for underrepresented groups, minorities and individuals who have faced extraordinary life circumstances;
• Ensuring a diverse range of perspectives and backgrounds to enrich the student body; and
• Ensuring wide-ranging forms of excellence within the student body.

The personal statement should feature clear and authentic writing. Where appropriate, the statement should comment on the following considerations to assist the Committee in assessing the applicant’s candidacy and desire and ability to succeed in law:

• demonstrated aptitude based on personal and professional achievements and work experience;
• contributions to community;
• extraordinary personal challenges or the difficulty and quality of the pre law academic program;
• family, community, leadership or similar responsibilities;
• social, political, economic or other factors;
• exceptional circumstances that adversely affected particular grades or academic performance and/or LSAT score(s), but do not pose an ongoing issue in terms of the Applicant’s ability to succeed in law school.

For applicants in the Indigenous Applicants category, the personal statement may draw on aspects of the applicant’s resumé, but should not repeat information that is included in the resumé.

The TRC Final Report and the MMIWG National Inquiry Report, as well as many previous reports, have documented the historic and ongoing colonialism and systemic racism Indigenous peoples face in Canada. If these realities have affected your life experience or your decision to pursue legal education, you are welcome to explain that in your Personal Statement, should you wish to do so.

The deadline to submit personal statements is February 1, 23:59:59 (Mountain Time). Applicants can upload a copy of their Personal Statement to the UAlberta Launchpad portal after their application has been submitted.

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University of British Columbia (Vancouver)

Deadline is 1-Dec | Last acceptable LSAT is in January

Admissions Criteria

166 LSAT Median | 3.8 GPA Median

(UBC uses a student's highest LSAT score. GPA based on all years of undergraduate study, but UBC drops lowest 12 credits from calculation of admissions GPA for applicants who have graduated and drops lowest 6 credits from admissions GPA for applicants in their third year of college.)

A candidate's academic average and LSAT score are weighted equally. A candidate can request that special circumstances supported by documentation be considered in determining academic average. The personal statement may be used to assess admissibility and it will be used, in conjunction with the academic average and LSAT score, to determine entrance scholarship offers.

Apply online.

Required Documents

Online application; undergraduate transcript, LSAT score, personal statement, other documents where relevant (letters of reference, medical certificates, special circumstances letters, or National Committee on Accreditation letters).

Writing Components

The personal statement is different for applicants in the General category.

For General applicants, the personal statement will be a series of short questions on the online application:

• (Maximum 500 words) Tell us about why you would like to study law at UBC, and how your past education, employment, extracurricular activities and/or other experiences have prepared you for the study of law.
• (Maximum 400 words) Tell us about a time when you helped someone else solve a problem or hardship that they were facing. What did you take away from that experience?
• (Maximum 400 words) Tell us about how equity and diversity have mattered in your life.

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University of Calgary (Calgary)

Deadline is 1-Dec | Last acceptable LSAT is in January

Admissions Criteria

163 LSAT Average | 3.67 GPA Average

(Calgary uses a student's highest LSAT score. GPA based on the last 20 half-courses of undergrad, up to Dec. 31, with some consideration for the entire performance.)

Calgary has a Comprehensive assessment process with no specific weight assigned to any of the factors. Work experience, extra-curricular activities, and community involvement are very important.

Apply online.

Required Documents

Online application; official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended; statement of interest; LSAT score; 2 references

Writing Components

Statement of Interest

You must answer the following three questions within a maximum of 500 words:

• How have your previous experiences and academic choices influenced your decision to apply to law school?
• Why are you interested in attending UCalgary Law specifically?
• What would you like to do with your law degree?

Special Facts Related to Diversity, Equity and Lived Experience

This is an optional space for all applicants, where you may choose to share relevant information with the Admissions Committee related to diversity, equity and lived experience to help give context and perspective to your application. (Maximum 1000 words)

Examples of what you may choose to share in this space include:

• Issues related to systemic barriers you have overcome
• How your diversity through culture, languages spoken, or lived experience will enrich the legal community
• Health or personal challenges you have overcome
• Achievements or accomplishments you were unable to fit elsewhere in the application

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University of Manitoba (Winnipeg)

Deadline is 1-Dec | Last acceptable LSAT is in January

Admissions Criteria

160 LSAT Average | 3.99 GPA Average based on graded credit hours

(Manitoba uses a student's highest LSAT score. GPA based on all years of undergraduate study. Applicants with more than 90 credit hours completed will have their 18, 24, or 30 credit hours dropped depending on how many credit hours they’ve completed (90–101, 102–113, or 114+).)

Manitoba's admissions index is based fifty percent on the LSAT and fifty percent on academics.

Apply online.

Required Documents

Online application; undergraduate transcript; LSAT score.

Writing Components

Applicants receiving Early Offers will be considered for merit based scholarships with amounts ranging from $2,500 - $6,000. Applicants will have the opportunity to upload a written statement that demonstrates personal characteristics associated with the highest standards of the profession. Submitting the statement is optional. Please visit: http://law.robsonhall.com/future-students/jurisdoctor-j-d/scholarship-information/

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University of New Brunswick (Fredericton)

Deadline is 1-Mar | Last acceptable LSAT is in February

Admissions Criteria

158 LSAT Average | 3.8 GPA Average on a 4.3 scale

(New Brunswick uses a student's highest LSAT score. GPA based on all years of undergraduate study.)

The admissions index weighs the GPA sixty percent and the LSAT forty percent.

Apply online.

Required Documents

Online application; undergraduate transcript; personal statement; LSAT score; resume. Two optional LORs which may be useful for scholarship consideration.

Writing Components

Personal statement

A personal statement is required for all applicants in all categories. You may forward personal statements to the Law Admissions Office by mail, or by email to lawadmit@unb.ca .

If an applicant wishes the Admissions Committee to consider a disability, the personal statement must explain the nature of the disability in detail and provide supporting documentation including a statement of requested accommodation, if any.

For applicants in the Discretionary and Aboriginal categories, the statement should relate the applicant’s personal circumstances to the selection criteria in the relevant category.

Personal statements should describe such matters as personal strengths, reasons for seeking admission, interest in law, career ambitions and special circumstances as appropriate.

Please note that we do not have a required minimum or maximum for the personal statement. Most personal statements are 1 – 2 pages in length.

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University of Ottawa (Ottawa)

Deadline is 1-Nov | Last acceptable LSAT is in January

Admissions Criteria

158 LSAT Minimum | 3.5 GPA Minimum

(Ottawa uses a student's highest LSAT score. GPA based on all years of undergraduate study.)

GPA, LSAT, and personal statement are important factors. Ottawa also considers extracurriculars, prior professional achievements, overcoming challenges, and community work.

Apply via OLSAS.

Required Documents

Online application with personal statement; LSAT report; 2 LORs (at least one academic); official transcripts for all post-secondary education

Writing Components

The personal statement that you must prepare is a critical part of the application, and should be thought of as an interview with the Admissions Committee. In reviewing personal statements, committee members assess you according to the following considerations:

1. Capacity for critical, creative and original thinking
2. Communication skills, including writing skills
3. Evidence of capacity to manage work load and time
4. Ability to make a meaningful contribution to the overall law school environment and to the profession and the public it serves as demonstrated by, among other things:
5. A record of extracurricular activities and community involvement
6. Career experiences and achievements
7. Personal success in dealing with challenges
8. Diverse social, economic, ethnic, or cultural experiences and perspectives
9. Awareness of and interest in specializations and other strengths of the Faculty’s program of legal education
10. Specific career aspirations
11. Commitment to upholding ethical standards and to treating all university members with respect.

The information contained in personal statements will be considered in a manner consistent with the Ontario Human Rights Code.

Please do not use the personal statement as a resumé. Instead, explain why you are interested in studying and practicing law at the University of Ottawa, with regard to the 5 criteria.

Please do not use your personal statement to describe why you are applying in the Special Circumstances or Access categories. Dedicated forms are provided for this purpose in the application.

The maximum length of the personal statement is 8,000 characters, including spaces and punctuation.

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University of Saskatchewan (Saskatoon)

Deadline is 1-Feb | Last acceptable LSAT is in January

Admissions Criteria

159 LSAT Average | 3.7 GPA Average on a 4.3 scale

(Saskatchewan uses a student's highest LSAT score. GPA based on all years of undergraduate study.)

The Admission Committee considers factors including the applicant's best two-year GPA, LSAT score, and any circumstances deemed relevant. The Committee has a slight preference for applicants with a connection to Saskatchewan and residents of territories/provinces without law schools.

Apply online.

Required Documents

Online application, two original transcripts from at least two years of undergraduate study at a recognized institution; 500 word personal statement; LSAT score. References will not be accepted.

Writing Components

Your personal statement provides us with further information about you that will be used when reviewing your application. Include information on special academic interests and achievements, work experience (including volunteer work), special skills, personal attributes and any other significant life experiences (e.g., family-related, travel, etc.). The personal statement must be composed entirely by you and should not exceed a maximum of 500 words.

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University of Toronto (Toronto)

Deadline is 1-Nov | Last acceptable LSAT is in January

Admissions Criteria

168 LSAT Median | 3.88 GPA Median

(Toronto uses a student's highest LSAT score. GPA based on best three academic years of full-time study from all years of undergraduate study.)

An applicant's undergraduate GPA, LSAT, and personal statement are evaluated in a holistic review.

Apply via OLSAS.

Required Documents

OLSAS online application; original post-secondary transcripts; all LSAT scores; required personal statement; optional statement. LORs are not required and will not be reviewed in file if submitted.

Writing Components

Personal Statement and Optional Essay

Letters of recommendation are not required, and interviews are not conducted for admission selection. For this reason, applicants are encouraged to use the personal statement and optional personal essay to highlight their academic, personal and professional accomplishments, and share with the Committee a more three-dimensional picture of themselves and their vision for their own legal education at the University of Toronto.

All statements and essays of applicants who are offered admission are read independently by at least three (and as many as six) members of the Admissions Committee, which includes students, senior administrative staff and faculty members.

Personal Statement - Mandatory

5,000 characters (maximum), in plain text, including punctuation and spaces.

The statement is part of the OLSAS application form, and is not submitted as a separate document by upload or hardcopy. The text is entered on the application form directly.

The Personal Statement is part of the OLSAS application form, and not submitted as a separate document. You are encouraged to use the Personal Statement to share your “story” with the Admissions Committee. Indigenous applicants are encouraged to outline in their personal statements their interest in, identification with and connection to their communities. There is no template to follow as the statement serves as the means for self-expression and self-description. Successful statements tend to be those that feature clear and authentic writing.

See some samples of personal statements.

Optional Essay

2,500 characters (maximum), in plain text, including punctuation and spaces.

The essay is part of the OLSAS application form, and is not submitted as a separate document by upload or hardcopy. The text is entered on the application form directly.

The essay should be used to provide additional personal information from a choice of topics we suggest, such as a meaningful intellectual experience, a vision of your future goals, how you overcame obstacles to achievement, or how your identity, background and experiences will contribute to the diversity of the law school.

Link:https://www.law.utoronto.ca/jd-admissions-procedure#Statement

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University of Victoria (Victoria)

Deadline is 15-Jan | Last acceptable LSAT is in January

Admissions Criteria

160 LSAT Median | 3.83 GPA Median

(Victoria uses a student's highest LSAT score. GPA based on all years of undergraduate study, though some of the worst grades may be eliminated from the GPA calculation.)

Admissions is based fifty percent on the LSAT and fifty percent on academics. The personal statement may also be considered in a holistic review. The personal statement, especially Part B, in conjunction with GPA and LSAT score and other pertinent information, will be used to determine who gets an entrance scholarship.

Apply online.

Required Documents

Online application; undergraduate transcript, LSAT score, personal statement. No LORs will be accepted for the Regular Category, but submit information for two people who can verify information in application and personal statement.

Writing Components

Your personal statement should be presented in two parts.

In Part A, write a personal essay of not more than 750 words, telling the Admissions Committee why you wish to join the Uvic Law community and why you believe that your life experiences, background and personal attributes are indicative of a strong match between who you are and the community of students that UVic Law seeks to build.

In Part B, using bullet point format only, list any other activities or achievements that you want the Admissions Committee to know about. You may wish to include your academic achievements, employment experiences, extra-curricular endeavours, community involvement, or other life experiences or personal attributes that you have not previously highlighted in your application.

Important Notes:

If you have participated in a graduate degree program, please include reference to your achievements in that program in either Part A or B of your personal statement.

Your personal statement, especially Part B, in conjunction with academic performance, LSAT score and any other information that is pertinent to the criteria for specific awards, will be used to determine entrance scholarship recipients.

Please ensure your first and last name appear on your personal statement.

Link:https://www.uvic.ca/law/admissions/personalstatementguidelines.php

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University of Windsor (Windsor)

Deadline is 1-Nov | Last acceptable LSAT is in January

Admissions Criteria

155 LSAT Average | 3.12 GPA Average

(Windsor uses a student's highest LSAT score. GPA based on all years of undergraduate study.)

Windsor uses a holistic review that considers academic performance, work experience, community involvement, personal accomplishments, career objectives, individual circumstances, and LSAT scores.

Apply via OLSAS.

Required Documents

OLSAS form; UW Personal Profile; official transcripts from post-secondary studies; LSAT score; 2 LORs (one academic and one non-academic).

Writing Components

Via OLSAS:

We emphasize that no 1 single factor determines admission to Windsor Law. The Admission Committee assesses applications in light of the previous criteria. The chief source of information about you is that which you provide in your Personal Profile. Please take care to present a full and rounded view of yourself in your Personal Profile.

The application and the Personal Profile (found in the online application under “School Submissions”) were developed to provide you with the opportunity to assemble a persuasive case for admission.

Admission Committee members will assess the information provided to determine the following:

• whether you are likely to succeed in law studies
• if you have social skills and relate well to people
• if you have talent for administration and organization (particularly of your own time)
• if you have a well-developed and focused career plan based on a sound perception of your capabilities
• if you display leadership qualities and writing skills

In the application, you are expected to identify significant experiences and accomplishments, and indicate how they relate to the admission criteria.

For example, particular experiences (work, cultural, sporting and academic) should be described in sufficient detail to allow the evaluators to make an assessment.

Any experience that demonstrates that you are self-disciplined and committed to excellence in any field should be described.

Committee members are interested in those experiences that show that you are devoted to self-improvement and involvement in the community and service to others.

Contributions to the following help demonstrate this:

• hospitals
• charitable organizations
• religious institutions
• disadvantaged and underprivileged groups and individuals
• political parties and athletics, among other activities

If you are a member of a group that is disadvantaged for any reason, these circumstances should be made known to the Admission Committee.

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Western Law (London)

Deadline is 1-Nov | Last acceptable LSAT is in February

Admissions Criteria

163 LSAT Average | 3.7 GPA Average

(Western uses a student's highest LSAT score. GPA based on last two years. )

Western looks for well-rounded applicants who have, in addition to strong LSAT scores and grades, a variety of experiences (work, public service, leadership, etc.) and skills, including strong communication and social skills. Western also considers applicants’ personal statements, reference letters, and LSAT writing samples

Apply via OLSAS.

Required Documents

Online application; LSAT; official undergraduate transcripts from all post-secondary education; personal statement; two confidential LORs with at least one academic; autobiographical sketch and verifiers.

Writing Components

The Personal Statement

Does Western Law require a personal statement as part of the application package?

Yes.

What is the maximum length?

7000 characters including spaces(5000 for Part A and 2000 for Part B).

Where can I find details about the requirements for Western’s personal statement? 

In three places:

1. in our PDF, which is downloadable here: Western Law personal statement;
2. on the OLSAS website in the Western University section; and
3. in the online OLSAS application itself, more specifically in the “Help” box on the page where applicants prepare their personal statement.

How does Western’s personal statement differ from requirements in the past? 

Applicants are asked to separate their narrative in to two distinct parts: Part A (5000 characters), which is a free-flowing section, where applicants can tell us what they want us to know (suggestions are provided); and Part B (2000 characters), where applicants are asked to respond to a fact scenario. Two separate text boxes are provided for this purpose in the OLSAS online application. Access and Aboriginal applicants may submit an additional statement (in an additional Part C text box, maximum 1000 characters) for Access applicants to provide details of the disadvantage or barrier that may have affected academic performance or LSAT score(s), or for Aboriginal applicants to detail their ties to their Aboriginal/Indigenous community.

Do you have any tips for the writing of the personal statement? 

Yes. We offer the following “Dos” and “DON’Ts”:

DO

Be sincere.

Make It interesting from the very first paragraph.

Tell us about you.

Consider it your “interview on paper.”

Provide examples to illustrate your statements.

Highlight the positives.

Create visuals for your reader.

Tie the introduction and conclusion together.

Be concise.

Be meticulous about spelling, grammar, phrasing, and word choice.

Ask someone to proofread your work.

Explain anomalies in your academic work if applicable.

Find the right balance between humility and self-confidence.

DON’T

Repeat what’s in your autobiographical sketch or resume. Instead highlight key items.

Use cliché phrases.

Make blanket statements without further detail.

Tell us what you think we want to hear when it’s not sincere.

Use other personal statements as templates. They only distract you.

Permit rewriting or excessive editing by others. It is your personal statement.

Be ingratiating or overbearing.

Write it at the last minute. Instead revise, revise, and revise until it’s perfect!

Please also see tips for writing personal statements at Western's Student Success Centre.

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