How many applications do you receive?
In 2023 we received just over 2900 applications. The target enrolment for the incoming first-year JD class is 216.
How many years of an undergraduate program do I need in order to apply?
To be eligible for admission, applicants must have successfully completed a minimum of three years of full-time undergraduate studies at an institution recognized as providing an academic environment and education that prepares students for potential success in advanced study. Prior to completion of undergraduate degree studies, the applicant would have completed secondary schooling in Canada or equivalent pre-university studies.
What undergraduate program should I study to prepare for law school?
There are no prescribed "pre-law programs" or program pre-requisites. Students at law school have completed undergraduate degrees in a wide range of disciplines including commerce, political science, engineering and pure sciences, philosophy, language studies and literature, economics, biology, sociology, music, fine art and international relations to name just a few.
Do you have minimum admissions requirements?
We do not have minimum admission requirements. Recommended scores and grades can be found under each category on the Admission Categories & Standards page.
Do all documents have to be in by November 1?
As long as you have submitted your OLSAS application online by November 1, application materials such as letters of reference and transcripts can follow after the deadline. All documents should be sent to OLSAS.
How are grades and the LSAT weighed?
Grades indicate how well an applicant has mastered the academic discipline chosen for the undergraduate degree. The LSAT test assesses aptitude for legal studies through questions designed to measure reading comprehension, logical and analytical reasoning. Both grades and the LSAT score are considered academic factors of approximately equal weight. To have a good chance of being offered admission, both measures should fall within the competitive ranges for consideration.
When should I write the LSAT?
The January test score is the latest score accepted for admission in the current admission cycle.
How do you treat multiple LSAT scores?
The Admissions Committee will rely on the highest score achieved at the time of the admission decision.
If I went on exchange in my undergrad, does my transcript need to be assessed by WES?
Applicants are not required to obtain a WES assessment for courses taken as part of an exchange program, as long as transfer credits for these courses are recognized on the home university transcript.
When can I expect to hear if I have been admitted?
Following the OLSAS application deadline, OLSAS will forward file contents in electronic format to Queen’s Faculty of Law. Files will be assembled from the electronic materials. Files in each of the admission categories are ranked for competitiveness and forwarded to the Admissions committee for review and decision throughout the cycle. Beginning in January and running through until late August, decisions regarding admission will be communicated to applicants by email and letter. Please be sure to keep OLSAS updated through the cycle with your current mailing address and current email address.
When will I know if I have been awarded an entrance scholarship?
Most admission scholarships are awarded during the first round with the offer of admission. However, some admission scholarships will be awarded later in the admissions cycle as more funds become available.
What financial assistance is available to me? What are the costs of attendance?
It is recommended that you apply for the Queen’s Law Admissions Bursary. Full information on the costs of attendance, and about merit-based and needs-based assistance can be seen on the University Registrars' Student Awards Website. Tuition is posted on the website of the University Registrar.
The Certificate in Law to JD Pathway
The Certificate in Law is Canada’s premier undergraduate law program: eight courses exploring legal topics in detail; any four earning students a Queen’s Certificate in Law. As The Certificate in Law is recognized by Queen’s Law as demonstrating a dedication to law, with graduates who are ready to take on the challenges of one of the country’s best juris doctor programs. As such, CiL graduates receive priority consideration when applying to Queen’s Law.
Certificate in Law students will have their JD applications to Queen’s Law reviewed on a priority basis, before applicants without a completed Certificate in Law (CiL) in their admissions category.
Completing the Certificate does not guarantee admission into Queen’s Law: law school admissions are a holistic process that take into consideration grades (LSAT and GPA), educational attainment, extracurricular achievements, among other factors. Queen’s Law has an admissions team that reviews applications that meet our GPA and LSAT cutoffs by hand and in detail.
CiL status will move an application up the queue, but does not change our overall standards or things we look for when considering students for Canada’s best law school community. Students who do not meet our standards will not be offered admission – Certificate or not. And great students will always be considered whether or not they have the Certificate in Law credential.
All things being equal, a Certificate in Law graduate would be offered admission prior to an applicant without the Certificate. Top students who show a mix of academic achievement, extracurricular accomplishments and a dedication to the law and justice will continue to find a home at Queen’s Law, but Certificate graduates may receive their offer earlier in the cycle.
Are Certificate in Law graduates guaranteed an offer from Queen’s Law?
No. Queen’s Law is one of the country’s most sought-after juris doctor programs, with some of the highest admissions standards in the country. It is also a very challenging program, where we use metrics like GPA and LSAT scores as an indicator of whether a student is prepared to succeed at the Faculty.
We recognize the work ethic, passion for the law, and diligence demonstrated by Certificate in Law graduates, and will review CiL graduates before general applications meeting our GPA / LSAT requirements. But we will not review CiL graduates who do not meet the GPA and LSAT score thresholds set by our admissions team.
Should people who don’t have the Certificate in Law still apply to Queen’s Law?
Absolutely. We are going to review CiL graduate applications ahead of general applications, but with 200+ students joining us for every new class, every student with a competitive GPA and LSAT score should consider applying.
Are other pre-law programs or degree types considered for priority consideration for the Queen’s Law JD program?
No. While there are excellent pre-law courses and degree types at other Canadian and international universities, they are not considered for priority review.
How does priority review of Certificate in Law applications affect other application categories?
Queen’s Law is committed to ensuring diversity in legal education and the legal profession. Applications to our Indigenous Peoples Category, Black Student Applicant Category, and Access Category are processed separately and independently of general applications, regardless of CiL status.
Taking Certificate courses costs money. How does this approach mesh with Queen’s Law’s principles regarding education equity and diversity?
There are several ways for students to mitigate the costs of the Certificate in Law:
- Queen’s students can take two Certificate in Law courses as part of their regular degree requirements (“200-level courses”), requiring only two others to complete the Certificate.
- Students enrolled in other universities can discuss taking Certificate courses on Letters of Permission from their home institutions, allowing them to apply Certificate course credits to their degrees, and cut tuition costs at their home university.
- Students may also be eligible for other government student financial assistance. Please contact Student Awards for further information regarding financial aid.
The Faculty is currently investigating other ways to fund students who would struggle financially to take on the full Certificate.
The Faculty has also considered how this priority consideration might enhance equity among students seeking to pursue their JD at Queen’s Law:
- As a fully online program, the Certificate can be pursued anywhere in Canada – indeed, anywhere in the world. This allows students who are not studying at universities that are the common focus of law admissions teams, and/or universities that do not have pre-law supports, to stand out in a new way during the admissions process.
- As a program that can be taken part-time, the Certificate can also be a way for mature students, or students not pursuing a conventional BA, to stand out during the application process.
Do I have to complete the Certificate in a certain amount of time for it to be part of the JD admissions consideration?
No. One of the benefits of the Certificate is it can be taken at any learner’s pace. One benefit of the Certificate is that mature learners curious about the law can use the Certificate to explore topics in law, and if their GPA and LSAT scores support it, be considered in a priority queue at Queen’s Law. A student pursuing a conventional BA could take one course per year, and complete the Certificate in time for their law school applications.
Would I be considered a Certificate “graduate” if I am completing my final CiL course when I submit my law school application through OLSAS?
Students must have completed their Certificate in Law when they apply in OLSAS, using a new “JD and Certificate in Law” application option. If you intend to apply for law school by the OLSAS deadline of November 1 in a given year, you should be taking your fourth CiL course in the winter or summer term of the preceding academic year.
The Certificate is conferred at Fall convocation (November) and Spring convocation (May-June). To have the Certificate completed for priority status at Queen’s Law, you would need to have completed all requirements to be awarded the Certificate, at latest, by the end of summer in that year.
Having your final, fourth course underway during the Fall term that you apply for law school will not grant you priority status, as the Certificate will not be granted to you until Spring convocation, in May/June of the following calendar year.
Do Certificate in Law course credits count toward JD course requirements at Queen’s Law?
No. While the Certificate in Law covers many topics that you will encounter in JD studies at Queen’s Law or elsewhere, it does not count for course credits toward your Juris Doctor degree. It will, however, greatly accelerate your understanding of key topics, case law, and legal thought, allowing you to focus on other growth areas during your legal studies.