UofC

The Faculty of Law welcomes applications from individuals with a variety of educational backgrounds. It does not require that a student undertake a formal pre-law program.

JD Program

The educational prerequisite for admission to the Faculty of Law is successful completion of 60 units in a program of studies leading to a degree at a university in Alberta, or its equivalent. Courses to be considered must be completed prior to December 31 in the year in which the application is made. Normally, successful applicants will have completed at least one university degree.

The Faculty of Law is committed to a holistic approach to admissions. This means that in assessing applicants, the Admissions Committee considers a number of factors including but not limited to academic record, performance on the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT), work experience, community involvement, additional facts related to diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as lived experience and the applicant’s statement of interest. The Faculty is committed to equity, diversity and inclusion in its admission processes, recognizing that it strengthens the Faculty, the legal profession and society as a whole.

The Faculty of Law recognizes the underrepresentation of Indigenous peoples within the legal profession and the importance of developing a legal profession that represents the diversity of the population we serve. The Indigenous Admission Process IAP provides an opportunity for those who self-identify as Indigenous to be considered for admission to the Faculty, which is situated on Treaty 7 territory and includes the Blackfoot Confederacy (comprising the Siksika, Piikani, and Kainai First Nations), as well as the Tsuut’ina First Nation, and the Stoney Nakoda (including the Chiniki, Bearspaw, and Wesley First Nations). The City of Calgary is also home to Métis Nation of Alberta, Region 3.

Applicants who choose to self-identify as Indigenous may complete an essay that speaks to their lived experience as First Nations, Inuit or Métis peoples in Canada, including connections to their own Indigenous community and history. The essay should highlight how they have experienced life in order to get to this particular place. Applicants are invited to outline their connection to their Indigenous culture (or loss of it, and why) and anything else that may have contributed to their interest in the legal field and the study of law.

Where necessary, the Indigenous Admissions Subcommittee will review Indigenous prospective student applications. The Subcommittee includes members of the law faculty who are Indigenous or have expertise in Indigenous law, Indigenous legal professionals, Indigenous community members and elders.

All applicants who self-identify as Indigenous are required to submit proof of status or Indigenous ancestry in Canada.

The Black Student Equitable Admission Process (BSEAP) is an optional opportunity for applicants who self-identify as being of Black (e.g. African, Caribbean) descent, or multi-racial students identifying with their Black ancestry. The same competitive admissions criteria are taken into account in this second assessment. BSEAP is a recognition of systemic inequities and is intended to address the underrepresentation of Black students within our law school and the larger legal community. It provides a pathway for Black applicants to speak about their lived experience and the barriers they have overcome. Applicants who choose to self-identify as Black are invited to complete an optional personal essay, which will be taken into account as part of the overall file review within our holistic admissions process. Where necessary, an applicant who participates in the BSEAP will be reviewed a second time by up to two members of the BSEAP Subcommittee which includes members of the Black Student Law Association, Black law faculty and Black members of the wider legal community. The University of Calgary recognizes the systemic barriers that exist for Black applicants and by establishing an equitable admissions structure, this process strives to overcome the role of explicit and implicit racial biases.

All students seeking admission to the JD Program in the Faculty of Law are required to take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). The last acceptable LSAT score will be the January writing in the year the applicant is intending to commence law school studies. Only those applicants who have written the LSAT by that date will be given consideration. Any applicant who is not able to afford the LSAT fee may apply to the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) for a fee waiver.

For more information about the LSAT including the fee waiver form and criteria can be found on the LSAC website: lsac.org.

For details on admission procedures and deadlines refer to: law.ucalgary.ca/future-students/how-to-apply.

The Admissions Committee starts reviewing files as soon as they are complete. This includes an LSAT score, unofficial (uploaded) transcripts from all post-secondary educational institutions attended and any required reference(s).

To finalize an offer of admission official transcripts are required. Official transcripts are documents which are sent directly to the Admissions Office of the Faculty of Law from other post-secondary institutions maintaining such records or through a secure transcript delivery or verification system.

Documents which are provided in a language other than English must be accompanied by an English translation prepared by a certified translator. Documents must indicate the courses studied and the grades obtained in each course.

Applications, transcripts and supporting documents received by the Admissions Office become the property of the University of Calgary and will not be photocopied or returned to students or forwarded to other institutions.

Documents submitted, but not required for admission, will be destroyed. Students are advised to only submit documents requested by the University and required for admission consideration.

It is to the applicant's advantage to have a completed file as soon as possible. Successful applicants will be required to confirm, within a specified time period, their acceptance of an offer by sending a non-refundable $500.00 deposit.

Transfer Students

If you have successfully completed your first year of study at a Canadian common law school and have written the LSAT, you may apply to transfer to the Faculty of Law. You must have completed the following mandatory classes in first year: Constitutional Law, Contracts, Crime, Property, and Torts.

For information on admission procedures and deadlines, see: law.ucalgary.ca/future-students/how-to-apply and refer to the “Transfer applicants” heading. Your application will be assessed using the same criteria as for first-year admissions as well as law school references, performance in first year law and an applicant’s stated reasons for wanting to transfer.

Letter of Permission (LOP) Students

If you have successfully completed at least one year of study at a Canadian or US law school, you may apply to study at the Faculty of Law for up to one year as an LOP student. The Faculty of Law cannot guarantee course availability. It is your responsibility to ensure you meet the graduation requirements for your home law school. In addition, LOP students may not take any of the following courses due to space restrictions: any 400 level course, Administrative Law, Civil Procedure, Evidence, Ethical Lawyering, Negotiation, and Advocacy. Please note that in any given year additional course restrictions may apply

For information on admission procedures and deadlines, see: https://law.ucalgary.ca/future-students/how-toapply and refer to the “Letter of Permission (LOP) applicants” heading. Your application will be assessed based on your performance in law school, as well as a Letter of Permission from your current law school indicating that you are in good standing and have not been subject to any disciplinary actions, nor have you breached any university regulations regarding student academic or non-academic misconduct. We will also consider the same criteria used for first-year admissions and the reasons you wish to attend the Faculty of Law as an LOP.

While the Faculty of Law may admit students to its JD degree program, the right to practice law as a barrister and solicitor is granted only by the law society of the province concerned. Applicants contemplating practice should consider communicating as soon as possible with the law society of the province in which they intend to practice for all relevant particulars. In particular, applicants may wish to make inquires of the law society with respect to matters that raise issues of good character and reputation. Such matters would include, amongst other things, past criminal convictions, instances of academic misconduct or unresolved bankruptcy declarations.

The minimum requirements for admission to the Foreign Trained Lawyers Program (FTLP) post-bachelor’s certificate are:

A. A law degree (LLB, JD, or equivalent) from an approved, recognized, accredited or otherwise accepted law school;

B. A valid National Committee on Accreditation (NCA) Assessment Report that shows required courses and law degree information; and

C. Proof of English language proficiency, measured via one of the below methods:

a. The language of instruction of the Applicant’s legal academic qualifications was English, and such qualifications were obtained in a country where English is an official language; or

b. Completion of the International English Language Test System (IELTS) test, with a minimum score of 7.0 across all of the following elements: writing, speaking, reading and listening.

Admission to the program is competitive, and meeting the minimum requirements above does not guarantee admission to the program.