How to Become a Lawyer

EAdmission to law school is highly competitive. Attending Carleton University prior to law school is a great way to get an edge over the competition! For those who would like to increase their knowledge of law and legal studies before applying to law school, the Department of Law and Legal Studies at Carleton offers the most comprehensive Bachelor of Arts in Law in the country. Also, the school’s proximity to important legal institutions such as the Supreme Court of Canada, Parliament and the Department of Justice provides Carleton students with excellent employment opportunities as well as unique access to important research holdings.

In addition, within the Bachelor of Arts program at Carleton, first-year students can register in a First-year Seminar wherein they are taught by an experienced faculty member in a class of no more than 30 students. This is a great way for students to get to know one of their professors on a more personal level, which is highly beneficial for obtaining personal letters of reference.

To learn more about the law school application process and admission requirements check the information below.

Applying to Law School in Ontario:

There are several law schools in Ontario: Lakehead University, Osgoode Hall Law School (York University), University of Ottawa, Queen’s University, University of Toronto, the University of Western Ontario, and the University of Windsor. Students apply to these law schools through the Ontario Law School Application Service (OLSAS) – a non-profit centralized application service for the six Ontario Law Schools that is operated by the Ontario University Applications Centre (OUAC).

Application Process:

Since admission to law school is highly competitive, it is important to be aware of important dates and deadlines! Law school applications are generally due in the fall of the year before you wish to attend. Students apply to Ontario Law Schools using the OLSAS on-line application service. Visit the OLSAS website for more information regarding the law school application process.

Admission Requirements:

To be eligible for admission to most law programs students must meet a number of requirements. To learn more about the specific requirements for each of Ontario’s Law Schools visit the OUAC website. In order to be considered for law school, it is extremely important for applicants to have a significant amount of volunteer and work experience. In general, students are usually required to provide a personal statement (which allows students to expand on the information they provided on the application form), both academic and non-academic references, have a strong university GPA and have completed the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) with a score among the top 70+ percentile (see OUAC website for university specific information). The LSAT is a standardized test that is required for all persons applying to first year at any English-language school in North America. For more information about the LSAT visit the Law School Admission Council website.

Cost to Apply to Law School:

To apply to law school an OLSAS application service fee is required plus a law school application service fee for each law school one chooses to apply to. Find out more information about law school fees and the payment of fees.