Located in Canada’s ideal small city – Kingston, Ontario – Queen's Law offers an unparalleled legal education taught by experts, hands-on learning opportunities, incredible career supports and a global alumni network.
Our renowned JD program provides students the educational foundation to practice law in all common-law jurisdictions in Canada and around the world, as well as diverse curricular offerings in high-interest practice areas, including business, constitutional, public, criminal, and international law.
Our students can write the bar in two U.S. states as well as across Canada before entering practice. 97% of our Juris Doctor students find articling positions that let them accrue real-world experience at law firms while preparing for their license to practice law.
600
JD students
97%
articling rate at graduation
(work experience that qualifies for Express Entry permanent residence)
47%
students identify as a racialized group
9,000
alumni to connect with around the globe
What sets Queen’s Law apart?
Community is one thing. We have the best-developed volunteer mentor system in the country, and a student body that prioritizes collaboration over competition. When we help each other get ahead, it strengthens our whole community... and the fact that more than 80% of our students live in walking distance of the school doesn’t hurt!
Innovation is another. Queen’s Law is home to technologically leading projects like the Conflict Analytics Lab, Canada’s first AI and law research centre. We are trailblazers in education, including novel courses in corporate law and IP.
Finally, we are committed to practical, hands-on education. We have five legal clinics, including some entirely unique in Canada. Our mooting program connects students to faculty and prestigious alumni to present mock cases in front of real judges, and our Pro Bono student chapter is very active – even hosting its own podcast.
What can I do with a Queen’s law degree?
Queen’s Law graduates generally move into articling (97% placement) with law firms in Canada and beyond. From there...
- A law degree from Queen’s makes students eligible to write the bar in any Canadian province or territory, and practice in those regions.
- Queen’s law grads can also write the bar in the U.S. states of New York and Massachusetts. Bar reciprocity means that students who are admitted to the New York bar can practice in 41 other states; Massachusetts, another 43.
The average lawyer’s salary in Ontario (where Queen’s Law is located) is $143,861. The top 1% of lawyers in Canada make over $400,000 per year.
Lawyers also occupy highly prestigious roles in society. Queen’s Law alumni have gone on to be federal members of parliament, government ministers, Supreme Court justices, and even the Governor General of Canada.
Some Queen’s Law graduates follow their degrees with advanced studies, including Master’s and doctoral programs. This is a pathway that can lead to prestige as a legal academic, or, through programs like the Smith Business MBA at Queen’s, becoming a business leader. Our graduates have headed financial firms, investment companies, and multinational law firms.
Law degrees and permanent residency
Studying the law in Canada is not an eligibility requirement for permanent residency.
97% of our Juris Doctor students find positions articling in law firms following graduation. This provides them with valuable work experience while they work towards receiving their license to practice as a lawyer.
Queen’s also has the Queen’s University International Centre (QUIC), a dedicated resource centre for international students. It employs full-time registered immigration consultants, who can help and advise on issues including study permits, visas and permanent residency.