U of T Law: a Comprehensive Student Guide

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U of T Law is notably one of the top legal institutions in Canada. It is renowned nationally and internationally as a leading legal education provider. In this overview, you will find the institution’s summary, admission requirements, enrolment statistics, financial information, and the required curriculum of Toronto law school.

Your alternative could be a 2-Year Graduate Entry LLB Degree in the UK.

Law School Summary

Below you will find a summary of key characteristics of this school of law.

Strengths of UofT Law

As already briefly touched upon, Toronto Law has remained enthroned as Canada’s leading degree provider in the legal academic circles since the first rankings came to surface back in 2007. Since then, Toronto Law has solidified its top 16 place on the international ladder. It was placed 13th, 10th, and 14th by merit in 2011, 2018, and 2021, respectively. Meaning that it is an equally capable contender of the UK, USA, and Australia’s elite legal institutions.

One reason to explain these phenomenal achievements is the University’s pride in admitting students from various backgrounds, with different perspectives and potentials driving forward the new wave of Canada’s increased legal competitiveness.

The University of Toronto’s Law School has become synonymous with prestige in academic preparation in Canada. A stunning 95% of the second year and final year students secure entry-level employment. This ought to act as a career progression confidence booster for those aiming to continue their steady movement forward on the legal road to destinations, such as articling clerks, interns, or junior lawyers.

Special Qualities of UofT Law

Although it may not quite fall on the ‘course’ classification side, the University of Toronto’s Law School offers a great variety of academic modules. It also runs parallel ‘Lawyers Doing Cool Things’ alumni networking sessions. These sessions are immensely beneficial for guiding students forward into their career by shadowing the success of others.

The International Business Law Summer Internship Program is a particular professional experience-boosting opportunity as it truly demonstrates how classy Toronto Law is. The institution has maintained strong bonds with law firms, such as Dentons LLP, Norton Rose Fulbright, Gowling WLG, Fasken, Osler, Blakes LLP, Cassels LLP, and Davies LLP amongst others to offer its students one-of-a-lifetime placements.

Unsurprisingly, the University of Toronto has expanded beyond its national satisfaction of being commended as a leader amongst law schools. The school has established a cross-border exchange program with the University of Singapore. More Asian partnerships are fostered through the ‘Work in Japan Program’, whilst The Center for Transnational Legal Studies welcomes University of Toronto students to the epitome of the common law global centre: London.

Learn about Every Type of Law Degree.

U of T Law Requirements

The University of Toronto has relied on giving students the chance to create a holistic, tri-dimensional presentation of themselves without the use of interviews or letters of recommendation. Instead, the U of T Law Admissions Committee mainly focuses on one’s LSAT results, the standard of personal statement, and post-secondary records of academic achievement.

Personal Statement

The personal statement’s character allowance is a maximum of 5,000. Yet if that is not enough for applicants to express their full motives behind their aspirations, they may opt to produce an Optional Essay of up to 2,500 characters. By all means, this should not be overlooked as it can evolve into a discussion of a meaningful intellectual experience, a vision of future goals, overcoming obstacles to achievement or identity, and background contributions to diversifying the school.

LSAT and GPA

Out of the scoring peak of 180, the University of Toronto admits students with LSAT scores of at least 166-168. Whereas the grade point average from their undergraduate degree should equal a minimum of 3.8 across all modules.

Resume

Simultaneously, applicants must complete the Ontario Law School Application Service (OLSAS) application and only mature candidates may enclose a resume on top of the other admission requirements.

Undergraduate Degree

While having an undergraduate degree is not a necessary requirement, the University of Toronto has revealed that 95% of its first-year law students have completed an undergraduate qualification in any degree.

Alternative Requirements

Alternative admission requirements for Indigenous people include a particular emphasis on their connection with native communities. Whereas students of colour can use the 2,500-character Black Student Application Process Essay to introduce the Admission Committee more profoundly to their personal story and passion for the subject.

U of T Application Deadline

All applications are submitted via OLSAS. The application deadline (regardless of whether the LSAT has been completed) is 11:59 pm on November 1. Candidates are strongly advised to have completed the LSAT before the start of November.

Enrollment Statistics of University of Toronto Law School

The University of Toronto Faculty of Law is not an institution that is easy to enrol in. According to the most recent published data, 221 first-year undergraduates were admitted out of a cohort of 2,204 candidates. In other words, one in ten (10.02%) applicants successfully made it through the application process.

Otherwise, the University enjoys the presence of approximately 650 students across all years of the undergraduate law course.

Student Finance Information

Tuition

The table below displays all the associated expenses with a law degree, for full-time Canadian citizens (permanent residents are included too) and full-time international students. No reductions in the form of scholarships or bursaries were taken into consideration whilst formulating the table.

Scholarships

The University of Toronto Faculty of Law is incredibly generous in its financial aid for students. The previous academic year (2020/21) witnessed a budget of $4.7 million CDN being distributed either in scholarships or bursaries.

This university heavily widens the monetary access to Canadian citizens for the completion of their degree – in fact, 42% of academic learners qualified for a scholarship/bursary.

While international students are fully ineligible for any scholastic discounts, domestic students enjoyed an average awarded subsidy amounting to $14,785 CDN. Or to put it in a different perspective, almost a 45% coverage of annual tuition fees.

We are also able to note that since 2019/20 there has been a positive financial support increase – $12,500 CDN were the mean pecuniary awards sum before the increase of $2,285 CDN came into force.

The Curriculum at U of T Law

The year-by-year modules’ distribution for the Juris Doctor program stands as it follows:

First Year

The opening year curriculum begins with two preparatory courses:

• Legal Methods – the Law Faculty self-determines the purpose of this course to be coaching students to ‘think like lawyers’ by intensively going through the basic information needed for the Juris Doctor program; and
• Legal Research and Writing – aimed at sharpening students’ legal analysis and research skills via receiving instructor feedback, this course is carried out in classes of 25.

In addition, as the purpose of the entry-level year is to lay steady foundations of legal knowledge and independent academic exegeses, there are six substantive law courses and no electives. Five are taught in small seminar groups of 16-18 students and only one in a large class of a maximum of 90 scholars:

• Constitutional Law;
• Contracts;
• Criminal Law;
• Legal Process;
• Property; and
• Torts.

Second and Third Years

The penultimate and final academic years of the University of Toronto’s Juris Doctor program include compulsory courses that can be taken across both years, namely:

• Canadian Administrative Law;
• Critical Perspective units;
• International, Comparative, Transnational Law;
• Oral Advocacy (either through taking part in the Upper Year Moot or via a representation in a Competitive Moot);
• Ethics and Professionalism (a total minimum of at least 24 hours worth of training); and
• the Intersession Intensive Course (can be completed in Year Three as well).

Years Two and Three offer continuous timeframes to undertake electives from well over 100 choices of units between 1-15 credits. Here are some of the most intriguing and career-enhancing ones to sign up for:

• Animals and the Law;
• Anti-Corruption Law and Policy;
• Anti-Discrimination Law;
• Bankruptcy and Insolvency Law;
• Health Law and Bioethics;
• Indigenous Peoples and Economic Development;
• Indigenous Peoples and the Constitution of Canada;
• International Trade Regulation;
• Introduction to Intellectual Property Law;
• Law and Psyche;
• Moot – Canadian Labour Arbitration Competition;
• Moot – Competition Law Competitive Program;
• Moot – Immigration, Refugee, and Citizenship Competitive Program; and
• Social Media and the Constitution.

More About University of Toronto Faculty of Law

Surrounded by Yorkville, the Annex, Harbord Village and the Discovery District surrounds the campus of the University of Toronto. Situated between the Royal Ontario Museum and Queen’s Park, is the University’s Law Faculty, which is Canada’s highest praised school of law.

Its halls include the more traditionalistically designed Falconer Hall and Flavelle House and their latest successor erected in 2016 – the Jackman Law Building, quarters of the Bora Laskin Law Library, and the Rosalie Silberman Abella Moot Court. The Law Faculty’s alumni network is made up of some formidable names, most notably, a handful of Supreme Court of Canada Justices and other judges, mayors, Senators, and Ontario Premiers.

By Georgi Minchev